With Song

Dolan Brothers #3

by Dorothy Garlock

Historical Romance

Genres: Romance, Historical Romance, Historical Fiction, Historical, Fiction, Suspense, Westerns

480 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1999

About the author

Dorothy Garlock was a best-selling American author of over 60 historical romance novels, most of them set in the American West. More than 20 million copies of her books are in print, in 18 languages. Her books have been on the New York Times best seller list seven times. She was named one of the 10 most popular writers of women's fiction four years in a row, from 1985-1988. In 1997, she was awarded the Romantic Times Lifetime Achievement Award. Garlock is also a member of the Romance Writers Hall of Fame.

Garlock worked as an editor, agent and publicist for most of her writing career. She was a native of Texas who grew up in Oklahoma then married and moved to Iowa. Garlock donated many of her manuscripts and other unpublished writings to the University of Iowa libraries.


Pen names include:
Johanna Phillips
Dorothy Phillips
Dorothy Glenn

Reviews

[Christel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is actually a series book to include With Hope, With Heart and After the Parade. This is Molly and Hod's story.Molly is the daughter of a country store owner's who are murdered by gangsters Passing through Kansas in the 1930's, Hod is a Federal Agent in charge of keeping Molly safe and capturing the killers. Molly witnessed the murders and can identify the killers.

It is really a sweet story of trust and love. I really liked it. It gives a insight to the everyday problems and lives of people who lived during the depression before World War II.

[Tonya Lucas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dorothy Garlock is such a fabulous writer. I love all of her books.
This one hits close to home, I live in Kansas and I pass by where the setting of this story takes place several times a year.
Truly an intriguing story of love and trust.
Molly’s parent are gunned down by gangsters traveling through Kansas during the turbulent 1930’s, in one night she’s left orphaned and must pick up the pieces of the aftermath of this heinous crime.
Hod is an undercover agent who is assigned to finding Molly’s parents killers.
The trust and love that is established between Hod and Molly is so sweet.
One of the best romantic books I’ve ever read.

[IrishFan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I got this one off of e-bay (surprisingly in this Corona quarantine it showed up within a week!). another quick, easy read in this series. As with the first 2, it had a character related to the first in this series. Another brother. I'm glad the preacher was found out, and was given his true reward for all the murders he had committed.

[Brooke Sparks · Rating 3 out of 5]

I did not expect to like this book as much as I did. The twist of who really was the antagonist of this book was good. I do wish that when the antagonist was caught that the arrest would be a bit more DRAMATIC. However, I guess the way it was portrayed really honed in on the fact they thought they were doing nothing wrong & being "helpful".

[Joyce · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked this book and it was a very good read.

[Teresa L · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a nice, easy read to enjoy.

[Kathy Church · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the 3rd book in this series. It was great to read Hod and Molly's story.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m a bit mixed on this book. I liked certain aspects, the aspects that are most important to a historical romance, so guess that’s good. But other areas of this story seemed very overblown and unrealistic. I know one is supposed to suspend reality a bit when reading this genre. However, there’s only so much suspending that can go on before a book becomes un-enjoyable.

I liked the leads and the romance. Molly and Hod were immediately likable and seemed to click quickly. Molly was a strong personality that wasn’t afraid to face danger to get justice for her parents. She’s able to slap down unwanted advances easily, yet she has a very vulnerable side as well. I liked that mix. Hod was a fantastic, protective hero that balanced out Molly’s vulnerabilities. I liked that as protective as he was, he also gave her the room she needed to grow as an individual and come to the relationship on equal terms.

The timeframe the author chose to set her romance in was also a nice change of pace. I’ve not come across a romance set during the Depression era often (I can only think of one right off the top of my head). The hard economic times and the escalation of organized crime activities added a nice spice.

However, I found the overall plot to be misleading and just too overblown. The book’s premise, start point, is Molly acting as bait to catch the mobsters who murdered her parents. The book starts out strong with this. However, very soon, the plot swerves into a completely different direction and the whole mobster thing peters out to nothing really. The big bad actually has nothing to do with the criminals at all.

And that big bad?? I hated him. I thought he was far too theatrical and over-the-top to be enjoyable. He was very Sniddely Whiplash-like in his approach to his crimes and obsessions. I couldn’t see him getting away with what he did, for as long as he did. Only close family members could see him for what he was; the rest of the town thought he hung the moon. I rolled my eyes at his antics far too often to enjoy his portion of the book.

The romance, Molly, and Hod were great. I was invested in their characterizations and relationship. The setting was also an added bonus. However, the actual plot and antagonist really brought my enjoyment levels down. I’ll probably still read this author’s other books, but I’m not actively hunting them down.

[Jerry Jares · Rating 4 out of 5]

While Molly McKenzie was upstairs, in the McKenzie home over their general store, Mr. and Mrs. McKenzie were shot in cold blood. After listening to Molly's description, the federal marshal, Hod Dolan, knows who the killers are.

Hod wants to use Molly as bait to lure the killers back to the store. She agrees, even though she does not like Hod, who seems to be cold and insulting. Still reeling from the loss of her parents, Molly isn't aware that there is a chemistry between them.

Author Dorothy Garlock weaves this story with some characters we've seen before - especially Johnny Henry. She also gives an update on the other Dolan men and Henry Ann (from WITH HOPE). The author spends the time necessary to ensure that the secondary characters are clearly defined.

This is a quick story because I couldn't put the book down; it's a delightful bit of Americana. Besides using her knowledge of the Depression Era, the author adds bits of nostalgia that add so much to the story. I still remember some of the songs and Burma Shave slogans that were popular in that time. 4 stars

The Dolan Brothers
1. Ribbon in the Sky (1991)
2. With Hope (1998)
3. With Song (1999)
4. With Heart (1999)
5. After the Parade (2000)

[Christina · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the 1930s setting of this sweet romance, and the plot drew me in at the beginning. However, as the novel progressed there didn't seem to be enough to sustain it. The story starts with the heroine's parents being murdered, and the hero is the G-man who comes to protect her when she makes it public that she saw the murderers. The rest of the novel is then spent with them waiting for an attack, which made the pacing drag. While there was impressive depth to some of the secondary characters for a romance novel, there may have been too many of them--the hero and heroine seemed weak by comparison. I never really bought in to their love story--there wasn't much conflict for either of them beyond the heroine's self-doubt. Yet every man in the novel seemed to fall for the heroine because she was just so sweet and beautiful and innocent, which got a little tiresome. The frequent switches in point of view irritated me, I found it distracting jumping back and forth in most scenes. I think limiting the points of view might have helped strengthen the suspense plot (the reader knows far too much more than the main characters), but then I'm not sure the hero and heroine were strong enough to carry the novel. The period details are the main reason I kept reading to the end, and I was curious to see how it all worked out.

[Sep · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lot more is going on in this book than the cover would indicate. "With Song" appears to be a simple love story in Depression-era Kansas. Molly McKenzi's parents are gunned down by gangsters. She knows what they look like. Handsome agent moves in to help set trap for said gangsters. Yes, they fall in love but there is a lot more going on in this story. It is about the local community and its blessings and, unfortunately, its rigidity. It is about odd friendships and eccentric people. It is part of a series that I have not read. I think it could stand alone.

[Louise Pledge · Rating 5 out of 5]

I hadn't read Dorothy Garlock for quite awhile when I found this book. It's a delightful trip back to the 1930's, and it was fun to reminisce back on "the old days". And you know those books where you keep hoping karma will attack a certain character? Well, it was gratifying to see that happen in this one... maybe the best part of the book! Now I'm thinking I will find me some more Dorothy Garlock.

[Dawn Wells · Rating 4 out of 5]

Even if you don't like romance I think you would still enjoy this one I finished the first book in this series. 15 minutes later I began reading this one. I enjoy reading series but am sometimes very disappointed as the books don't meet up to the same standard as the first. But in this case the author has mastered the voice so well. You are taken in and are justly rewarded.

[Carolyn F. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Audiobook

This is categorized as a thriller because there's a man who thinks God tells him that people should die.

The romance part was okay, but the way the author used period cutdowns was a little extreme. In one conversation a man said he was going to kick his ass (modern colloquialism) in about 6 ways.

[Maura · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hodd Dolan is a federal agent in the late 1930's. He has been assigned to investigate the murder of a store keeper. The daughter of victim is Molly. Hodd must protect Molly from danger. A good read and romance.

[Marianne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading this book brought back a lot of warm memories ......made me realize just how old I really am to remember products from WAY back. Garlock is a heart warming author.

[Sonya Schnare · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book.Great story from the depression era.

[Cws]

F Gar

[Rosie · Rating 5 out of 5]

loved it

[Shirlene]

Molly McKenzie had recently returned home from school in Wichita, Kansas when her parents were gunned down at the store they owned. She saw the shooters, Pascoe and Norton, as they were leaving. Her father's older sister, Bertha McKenzie, came to live with her after the shooting.
Hod Dolan was an FBI agent and knew from the moment he met Molly that she was someone special. He asked her to interview for the Kansas City Star paper telling them that she could identify the killers. Hod regretted setting her up as bait but he didn't regret that he got to spend time with Molly. He introduced himself to her neighbors as Molly's fiancee. Molly made him nervous so he was brought with her than he would ordinarily be around a woman but she was skittish around him too. It took some time for them to admit their attraction to each other.
Archie Howell was the town preacher and he was obsessed with Molly. He killed people when he thought that it was time for them to pass on. He found a rattle snake and put it where it would bite his holder sister who was living with them so she would die. He was hoping to get sympathy from Molly as a way to get her to marry him. He had 5 previous wives who had all died. The people in town didn't realize that his children behaved because they were scared and hated him. He made his oldest daughter, Charlotte, quit school to take care of his children. Archie was determined to make Molly pay when he heard that she was engaged.
Charlotte had removed some items from Gladys' room and found a letter from a sister telling her to be careful around him. She warned her about his being mean even as a child and how he had killed his cat. Charlotte was even more wary about her father and warned the other children to stay away from him as much as they could.
George Anderson was a neighbor who watched over Molly and had assigned himself as her protector. He was shy around people and didn't know how to socialize. He had been around Molly for as long as she could remember. He was worried about her and brought over his dog who was about to have puppies to be her watchdog. Everyone thought that George had his crazy sister living with him but it was really his mother. She didn't want George or his animals and the dog at her house gave him an excuse to come check on her. When he was at home, he spent most of his time doing chores outside or locked in his bedroom. Gertrude had told George that the preacher had visited her but he thought that she was making it up.
Ruth Hoover was Molly's best friend. Her father had sent her off to college and she had returned to become the high school teacher. She was dating Keith McCabe who was staying at the Morrison's ranch. He was in town at the request of the preacher's oldest son's because they were suspicious that he had killed their mothers and they were looking for proof.
Martin Conroy was Keith's cousin came to town in a flashy car with a bad attitude toward the small town folks and let them know it. He called them hicks and acted like he was better than them. He eventually talked to Keith and told him that he knew he was in town looking for investors to drill another profitable well and he wanted to be a partner. He told Keith that he owed people money and he had told them that he was going into business with Keith and the money would soon be coming in. Keith told him that he got himself in trouble and he could find his own way out. He would never go into business with Martin. He was confident that Martin didn't know why he was really in town. Keith found out that Martin had shot into the window of Molly's store one night when he was there with Ruth. Hod and Keith had thought it might have been the killers and were mad but relieved that it wasn't them.
Johnny Henry was another agent who worked with Hod previously. Hod's brother was married to Johnny's sister. He stayed in town for awhile but was called back after the agency found out that Pascoe had been shot and killed. Hod remained because he cared for Molly and wasn't sure that Norton wouldn't hire someone to come after her. Molly expected him to leave in another month so she kept her feelings towards Hod to herself.
They were sitting on the front porch of the store one night during a storm. Hod couldn't resist kissing Molly. They later went inside and Hod came to her room later and woke her up to get them into the storm cellar. A tornado had passed over and destroyed their chicken coop and gazebo and blew off the back porch of the store. The folks in town were glad for the rain and that the damage had been minimal. Nothing happened to Archie's house and he decided that was because he was doing the Lord's work.
Molly did her best to avoid Hod for the first couple of days after the storm. She made a decision to enjoy the time they had together when they had to go into town to get a battery for the truck. Hod then did his best to avoid Molly for the rest of the week until they drove into Liberal to pick up supplies. Hod also wanted to get a car. On the way there, Hod asked Molly to marry him. He told her that he loved her and he was going to quit working for the Bureau so he could come home every night. They were married by the Justice of the Peace. Hod called Bertha and told her that he had married Molly as he had told her that was going to happen before he left that morning. He then called his boss and told him that he had married Molly. His boss told him that Norton had died a couple days back. Norton had told the agent who shot him that he hadn't hired anyone to kill Molly. She was safe now and spent her first night in a hotel with Hod.
While she was away, the preacher went to the store. He had heard Molly was married and he had brought a black widow spider with him and put it on Bertha's back when she picked up a spool of thread he told her he needed. He paid for the thread and left happy knowing that Bertha would soon be dead. George was there and saw what Archie had done. He knocked the spider off and killed it. He went home after Molly and Hod returned from Liberal.
Archie left the store and went to George's house and sliced open Gertrude's head with a meat cleaver to kill her. He pried open George's bedroom door and picked up some of George's clothes and bloodied them. He then ripped some pictures off of his bedroom wall and left.
George went home and then came running back to the store. He told everyone that he had found Gertrude dead. He then told them that she was his mother and not his sister. George didn't know what he would do now that he had no one left to take care of. He was taken to jail for killing Gertrude. Now Molly and Hod had to find out who the killer was.
Molly, Hod, Ruth and Keith all had dinner at the diner in town one night. The owner of the diners' son, Wally, liked Charlotte. He had asked her brother, Otis, to see if Charlotte could sneak out that evening to meet with him. Otis told Wally that she couldn't because Archie didn't go to his usual prayer meeting that night. Otis had told Wally about some pictures that Archie had of Molly in his bedroom. Wally mentioned this to Hod and Hod told the other three with him. Hod called the sheriff and they all went to the preacher's house. He sheriff found the pictures and a book that the preacher had listing all the people he had assisted getting to Heaven. He had killed 17 or 18 people and admitted to it.
The children's older brothers, Jackson and Stuart, came from Dallas to take the children. Ruth and Keith married, moved to Keith ranch in Texas and Ruth soon became pregnant. The family who had taken care of George's place while he was in jail, stayed and became share croppers on his land. George now had a family of his own to take care of once again. George purchased a car and learned to drive. He was much more talkative these days. Bertha and the mailman had taken to flirting with each other.

[Debra Gunselman · Rating 5 out of 5]

the Dolan Bros series was great.