It was a simpler time. Widower Jacob Ernst struggles to raise his young sons, Nathan and Mead, on their modest farm in the small town of Painted Post. Listening to the songs of their hounds while pursuing the wily raccoon through the nighttime forests, Jacob teaches his children a deep respect for all woodland creatures and the many legends abounding in these tall hills. For Painted Post is a storied place where the lessons of life, love, and death play out beneath its mighty oaks. And Nathan and Mead grow loyal to each other and their coonhounds till the end.

But worlds collide. The evil of men follows the Ernst family and their hounds into these mystical hills. The scourge of the illegal drug trade, and the treachery of one of their own, leads to an inevitable showdown. Some will learn not all of Painted Post's vivid tales are pure legend, and this rugged woodland can wield a brutal justice. For in the darkest hollows, unbreakable bonds are forged.

SECOND PLACE WINNER: 2023 New York State Outdoor Writers Association Excellence in Craft Awards--Book category, and SECOND PLACE WINNER: 2022 New York State Outdoor Writers Association Excellence in Craft Awards--Television, Radio, Video, and Audio category!