Sanctuary

By Walter A. Cook

A Southern Mystery of Justice, Redemption, and Mountain Resilience

When a smooth-talking developer turns up dead in Franklin, North Carolina, the Cherokee herbalist who publicly cursed him becomes the obvious suspect. But Mary Baade-ex-marijuana smuggler turned dog bakery owner-knows the real story is far more dangerous than small-town gossip suggests.

A conspiracy that runs deeper than mountain roots.

Behind Hollis Blackwood's eco-resort proposal lies a pharmaceutical empire's scheme to control Appalachian water rights while hiding environmental crimes worth billions. As corporate corruption infiltrates Franklin's trusted institutions-from the pulpit to the police station-Mary must resurrect skills from her criminal past to expose a network of money laundering, drug trafficking, and systematic exploitation targeting vulnerable mountain communities.

When institutions fail, desperate mothers take desperate measures.

Alongside Walter Allen, a FinCEN investigator hiding in plain sight, Mary uncovers a darker truth: Blackwood was murdered to protect a fourteen-year-old girl from escalating sexual abuse. Now an innocent Cherokee activist sits in jail while the real killer-a mother who eliminated her daughter's predator-faces an impossible choice between her freedom and another woman's life.

A tale of moral complexity in the modern South.

Sanctuary weaves Cherokee environmental wisdom with hard-boiled crime fiction, exploring the price of justice when legal systems enable the powerful and fail the vulnerable. Set against the backdrop of Appalachian resistance to corporate exploitation, this literary thriller examines how communities survive systematic betrayal-and what redemption looks like when it requires using criminal skills for righteous purposes.

Perfect for readers who love:

Strong female protagonists with complicated pastsSouthern noir with social conscienceEnvironmental justice thrillersIndigenous rights and cultural preservationFound family and community resistanceMorally complex mysteries where the "right" choice isn't always legal

From wrongful prosecution to federal conspiracy, from traditional healing to modern corruption, Sanctuary delivers a gripping exploration of how far people will go to protect what they love-and whether past sins can be redeemed through service to justice.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B0FWRCDN6R
• ISBN13: 9798330481453
• Release Date: October 2025
• Publisher: Indy
• Length: 348 Pages
• Weight: 0.89 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.5" x 8.5"