DEAD RECKONING CREW
Ozark Gold Book Cover by Jeff Englert
In Production • River Hound Press
BOOK 1 • A DEAD RECKONING CREW ADVENTURE

OZARK GOLD

By Jeff Englert

“A forgotten past. A hidden fortune. Some treasures are worth the hunt.”

Beneath the limestone bluffs and winding backwaters of the Ozarks lies the unfinished business of the James-Younger Gang. When a century-old coded rail ledger surfaces, an unlikely trio of investigators are eager to follow the clues. But the deeper they dig, the clearer the danger becomes; an ambitious real estate developer is hunting the very same trail and he will do whatever it takes to keep the past buried.

Historical DossierEditions & Release Info
FIELD REPORT

The Plot

On a bitter January evening in 1874, outlaws flagged down the St. Louis & Iron Mountain train outside the isolated Gads Hill station. They took watches, government mail pouches, and heavy express strongboxes, leaving behind riddles that Missouri folklore never fully untangled.

More than a century later, Ethan, Maya, and Tyler stumble into the cipher left behind by the person charged with guarding the precious cargo. What begins as a historical puzzle turns into a high-stakes expedition across limestone bluffs, subterranean caves, and swift Ozark waterways.

With rivals shadowing their every wake and the terrain pushing their skills to the brink, the Dead Reckoning Crew must decipher the clues left behind by Jesse James or watch the truth disappear into the hollows forever.

HISTORICAL DOSSIER

The 1874 Gads Hill Train Robbery

Ozark Gold weaves authentic late nineteenth-century history directly into the narrative. The January 31, 1874 holdup at Gads Hill, Missouri was the James-Younger Gang's boldest railway heist, featuring conductor shakedowns, dramatic manifest manipulation, and a swift retreat into the wilderness of the St. Francois Mountains.

The Locomotive

St. Louis & Iron Mountain Train No. 480, ambushed on a remote timber spur.

The Cache

Documented express currency combined with unaccounted private cargo and survey maps.

The Escape

A trail swallowed by the rugged Ozark terrain, setting the stage for the modern investigation.

PUBLISHING METRICS

Publication Details

Series TitleThe Dead Reckoning Crew
VolumeBook 1: Ozark Gold
AuthorJeff Englert
PublisherRiver Hound Press
GenreHistorical Fiction / YA Adventure
Available FormatsE-Book, Hardcover and Trade Paperback Coming Soon
THE ARCHIVIST

About the Author

Jeff Englert is an adventure fiction author and the creator of the Dead Reckoning Crew series, including the historical adventure Ozark Gold. A lifelong enthusiast of hidden lore, regional history, and high-stakes mysteries, he crafts fast-paced tales driven by sharp-witted young protagonists, decoded ciphers, and the timeless thrill of the hunt.

Before turning to fiction and founding his imprint, River Hound Press, Jeff served in the United States Navy aboard an aircraft carrier deployed to the Persian Gulf and Adriatic Sea—an experience that forged a lasting appreciation for teamwork, discipline, and commitment. Following his military service, Jeff found work as a freelance graphic artist where he produced designs for many large toy brands such as Transformers and Fairly OddParents. He then spent more than two decades in enterprise technology management across global financial data and tech firms.

Today, Jeff combines an analytical mindset with narrative momentum to write authentic, accessible adventure fiction. When he isn’t developing plot outlines, tracing historical archives, or fine-tuning manuscripts, he can usually be found, fishing pole in hand, navigating the waters at the Lake of the Ozarks or spending time with family in the Midwest.