The mystery is set during the rough and tumble California mining days of 1869. Meg Mims vividly brings these times to life with her accurate historical research and her clear and striking imagery of bustling towns, dangerous quicksilver mines, and rugged landscapes. An entertaining Western mystery read with just the right amount of romance.
As chapter one begins, Rasmussen takes us back to June 1865 when the Gold Rush was in full swing, as Captain Phillip La Mar, in the wheelhouse of his stern-wheel riverboat, Jupiter, enters the day's events in the logbook. His major concern is that three crewmen have cholera—the deadly scourge of the riverboats that ply the Missouri River, carrying freight and passengers destined for Fort Benton (Montana) and the goldfields beyond.
It is a powerful, un-blinking telling of the hard-fought war between the bravery of one who refuses to give up against the cunning cruelty of a malevolent trio of ruthless men. D. B. Jackson’s "Unbroke Horses" has carefully chiseled characters and is written with unflinching clarity in short, powerful chapters dominated by taut dialogue and hard hitting action. If you’re a Cormac McCarthy fan who appreciates western literary thrillers, this masterfully written novel is a must-read.
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