A ruthless sexual predator…a young woman determined to see justice done…and an aging hit man beginning to doubt his abilities…

Robert Vance is a quiet, work-at-home magazine editor who occasionally moonlights as a contract killer. He’s on his way to retirement after making some serious mistakes on his last assignment and violating one of his own immutable rules, no collateral damage. But he is drawn back into the dark world of assassinations when a friend is targeted. He knows he should stay away; he’s not as fast nor as sharp as he used to be, and his confidence is waning. But when he learns his friend’s daughter might be in the crosshairs of a predator, he can’t stay on the sidelines. He’s about to break another rule–never get personal…

Vance is a magazine editor who works from home and lives in a house full of books. His neighbors think of him as a quiet, unassuming man. His passion for pheasant hunting with Preacher, his German wirehaired pointer, is typical of sportsmen living in the Midwest. But what isn’t so typical—and what his neighbors don’t know—is that occasionally Robert hunts something besides pheasants. Vance hates bullies and injustice. When someone has a problem with either, he or she can hire Vance to make the situation right. But Vance isn’t—in his own mind—just a contract killer. He lives by a set of rules that dictate who, where, and why he can kill. So, when a well- meaning citizen discovers Vance’s latest target and winds up being charged with the killing, Vance must take steps to ensure the man’s freedom. Steps that will most likely involve killing again…

Praise for The Killer in the Woods, the first Robert Vance novel:
“More plot twists than a cyclone through an Iowa cornfield…Rob Vance puts a whole new spin on the idea of Midwestern hospitality.” — Dave Carty, author of Leaves on Frozen Ground and Red Is the Fastest Color

“An enthralling and finely detailed crime-turned-investigative story.“ — The Eclectic Review

“A real page turner…a very entertaining read.” –Tom Carney, The Upland Almanac

About the Author

Rick Van Etten is a former college English instructor, corporate communications professional and retired magazine editor whose articles and features have appeared in Gun Dog, Wing & Shot, Sports Afield, Ducks Unlimited, Game & Fish, Petersen’s Hunting, Farm & Ranch Living and Reader’s Digest. An Illinois native and lifelong upland bird hunter, Rick now lives in Iowa with a senior Irish setter named Mattie.