The Fifth Ace

The Luck of the Draw

by Loretta Jackson, Vickie Britton

Drew Woodson must save his mining partner - and himself - from vigilantes who suspect them of killing gubernatorial candidate Oren Perley during a poker game. His only chance is to get the three surviving players to tell the truth about who shot Perley - and left the fifth ace.

224 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2009

About the author

Loretta Jackson and Vickie Britton are a sister co-authoring team who have written 36 published novels and 77 short stories. Among their novels are the archaeologist Ardis Cole series and a new series featuring contemporary Wyoming sheriff Jeff McQuede. The two sisters often travel to exotic locations such as Russia, India, China and Peru to research settings for their novels. They are also drawn to the western United States and their love for the unique flavor of the Old West provides a background for many of their novels. Both writers now live in Kansas: Loretta in Junction City, Vickie in Hutchinson.

Reviews

[Michael Thal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tommy Garth just lost his shirt playing poker at the Red Elk Saloon. As soon as he exited in a huff, a stranger took his seat. A few locals were at the table along with Oren Perley, a shoe-in for Colorado governor. This is until someone at the table shoots him. The locals point fingers at Tommy, a safer choice than a stranger threatening their lives.

Set in Colorado during 1876, The Fifth Ace by Loretta Jackson and Vickie Britton is a classic western murder mystery with gilded cages, wooden sidewalks, and gold mines. The story centers around Drew Woodson, Garth’s partner, as he follows clues through twists and turns while unraveling a mess that could take his partner’s life and threaten his own.

The Fifth Ace is a marvelous read for any reader of westerns, mysteries, or a person who loves a good book.

[Rosa Cline · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was kind of a mystery western. At first it was loosing me 'cause it had so many different characters and I was mixing them together. But I stayed with it 'cause the storyline had me 'hooked' and I'm glad I did continue to read. The ended wasn't the one you figured it would be that had done the murder at the first. This book reminds me of a movie that you watch and then at the end want to watch again to really pay attention to certain charactors instead of all equally. If you like to read westerns, mystery, then you'd like this book. It is a 'clean' book as it has no sexual stuff, no blood and gore, etc. There is a few murders but nothing less descriptive that you would find in a Bonanza or Gunsmoke episode on tv. Really liked this book