"Kansas Bleeds" - Book #4 Colton Brothers Saga

Luke Colton believes the South and slavery are right. How else will cotton get to market, and tobacco harvested without slaves to do the work? The southern economy is based on such a workforce and besides, what would slaves do if they were free?

Luke’s three brothers, parents, and wife think slavery and states’ rights are wrong. They side with the Union. Here in Kansas, Luke chooses to ride with the leader of Quantrill’s Raiders, a ruthless group of border ruffians. He hides his decision from his family.

James Colton, Luke’s older brother, a victim of Apache capture and torture, visits New Mexico and displays what slavery looks like, explaining what it costs. Unconvinced, Luke continues to ride with Quantrill by burning houses, raiding, looting, and assaulting men, until he realizes his family is right. But how to get out of the Confederate guerrilla’s clutches?

Upon learning of Quantrill’s plans to burn Lawrence, Kansas, Luke’s hometown, the Colton brothers rush to save everyone. But, no one listens . . .

- Reviews -

"In Kansas Bleeds, Melody Groves has written a compelling and engaging novel of the events surrounding Quantrill's raid on Lawrence, Kansas. A novel about hard choices and bad decisions, Kansas Bleeds is a pleasure to read."
—Thomas Cobb, award-winning author of Crazy Heart and With Blood in Their Eyes

   ". . . wartime coming-of-age story . . . a solid entry . . . attentive to borderlands history as well as the interior life of young Luke, who learns with bitterness that one's family always comes first." 

—Booklist

   "Kansas Bleeds is a rare combination of rough-and-tumble cowboy antics and fine writing . . .  Peppered with humor and laced with tension, this Colton brothers' Western is as fine as they get." 

—Judith Avila, award-winning author of Code Talker