Book excerpt: Award-winning Montana author Brian D'Ambrosio examines the most notorious murders in the state's history. Some are historical accounts from Montana's early Wild West history, but most are contemporary cases that shocked communities, investigators, and families. Many remain bafflingly unsolved. Some cases have been featured in national media, such as the famous and inexplicable murders of the parents of television's Patrick Duffy (Dallas) and the serial murders by the hermitic Unabomber. But D'Ambrosio also unearths gruesome, little known cold cases that haunt surviving families and friends to this day. Drawing on official investigative reports and numerous personal interviews with law enforcement officials, witnesses, and survivors, D'Ambrosio describes each murder like a good detective story. Readers will find riveting details about the murderers, their motives and methods, and their unfortunate victims. Includes 20 black and white photos.