Frank Hayes is a high school teacher who has started a new career as a novelist. He lives and writes in New York’s mid-Hudson River Valley. He is the author of the first Sheriff Virgil Dalton Mystery, Death at the Black Bull.
Praise for Death at the Black Bull Move over, Walt Longmire. There's a new sheriff in town. Virgil Dalton is the kind of character that comes along maybe once a decade--a classic Western hero and so much more. When you're done with Frank Hayes' stellar debut, Death at the Black Bull, you'll smell the sagebrush in the air and have to clean the dust off your boots. An absolute must-read for fans of Craig Johnson and Tony Hillerman. --Reed Farrel Coleman, Shamus Award-winning author of The Hollow Girl This is one of the most impressive debut crime novels I've ever read. There's such depth and humanity in the characters, such tension in the story itself, and the sense of place is as good as it gets. I know I'll be reading every book in this series! --Steve Hamilton, Edgar Award-winning author of Let It Burn Virgil Dalton takes no prisoners in Hayes's satisfying debut novel, and fans of Craig Johnson's Walt Longmire will cheer the sheriff's desire to protect his town. With its strong sense of place, this series launch will also keep fans of Western mysteries enthralled. --Library Journal Hayes's strong debut introduces a complex and likable lawman...readers will want to see a lot more of Virgil and friends. --Publishers Weekly Hayes is a skillful storyteller and a deft hand at witty dialogue. --Booklist