Description

Bestselling authors William W. Johnstone and J.A. Johnstone return to Cutthroat County, Montana, with a sweeping generational saga of two ranching families battling to build and preserve their legacies. Spanning 132 years, from 1891 to 2023, the story unfolds across alternating timelines to reveal the enduring struggles of the Maddox and Drew families.

In the present day, winter has tightened its grip on Cutthroat County. Rancher Ashton Maddox and his skeleton crew work tirelessly to protect their cattle from the brutal conditions, while County Sheriff John T. Drew stays busy leading search-and-rescue missions for reckless skiers and snowboarders drawn to the treacherous Always Winter mountain range. When a powerful blizzard sweeps through the area, Drew must deal with a dangerous gang of prisoners stranded in town. As avalanches begin to strike, both Drew and Maddox discover that their son and daughter are trapped in the mountains—just as the gang’s ruthless leader escapes custody.

More than a century earlier, in 1894, Cutthroat County faced an equally devastating storm. Murdo Maddox struggled to save his livestock as the deadly blizzard wiped out nearly all of his cowboy crew. Meanwhile, Sheriff Napoleon Drew pursued a ruthless killer through the frozen wilderness, determined to bring him to justice despite the unforgiving snow and ice. Both men risked everything to protect those around them, battling both the wrath of nature and the darkest side of humanity.

Bound by blood and legacy, the Drew and Maddox families have always faced the harshest elements—both natural and human. Their fight for survival continues, proving that in Montana, resilience runs through generations.