*Starred Review* Like many folk songs, Tom Dooley, a huge hit for the Kingston Trio in 1958, was based on a true incident. Tom Dula, a Civil War veteran, returned home after the war and was subsequently convicted of murdering his lover, Laura Foster, with whom he planned to elope. Though the principals were all residents of a small North Carolina burgh, the story generated massive press coverage, including the New York Times. Brooks, the deservedly acclaimed author who specializes in westerns based in historical fact (Bill Doolin, 2016), humanizes the Dooley affair through shifting points of view and avoiding clichéd characterization. Dooley, we learn, was quite the ladies' man. Before the war, he had an affair with Ann Foster; later, he had affairs with Ann's two cousins, Pauline and Laura Foster. After Laura was murdered, Ann was also a suspect, but a long letter from Tom exonerated her without admitting his own guilt. Though anyone familiar with the famous song knows the inevitable conclusion to the story, Brooks manages to sustain the suspense through two trials in which Tom was found guilty but a host of other possible suspects emerge. Brooks has a unique talent that extends far beyond the formulas of the western genre. He's an extraordinary historical novelist whose works deserve a much wider audience.--Lukowsky, Wes Copyright 2016 Booklist