Xyra's Book Review for Older Followers
Silver Lies
by Ann ParkerNotes
- This was a gift from Sister Stereo and it's a signed copy too. :)
- Would definitely be PG-13 if made into a movie; could extend to R depending on how the producers and director choose to depict the scenes with adult situations and violence.
- Setting: Leadville, Colorado a real town. Unlike many mining towns of the 1800s, Leadville is still a thriving town with a population close to 3,000. Lots of things to do there. Visit the historic section ride the train.
The Review
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Very interesting. Great for historical fiction and mystery lovers.
The setting is great! I've never been to Leadville, Colorado, 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 & adult situations). 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 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 that one piece of information. 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, 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 & adult situations). 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 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 that one piece of information. 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.
Happy Reading!
No comments:
Post a Comment