Immediately after returning from Naval service during World War Two, Commander Nick Parsons returns to the town of his birth in the Cascade Mountains to unravel a mystery - a mystery he doesn't know has tragically impacted upon four generations of his family. The story flows from his great grandfather (an engineer) who helped build Stampede Tunnel on the Northern Pacific Railway, through his grandfather (a Northern Pacific Divisional Master Mechanic), to his father (an NPR section maintenance foreman) who died in a tragic accident when Nick was young, on to Nick himself.As he slowly rakes through the still warm coals of the unexplained deaths of both of his parents just days apart, Nick's very existence is threatened more than once which just makes him more certain that his parents' deaths were anything but accidental.With it's foundations in a real event, the rest of the story is fictional and builds to a climax that fits neatly into the real facts of history. Real historical figures make true to character appearances. David Loxton has led a colourful life and he has used that experience to produce a range of books in a range of genres. His life has included a diverse career including military experience and teaching which provided opportunities for living outside his home country of Australia His interests outside career include sailing, horse breeding, sport and, most importantly, watching people as they go about their daily lives. "My writing is full of vivid anecdotes gathered over many years," he says. And he uses them to build lifelike characters and scenes in his books.
