From New York Times bestselling author Sharyn McCrumb comes the fifth novel set in the Appalachian wilderness blending legends and folklore with high suspense. A career lawman will bear witness to the final judgement, as a man he put away twenty years ago is about to be excecuted for the brutal slaying of two hikers. However, his conscience is no longer clear to the point of absolute certainty about the man's guilt. Also of intense interest to the lawman is the parallel between the current events and a legendary murder and execution over 100 years old--the story of a great injustice, and a woman condemned to die for a crime she didn't commit. Suddenly, the sheriff finds himself in a race against and across time to see that history doesn't repeat itself!Praise for The Ballad Of Frankie Silver: "...a dense and lovely but very dark design that illustrates the social hypocrisy of the legal system as much as the harshness of mountain justice--then and now."-- The New York Times Book Review "Reading a novel by Sharyn McCrumb is like listening to the movements of a symphony."--BookPage "This novel will pass the test of time and be considered a classic in the years to come."--Harriet Klausner "Sharyn McCrumb has dug more riches out of the Appalachians than some miners."-- Sunday World-Herald