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Silver Rush #1
Silver Lies
They all came to Leadville with the same Get in. Get rich. Get out. As 1879 draws to a close, this Rocky Mountain boomtown has infected the world with silver fever. It's not much different than the dot.com mania or the corporate scams that heat up over a century later. Unfortunately for Joe Rose, a precious-metals assayer, death stakes its own claim. Joe's body is found trampled into the muck behind Inez Stannert's saloon. Inez already had much more to deal with than pouring shots of Taos Lightning and cleaning up a corpse. A lady educated on the East Coast, she has a past that doesn't bear close scrutiny, including her elopement with a gambling man who has recently disappeared. Most townsfolk, including Inez's business partner, Abe Jackson, dismiss Joe's death as an accident. Death, after all, is no stranger in Leadville. But Inez Why was this loving husband and father carrying a brass token good for "one free screw" at the parlor house of Denver madam Mattie Silks? When Joe's widow Emma asks Inez to settle Joe's affairs, almost against her will, Inez uncovers skewed assays, bogus greenbacks, and blackmail. Lies and secrets run deep in Colorado, secrets more likely to lead to a hanging than to today's congressional hearings or country-club prisons for the crooked and the greedy. Then again, maybe Joe's murder was purely personal.... Silver Rush Silver Lies (Book 1) Iron Ties (Book 2) Leaden Skies (Book 3) Mercury's Rise (Book 4) What Gold Buys (Book 5) A Dying Note (Book 6) Mortal Music (Book 7) Praise for the Silver Rush "Plenty of convincing action bodes well for a long and successful series."― Publishers Weekly STARRED review for Iron Ties "Meticulously researched and full of rich period details…her characters will stay will you long after you've finished the last page. Highly recommended."― TASHA ALEXANDER , New York Times bestselling author for Mortal Music "One of the most authentic and evocative historical series around. Long live Inez!"― RHYS BOWEN , New York Times bestselling author for What Gold Buys Winner of the WILLA Literary Award for Historical Fiction Colorado Gold Award for Best Mystery
410 pages, Paperback
First published September 15, 2003
215 people are currently reading
1240 people want to read
About the author
Ann Parker
10 books225 followers Ann Parker earned degrees in Physics and English Literature at the University of California, Berkeley, before taking up a career as a science writer. These days, she slings science and technical verbiage for a living during the day and writes fiction at night.
Ann's ancestors include a great-grandfather who was a blacksmith in Leadville, a grandmother who worked at the bindery of Leadville's Herald Democrat newspaper, a grandfather who was a Colorado School of Mines professor, and another grandfather who worked as a gandy dancer on the Colorado railroads. She is a member of the National Association of Science Writers, the Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, International Thriller Writers, Historical Novel Society, Women Writing the West, and Western Writers of America. Ann and her family reside in the San Francisco Bay Area, whence they have weathered numerous boom-and-bust cycles.
Her Silver Rush historical mystery series, published by Poisoned Pen Press, is set primarily in the silver boomtown of Leadville, Colorado, in the early 1880s. (The sixth in the series, A DYING NOTE, is set in San Francisco, 1881.) The series was picked as a "Booksellers Favorite" by the Mountains and Plains Independent Booksellers Association.
Ann's ancestors include a great-grandfather who was a blacksmith in Leadville, a grandmother who worked at the bindery of Leadville's Herald Democrat newspaper, a grandfather who was a Colorado School of Mines professor, and another grandfather who worked as a gandy dancer on the Colorado railroads. She is a member of the National Association of Science Writers, the Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, International Thriller Writers, Historical Novel Society, Women Writing the West, and Western Writers of America. Ann and her family reside in the San Francisco Bay Area, whence they have weathered numerous boom-and-bust cycles.
Her Silver Rush historical mystery series, published by Poisoned Pen Press, is set primarily in the silver boomtown of Leadville, Colorado, in the early 1880s. (The sixth in the series, A DYING NOTE, is set in San Francisco, 1881.) The series was picked as a "Booksellers Favorite" by the Mountains and Plains Independent Booksellers Association.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 132 reviews
March 1, 2024
4 Stars for Silver Lies (audiobook) by Ann Parker read by Kristen Potter.
This story is set in the boom town of Leadville Co.. It’s 1879 and there’s a ton of money to made in silver. The body of the assayer of metals is found in the street dead. Many think it’s an accident but it sure seems suspicious.
This story is set in the boom town of Leadville Co.. It’s 1879 and there’s a ton of money to made in silver. The body of the assayer of metals is found in the street dead. Many think it’s an accident but it sure seems suspicious.
February 13, 2024
Edited to add that I've enjoyed this series so much that I bought all for Kindle and also in paperback for Mom!
This was a pleasant surprise! I "purchased" it and the third book in the series for free from Amazon some time ago. Was very good and I'm looking forward to reading the 2nd one in the series as a library loan.
This is a historical mystery series that takes place in Leadville, Colorado in the late 1870's and early 1880's during the Silver Rush. The main character, Inez Stannert, owns a saloon with her missing husband's partner, Abe Jackson. Actually the back story of her husband is only a small part of the book. The actual mystery concerns the murdered husband of Inez's friend.
What drew me into the story were the details of life in Leadville, which was actually a real mining town, and the interactions between the numerous characters. Inez is a complicated woman who's past is revealed a little at a time. In fact most of the characters have "shady" pasts and that is part of the charm of the book. I almost felt like I was reading an episode from the TV show "Maverick" although this is a much grittier telling of the West.
A very strong beginning for this series!
This was a pleasant surprise! I "purchased" it and the third book in the series for free from Amazon some time ago. Was very good and I'm looking forward to reading the 2nd one in the series as a library loan.
This is a historical mystery series that takes place in Leadville, Colorado in the late 1870's and early 1880's during the Silver Rush. The main character, Inez Stannert, owns a saloon with her missing husband's partner, Abe Jackson. Actually the back story of her husband is only a small part of the book. The actual mystery concerns the murdered husband of Inez's friend.
What drew me into the story were the details of life in Leadville, which was actually a real mining town, and the interactions between the numerous characters. Inez is a complicated woman who's past is revealed a little at a time. In fact most of the characters have "shady" pasts and that is part of the charm of the book. I almost felt like I was reading an episode from the TV show "Maverick" although this is a much grittier telling of the West.
A very strong beginning for this series!
March 20, 2024
An excellent Ann Parker historical mystery set in 1879 Colorado.
August 20, 2008
A Historical Mystery High in the Colorado Rockies. It's the end of 1879 in Leadville, Colorado's "Cloud City" and Joe Rose is found dead outside of Inez Stannert's saloon. Thus begins the mystery, and many plot twists, turns and big surprises until the very end. Who killed Joe? Is Inez's husband dead or missing? Is the new minister really a minister? Is he a good guy or a bad guy? What does the surprise visit from Bat Masterson and his knowledge of the minister's past portend for the growing attraction between Inez and Reverend Sands? Is there some mystery in Emma Rose's past no one knows about? Is someone passing counterfeit currency? Who? To say more would give the whole story away, which I don't like to do.
Suffice it to say that this was a jolly good mystery that kept me guessing until the very end, and I especially enjoyed going on a trip through the Rockies and the mining towns of days gone by, although you can still find many of those towns still there and thriving on the tourist trade. Five stars, and I look forward to starting the sequel, Iron Ties.
Suffice it to say that this was a jolly good mystery that kept me guessing until the very end, and I especially enjoyed going on a trip through the Rockies and the mining towns of days gone by, although you can still find many of those towns still there and thriving on the tourist trade. Five stars, and I look forward to starting the sequel, Iron Ties.
August 30, 2018
Silver Lies is the first book in the Silver Rush Mystery series that takes place in Leadville, Colorado in 1979. The silver rush is on. Inez Stannert is the main character. She co-owns the Lucky Lady Saloon along with her husband Mark and Abe Jackson. Her husband Mark has disappeared. She does not know if he is alive or dead.
Inez is feisty and strong willed. She can ride, shoot and runs a high stakes gambling game in addition to entering the game. In the prologue, a murder occurs and Inez seems to be the only one who wants to get to the bottom of the murder. She becomes a sleuth and there are more crimes to follow.
The author is very good at slowly revealing the past of the characters. There is good reason most of the characters want that past to stay buried. There are some surprises but if you think about the times, it was probably due for the need of survival. The book was over 400 pages which I thought was a little long. Bat Masterton made an appearance which I thought detracted from the story line. He didn't add to the story for me but took me out of it at times. At this time, there are 6 books in the series.
Inez is feisty and strong willed. She can ride, shoot and runs a high stakes gambling game in addition to entering the game. In the prologue, a murder occurs and Inez seems to be the only one who wants to get to the bottom of the murder. She becomes a sleuth and there are more crimes to follow.
The author is very good at slowly revealing the past of the characters. There is good reason most of the characters want that past to stay buried. There are some surprises but if you think about the times, it was probably due for the need of survival. The book was over 400 pages which I thought was a little long. Bat Masterton made an appearance which I thought detracted from the story line. He didn't add to the story for me but took me out of it at times. At this time, there are 6 books in the series.
August 5, 2016
3.5 stars
This was a fun and easy read. I love historical fiction in this time period. This had a taste of the wild west charm....thugs, get rich schemes, saloons, etc. I love that. I liked the way the author inserted social dilemmas of the day into the story. There were also some great twists in the plot that kept things flowing. The characters were well drawn and I especially enjoyed Inez and the preacher.
May 23, 2018
~4.5 stars rounded up.
It's not often that a book does a lot of world building and has plot lines that do not really go anywhere but that makes the world seem more real. There are many fleshed out characters who add to the mystery but like real life, they may end up at a dead end, and that's fantastic, especially if this is intended to be a series.
The chapters were short, usually about six pages, which made the book go by fast. I enjoyed it and was able to finish the book in just a few days.
I have one nitpick and one problem with the book. SPOILERS if you need them:
SPOILERS!!!!
My nitpick: what was the point of adding Bat Masterson? It's a fictional story, why include a known historical figure into it when he does not even do all that much? To bring up a Star Wars reference, it's like when the fans go nuts when they first see the Millennium Falcon in the new Star Wars films. "Oh yay, I understand what that is, I have to cheer." It's unnecessary.
My problem: The story follows a strong female lead who is able to figure out so much on her own, but she needs to be rescued by her male love interest at the end of the story. Good job on figuring out everything and killing your captor, but you're trapped in a snowstorm. Please wait while the men the story (and your love interest) who solved the mystery independently arrest everyone and then rescue you before you die from the cold.
It's not often that a book does a lot of world building and has plot lines that do not really go anywhere but that makes the world seem more real. There are many fleshed out characters who add to the mystery but like real life, they may end up at a dead end, and that's fantastic, especially if this is intended to be a series.
The chapters were short, usually about six pages, which made the book go by fast. I enjoyed it and was able to finish the book in just a few days.
I have one nitpick and one problem with the book. SPOILERS if you need them:
SPOILERS!!!!
My nitpick: what was the point of adding Bat Masterson? It's a fictional story, why include a known historical figure into it when he does not even do all that much? To bring up a Star Wars reference, it's like when the fans go nuts when they first see the Millennium Falcon in the new Star Wars films. "Oh yay, I understand what that is, I have to cheer." It's unnecessary.
My problem: The story follows a strong female lead who is able to figure out so much on her own, but she needs to be rescued by her male love interest at the end of the story. Good job on figuring out everything and killing your captor, but you're trapped in a snowstorm. Please wait while the men the story (and your love interest) who solved the mystery independently arrest everyone and then rescue you before you die from the cold.
August 7, 2010
The first book in a wonderful series. I have enjoyed getting to know the strong female protagonist, and the glimpses of boomtown life in old Colorado. Highly recommended!
May 11, 2018
I really liked it. The characters are complex and are not always what they seem on the surface. And I especially like that they are very human and very flawed. The heroine is not picture perfect. She and the people surrounding her have different motivations at different times. And they even stop to ponder their own needs and wants from time to time. The mystery is also complex and although the final conclusion is foreshadowed, how all the puzzle pieces fit together keeps you interested through the end. But it's the historical details that make this book come to life. This is no pristine, clean version of the wild west. There is plenty of mud and snow and bodily fluids. And there are corsets and buttons and lucifers (matches) and tons of tiny details that really enrich the story.
March 14, 2018
Inez is co owner of the Silver Queen Saloon. Her husband left her and she's not sure where he is. One of her patrons, and husband of her good friend is found dead behind her establishment. Inez does not trust the Sheriff and decides to find the killer herself and gets into a lot of trouble.
I love stories about Leadville. I've been there many times and enjoy reading about the early days. This was a good story and the author didn't try to get by with just the famous and colorful people that lived there. She made a good story out of unknowns. I'll read the next in the series to see where it goes from here.
I love stories about Leadville. I've been there many times and enjoy reading about the early days. This was a good story and the author didn't try to get by with just the famous and colorful people that lived there. She made a good story out of unknowns. I'll read the next in the series to see where it goes from here.
September 2, 2018
Although at one point I thought the book dragged, I ended up enjoying the mixture of mystery, romance, western and historical fiction. It was good to have a strong woman protagonist, and mixed race characters.
January 21, 2016
Very interesting. Great for historical fiction and mystery lovers.
The setting is great! I've never been to Leadville, Colorado (a real town), but I have been to Virginia City, Nevada so I could easily picture the town layout, the business streets, residential areas, church, opera house, and outlying mines. The best part is the author didn't try to make it Hollywood pretty. She gave us all the muck and mire one would encounter in a time without indoor plumbing or paved roads.
Inez is a good hearted woman who has some business sense. She owns and runs a saloon with her partner, Abe. When a friend turns up dead outside the back door of her business the wheels start turning to figure out who killed Joe and why. The journey is not without peril; in fact, the story is filled with action, adventure, intrigue, and even a bit of fluff (aka romance). I don't understand why she made some of the decisions she made and wish we had more details, but they may have cluttered up the main plot. Plus adding some details may have muddied the biographies of real people who show up in Inez's life. (Bat Masterson makes an appearance; he's written more handsomely than the images found online.)
This isn't quite a "cozy" mystery. This is a step or two up with regards to violence and lawlessness. While our main character is openminded in some regards, she can be quite cruel in others. Inez is no Miss Marple or Nancy Drew. Reminds me a bit of Mae West or Kitty Russell (the later I know only from my mother's musings and a rerun on TV now and then).
The entire story is quite exciting. When you think one clue is figured out a nifty little twist comes along. However, I did figure out one thing long before Inez did and kept yelling at her when her line of thinking returned to the forefront. So if you routinely read mysteries, you might have this somewhat solved early on. Don't let that deter you from enjoying the rest of the story. It's a worthwhile read.
I really liked this book. The story is well written and filled with intrigue; setting well described; and characters believable. Near the end I didn't want to put it down and am suffering slightly from sleep deprivation because of it.
The setting is great! I've never been to Leadville, Colorado (a real town), but I have been to Virginia City, Nevada so I could easily picture the town layout, the business streets, residential areas, church, opera house, and outlying mines. The best part is the author didn't try to make it Hollywood pretty. She gave us all the muck and mire one would encounter in a time without indoor plumbing or paved roads.
Inez is a good hearted woman who has some business sense. She owns and runs a saloon with her partner, Abe. When a friend turns up dead outside the back door of her business the wheels start turning to figure out who killed Joe and why. The journey is not without peril; in fact, the story is filled with action, adventure, intrigue, and even a bit of fluff (aka romance). I don't understand why she made some of the decisions she made and wish we had more details, but they may have cluttered up the main plot. Plus adding some details may have muddied the biographies of real people who show up in Inez's life. (Bat Masterson makes an appearance; he's written more handsomely than the images found online.)
This isn't quite a "cozy" mystery. This is a step or two up with regards to violence and lawlessness. While our main character is openminded in some regards, she can be quite cruel in others. Inez is no Miss Marple or Nancy Drew. Reminds me a bit of Mae West or Kitty Russell (the later I know only from my mother's musings and a rerun on TV now and then).
The entire story is quite exciting. When you think one clue is figured out a nifty little twist comes along. However, I did figure out one thing long before Inez did and kept yelling at her when her line of thinking returned to the forefront. So if you routinely read mysteries, you might have this somewhat solved early on. Don't let that deter you from enjoying the rest of the story. It's a worthwhile read.
I really liked this book. The story is well written and filled with intrigue; setting well described; and characters believable. Near the end I didn't want to put it down and am suffering slightly from sleep deprivation because of it.
August 24, 2007
SILVER LIES (Historical-Colorado-1879) – VG+
Parker, Ann – 1st in series
Poisoned Pen Press, 2003
Inez Stannert lives in Leadville, Colorado at the height of the silver boom. She shoots, plays poker, owns a salon along with her partner Abe, a free black man, and has a husband who has been missing for eight months. When local assay-agent Joe Ross is found dead in the alley next to Inez' saloon, she promises to help his pregnant widow and son settle Joe's business interests. What she finds are secrets, greed, graft, danger and an attraction to J.B Sands, a minister—or is he?
*** Parker has written a wonderful first book. Her descriptions of 1870's Leadville are vivid and integral to the story. Her characters are diverse, real, interesting and fully developed. Inez is a smart, independent woman, capable of holding her own yet will doubts and insecurities of her own. Her dialogue is appropriate to the period. The plot is interesting and compelling; it caused me to read way too late into the night in order to finish it in one read. There is a romance, but it doesn't overwhelm the story or the character and very good suspense. I highly recommend this book.
Parker, Ann – 1st in series
Poisoned Pen Press, 2003
Inez Stannert lives in Leadville, Colorado at the height of the silver boom. She shoots, plays poker, owns a salon along with her partner Abe, a free black man, and has a husband who has been missing for eight months. When local assay-agent Joe Ross is found dead in the alley next to Inez' saloon, she promises to help his pregnant widow and son settle Joe's business interests. What she finds are secrets, greed, graft, danger and an attraction to J.B Sands, a minister—or is he?
*** Parker has written a wonderful first book. Her descriptions of 1870's Leadville are vivid and integral to the story. Her characters are diverse, real, interesting and fully developed. Inez is a smart, independent woman, capable of holding her own yet will doubts and insecurities of her own. Her dialogue is appropriate to the period. The plot is interesting and compelling; it caused me to read way too late into the night in order to finish it in one read. There is a romance, but it doesn't overwhelm the story or the character and very good suspense. I highly recommend this book.
February 19, 2016
I pretty much adored this book, it had so much of what I love: juicy mystery (with just enough romance); history; authentic Colorado history (squee); a nicely flawed, smart and talented heroine (); a bit of a backstory and frontstory - nice set up for a series; . I also liked how the author wove in some social issues of the era (voting rights for women, contraception, prostitution) - you could write a whole book about those topics, but she addressed them and moved on but it was still very effective.
I listened to the OD version from the library, but purchased the Kindle version to be able to read along when I realized it was a winner. The narration was good, not great, but there was nothing distracting about it, thankfully.
Fantastic book, I can't wait to read the next...
I listened to the OD version from the library, but purchased the Kindle version to be able to read along when I realized it was a winner. The narration was good, not great, but there was nothing distracting about it, thankfully.
Fantastic book, I can't wait to read the next...
April 26, 2020
Ok but too long
There are flashes of true brilliance in this book. But on the whole it feels too long. By the end the characters don't feel real. More like marionettes with the author frantically pulling strings to make the plot somehow turn out right. There is a brilliant book buried in this one. But I wish there had been one more deep edit to pull it out. There is much promise in this author, but I'm not sure I'll keep reading to see if the promise ever pans out.
There are flashes of true brilliance in this book. But on the whole it feels too long. By the end the characters don't feel real. More like marionettes with the author frantically pulling strings to make the plot somehow turn out right. There is a brilliant book buried in this one. But I wish there had been one more deep edit to pull it out. There is much promise in this author, but I'm not sure I'll keep reading to see if the promise ever pans out.
April 29, 2012
This took me a while to get into - it was nearly half way through before I felt like it really captured me. I’m not sure if that was the book or just me because it was very well written. I just didn’t find the characters and plot very interesting at first. But once it started to pick up, it became hard to put down and I wound up enjoying it.
September 6, 2012
I really enjoyed this start to a new series. Parker made the characters realistic and I felt like I was taken back in time to Leadville. Inez is a complex character and her life has some serious ups and downs. And the Reverand is not exactly who he appears to be. It's all very interesting and I can't wait to read more!
July 31, 2019
1879 Leadville, CO. A mystery, murder, romance, poker faces, espionage and more. Picture a heroine reminiscent of Victoria and Audra Barkley. There were times where it dragged as a slow drawl, but then it would pick up again leaving you not knowing who to believe. The end is a bit rough for those with sensititve stomach.
Kirsten Potter does a great job of narrating!
Kirsten Potter does a great job of narrating!
July 18, 2012
The mystery plotting was alright, I really enjoyed all the historical details, but the characters fell a bit flat to me.
July 10, 2014
I loved this story. This historical milieu comes alive, and the mystery kept me turning pages. Am now turning to the rest of the series.
September 6, 2017
The history in this book was interesting but the characters were hard to get behind. I just really didn't love any of them enough to continue in this series.
January 4, 2019
It was OK but not my type of book, really.
August 21, 2022
Very well written. Twists I didn’t expect and kept me guessing on a wrong path for much of the time. Fantastic read
December 8, 2014
totally enjoyed it. a good page turner.
November 8, 2018
This was a pretty exciting read, with a heroine who is no angel. Inez runs a saloon in Leadville or Cloudy City, Colorado. The era is the silver rush, when tailing from the prior gold rush revealed large quantities of lead and silver. Her husband is missing and she has sent her son away to protect his health from the bad winters of the high mountains. She discovers that he used to be involved in passing false currency "conies" with Abe, the African American business partner who runs her saloon, the Silver Queen. But he left town and there has been a man in his absence, a local mine owner. And then Reverend Sands, who has appeared in town when it became apparent that conies were being circulated on Satate Street. Inez's involvement is predicated on the death of Joe Rose and the wellbeing of his widow and young son, Joey. Gradually she is able to unravel the associations of the boomtown and reveal the real criminals in the cash syndicate.
I don't know that Willa Cather would have approved of this novel, although it won a "Willa." I must say that it was ten times better in terms of writing than the last cozy mystery I reviewed, and I would continue to seek novels from this publishers over those of the previous author because either they chose authors of a higher caliber or have diligent editors. Wilola was interested in human relations, and this novel does take on this interest when the author describes the nature of a relationship based on ignorance of one's partner, when one fills in the glazed over portions with one's own hopes.
We are left hanging and I look forward to the next novel by this author.
I don't know that Willa Cather would have approved of this novel, although it won a "Willa." I must say that it was ten times better in terms of writing than the last cozy mystery I reviewed, and I would continue to seek novels from this publishers over those of the previous author because either they chose authors of a higher caliber or have diligent editors. Wilola was interested in human relations, and this novel does take on this interest when the author describes the nature of a relationship based on ignorance of one's partner, when one fills in the glazed over portions with one's own hopes.
We are left hanging and I look forward to the next novel by this author.
August 21, 2017
This was my first time reading this author. The title of the book caught my eye and now I am so glad it did. I love historical novels and this one is set during the silver boom of the late 1800's . It is centered in the boomtown of Leadville, Colorado. As the story opens we are introduced to Inez Stannert, part owner of the Silver Queen Saloon and her partner, Abe Jackson. A whole can of worms is opened up when a good friend of Inez and Abe is found murdered behind the saloon. Joe Rose, an assayer of precious metals leaves behind a wife and young son. Who would want to kill Joe? As Inez, Abe and the town's new Reverend, Mr. Sands, begin to look into the death of Joe, hints of corruption and counterfeiting surface. This book was very well written. The characters have depth and are fairly interesting. I admit it got boring for a little bit but overall it was an interesting story. Interesting enough that I am eager to continue the story into book two. It is a series with book number six coming out in early 2018. From what I have gathered, it will be packed with historical facts even though this first book didn't have much history in the mix. It read more like a good western. I highly recommend this book and I will be keeping an eye on this series and author.
January 19, 2023
I love a good mystery novel, and the fact that this was a mystery swept up in the romance and lawlessness of an old Western town just drew me in more.
Anne Parker does a great job at building her world. And her character development is spot on, including slowly sprinkling in bits of each back story to give each character even more depth. I think the only downside of the characters for me was the vast amount of them; however, I saw many others enjoyed this as it makes the world in the story more realistic and also leaves you all sorts of red herrings.
Overall, I think this book was just a little lack-luster. I felt some of the ends at the story weren't tied very well. There were also some details that reached a dead end, such as Emma's former prostitution or everyone assuming Inez wanted to get in bed with them.
I still plan on reading the next book in the series!
Anne Parker does a great job at building her world. And her character development is spot on, including slowly sprinkling in bits of each back story to give each character even more depth. I think the only downside of the characters for me was the vast amount of them; however, I saw many others enjoyed this as it makes the world in the story more realistic and also leaves you all sorts of red herrings.
Overall, I think this book was just a little lack-luster. I felt some of the ends at the story weren't tied very well. There were also some details that reached a dead end, such as Emma's former prostitution or everyone assuming Inez wanted to get in bed with them.
I still plan on reading the next book in the series!
September 22, 2024
I was debating between a 4 and 5 rating and ultimately went with 4. It felt very much like a 4.5. The characters, historical setting and plotline were interesting and well written. There were definitely enough twists to keep me guessing. I did feel there were a couple of things that an editor should have picked up -- a few tense issues and a weird POV change. The book was in third person, but it would suddenly switch to 1st without any indication that it was changing, such as adding, "She thought" or putting the thoughts in italics. Overall, not a big deal, but it just seemed jarring to me and took me out of the story. I can't help wondering why that wouldn't have been picked ip in editing. That being said, I am looking forward to reading more of this series!
April 22, 2025
Leadville, Colorado is tough, dirty, and dangerous silver town in late 1879, but saloon-owner Inez Stannert has the grit (and a small handgun) to grapple with the gamblers, drunks, whores, and small-minded townspeople. Her husband left, and she had to send her little boy to live with her sister, but good friends surround her, she runs a steady poker game, and she has a solid partner who happens to be Black. Now her best friend’s husband is murdered outside the saloon, there’s something strange about the new minister, and counterfeit paper money is showing up. Lots of twists and a visit from the famous lawman Bat Masterson in this charming but sometimes a little too wordy and violent historical mystery. I look forward to reading more of Ann Parker’s Silver Rush series.
February 5, 2018
I will admit that when I looked at the cover of this book I was a bit skeptical. The cover design didn't really grab me, but I noted that it had won and award and it sounded interesting so I gave it a shot. And aren't I glad I did. The writing was fantastic, the plot construction was gripping, complex and enjoyable and the characters, in particular Inez, were completely realistic. What's not to love about a strong, independent, saloon owning, spirit drinking woman making her way in the Colorado mountains in the late 19th Century? The crime kept me guessing and by the end I just couldn't wait to find out what happened to Inez next.
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