Publisher's Weekly Review
Set in the summer of 1880, Parker's outstanding second Silver Rush mystery (after 2003's Silver Lies) finds her heroine, Inez Stannert, corset-deep in the intrigues of Leadville, Colo. Inez's secret courtship with the Rev. Justice B. Sands is as heated as the conflict over the incoming railroad. When the local authorities question the reliability of Inez's friend, photographer Susan Carothers, who witnesses a shooting and explosion along the rail line, it's up to Inez to discover the truth. In one of the many nice twists in this appealing adventure, the attractive railroad man Inez meets during her investigation turns out to be one of the good reverend's Civil War comrades. In an effort to increase business at the Silver Queen saloon, Inez's business partner, Abe Jackson, engages an acting couple to perform. None too happily, Inez realizes why the beautiful actress seems so familiar. A ragged piece of cloth becomes a major clue as the clock ticks and the town readies for a visit from former U.S. president Ulysses S. Grant. Plenty of convincing action bodes well for a long and successful series. (June) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Booklist Review
Susan Carothers is a young photographer in the Old West, hoping her prints of the magnificent Colorado landscape will sell in her gallery. But a solo trip into the high country quickly turns into a nightmare when she witnesses a murder, and a dynamite blast unleashes a rockslide that kills one man involved in the murder and nearly kills her. Carothers recuperates while her friend, Inez Stannert, tries to piece together what exactly it was that Susan witnessed. Stannert owns Leadville's saloon and can't afford to have the small community on which she's staked her future be reduced to lawlessness. This sequel to the critically acclaimed Silver Ties (2003) will not disappoint Parker's fans. The characters have depth, their motivations are subtle, and their pain very human. Add carefully researched and fascinating period detail, and one has a well-crafted novel that will appeal to readers of mysteries, historical fiction, and genre westerns. --Wes Lukowsky Copyright 2006 Booklist
