Stephen King did it to me again. In less than 5,000 words, he made me think I knew with certainty the innocence or guilt of Jim Trusdale and then 4,000 words later, I was surprised. Or was I? I don’t know. A Death is an easy read with just enough details to give it depth, and ends (no spoilers) leaving you wondering.

This new short story debuts in the March 9th issue of The New Yorker, but you can read it now online for free. A Death tells the story of Jim Trusdale, not the sharpest tool in the shed, who is accused of killing 10-year-old Rebecca Cline on her birthday and stealing her silver dollar. The story is set in 1889 in the Dakotas, before it became part of the United States, as referenced in the story. It’s not a scary story, but one can be filled with horror at the thought of how justice worked in the Old West.