Kings of Colorado

At thirteen, William Sheppard was sent to the Swope Ranch Boys’ Reformatory for stabbing his abusive father in the chest with a pocketknife. Buried deep in the Colorado Mountains, Swope is shrouded in legend and defined by one prevailing rumor: the boys who go in never come out the same. Days from civilization with only one accessible road—any prisoner who attempts to escape will be shot down without hesitation. There is no forgiveness from the mountains or the guards.

At Swope, mustangs are trucked in to be broken by a select group of inmates. Once the horses are gentled, they are sold across the Southwest. Horses come and go, delinquent boys come and go. The boys break the horses, Swope breaks the boys. If the boys are to withstand the ranch, they must first overcome violence and tragedy—only to be haunted forever.

Praise for Kings of Colorado

“For years I have searched for an heir to Golding’s Lord of the Flies, and this is it.” —Will Lavender, New York Times bestselling author of Obedience

“A sort of Stand by Me behind bars.” —Publishers Weekly