Crofton's Fire (2004)

It took Keith Coplin more than 40 years to get this first novel published, and it was worth the wait. ''Crofton's Fire'' follows the 19th-century adventures of a young cavalry lieutenant who escapes the battle of Little Big Horn, embarks on a life-altering mission to settle a frontier dispute over a prostitute, and eventually winds up in Africa fighting Zulus alongside the British army. In painting an evocative picture of a man trying to reconcile his bloody profession with a pesky sense of morality, Coplin displays a disarmingly simple style with a dry Elmore Leonard-flavored wit. Here's hoping his next book comes a lot quicker.