Spanning the Scottish Highlands, Gilded Age New York, and the contested lands of New Mexico, Land Shadows traces the arc of a man caught in a web of ambition, betrayal, and the seductive promise of ownership. New York and New Mexico are bound by an umbilical cord of fraud - tightened by political greed, legal manipulation, and the unchecked power of the Gilded Age. Murdoch McNeil rises through the system, only to find that what he gains in land, he may pay for in blood.
Young attorney Murdoch McNeil held the pen — but couldn’t sign. At first. Then it all came rushing back: his family’s stolen land in Scotland, the voyage that killed them, the orphan asylum on Randall’s Island. But he signed anyway — his father’s voice echoing in his mind: “Do anything you have to do to get and keep land.”
Coming to Amazon, IngramSpark, and many other platforms May 1st, 2025.
Through captivating and compelling characters, Striegel brings the Old West back to life and lets readers view it through a new lens… Highly recommended for all history buffs, but also those who simply enjoy a great read.
—Ann Howard Creel, author of The magic of Ordinary Days and Mercy Road
Striegel’s historical novel Land Shadows takes the reader on a trip through 19th-century Scotland, New York, and finally to New Mexico. The painstaking research gives the book the feel that you’re watching history unfold. It’s an engrossing tale with spellbinding characters that will keep you reading to the last, unexpected twist.
—Marianne Goodland, President, Denver Press Club