Cutter - Director's Cut

A young woman dies in an unfortunate accident-unfortunate for her but perhaps lucky for the scheming mayor of the ski resort town of Columbus, Colorado. Had she uncovered a plot to ruin this mountainous Eden? Columbus is an Old West town full of the usual cast of characters: robber barons, gunslingers, Native American warriors, snake oil salesmen, rustlers and feisty cowgirls. It's a setting Cutter Williams can't resist when civic leaders opposing the mayor come looking for their own hired gun. So he packs his limited arsenal into his bedroll and heads to Columbus to carve his name into the annals of the Wild West. His crusade takes him from smoke-filled offices to historic saloons, from a private jet to a luxurious ski chalet, and from staid boardrooms to riots in the streets, with the occasional time out, of course, for a round of golf or a couple of beers. But like many a Knight Errant, Cutter is saddled with the foibles which could sabotage his mission and destroy him. In his second book, J. Woodburn Barney explores the gamut of human relationships. Like an insect caught in a web, Cutter finds himself entangled in the creation of another. Or is it of his own creation? Crushed by the weight of deception, Cutter must address the self-serving behavior of everyone around him, including himself. Barney questions the validity of a person's word and the concepts of loyalty and betrayal as he examines the relationship webs spun by all of us. With the help of his cast of characters, Barney traverses a wide spectrum of emotions. From manipulation and betrayal to cooperation and trust. From rancor to humor. From unbridled greed to a father's willingness to show up for his kids in moments when he'd rather not show up to life at all. Barney demonstrates how life is continuously changing and requires immediate adaptation. When everything falls apart, truth is left uncovered.