Everybody knows that on April 3,1882, Jesse James was shot and killed by Robert Ford. Or was he? What if Jesse somehow cheated the assassin's bullet and survived to tell his remarkable tale to Missouri's other famous son, Mark Twain? Max McCoy, an award-winning novelist and investigative reporter, presents a captivating story of switched identities and fractured morality that puts a surprising new spin on the legend of America's Robin Hood….

JESSE: A NOVEL OF THE OUTLAW JESSE JAMES

Civil War guerrilla. Notorious bank robber. Outlaw hero. Most of Jesse's life remains a mystery, obscured by the dubious "facts" that have gathered upon his grave. But the curious manuscript at the core of this book—found recently in a southeast Kansas junk shop—claims to be his never-before-published autobiography, as told to the famous author of Huckleberry Finn. Consistent with historic record, it presents a compelling scenario for Jesse's survival—without disputing the DNA evidence recovered from the outlaw's grave in 1995. Vivid and engaging, Jesse brings to life the fictional meeting of America's most celebrated folk hero and its most beloved author—in their own words.