by Amanda Traylor
Lost Sierra is set in a rural small town in the Northern California Sierra Nevada mountains. I grew up in Northern California in the Bay Area and let me tell you, the two regions are like different states entirely. The Sierras are isolated, rural, stupefying in their majestic beauty, inspiring and somewhat terrifying. Because of that, I found myself listening to music like bluegrass and alternative country with a darker side. Everything from later Johnny Cash to Chris Stapleton to Colter Wall.
The story is about a community of people who have been isolated in the mountains their whole lives and therefore have made their own rules. The outside world has forgotten about them and so they go about their business doling out justice as they see fit. There’s a vigilante quality spliced with a longing for peace.
My playlist represents the heartache, loss, perseverance and simple joy of Sierra Ridge.
Broken Halos, Chris Stapleton
The Night We Met, Lord Huron
Gin, Smoke and Lies, Turnpike Troubadours
The Devil Wears a Suit and Tie, Colter Wall
I feel a Sin Comin’ On, Pistol Annies
Goodbye Road, JOHNNYSWIMS
Colder Weather, Zac Brown Band
Jack Daniels, Eric Church
Wagon Wheel, Darius Rucker
I Go Through, O.A.R.
Vice, Miranda Lambert
Winter’s Bone Soundtrack
(anything from this movie I found inspiring!)

Author Amanda Traylor takes readers deep into the enthralling rural reaches of the Sierra Nevada Mountains of Northern California in Lost Sierra. Escaping the pre-determined path set by her parents and their Fortune 100 organic food brand, 27-year-old Daphne Barlow finds herself abandoning comfortable San Francisco for a new life in the remote mountain town of Sierra Ridge. With a new Ph.D. under her belt, Daphne begins practicing natural healing, and despite the skepticism of a gruff market, she gains a small but loyal clientele.
When one of her clients, 70-year-old veteran John Sharpe, suddenly goes missing and the news is met with apathy by the other townspeople, Daphne begins to suspect that the people of Sierra Ridge are covering something up. Employing the help of a local biker and a deputy sheriff, Daphne gets deeper and deeper into the mystery, all while a wildfire rages toward Sierra Ridge. As Daphne realizes just how much danger she’s in, the wildfire makes it impossible to escape, trapping her in town with a killer on the loose. With no one to turn to and nowhere to run, it’s up to Daphne to bring the truth to light once and for all.
Infused with rich landscapes, dynamic characters, and a gritty noir atmosphere, Lost Sierra is the perfect read for fans of Karin Slaughter and Gillian Flynn.
