Gandy Dancer, by Doc Richter

Seventeen-year-old Josh Spark is hauling ties, tamping spikes, and swinging a sledgehammer through the rugged wilderness of Alaska during World War II. Working on the Alaska Northern Railway is brutal, exhausting—and utterly necessary—but Josh is learning fast how to survive, endure, and grow into a man strong enough for the harsh Kenai Peninsula.

Yet danger isn’t just in the work. A merciless serial killer known only as “The Wolf” is stalking women along the railroad, moving unseen through remote towns and wilderness. When Josh’s path collides with the killer’s, he is forced to confront evil the way the frontier taught him: with courage, cunning, and relentless determination. Along the way, he finds love, friendship, and a sense of purpose that will carry him through the darkest days.

Gandy Dancer is a gripping historical thriller of survival, coming-of-age, and the chilling intersection of innocence and brutality in a wild, unforgiving frontier.