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The July 1880 visit of
former president Ulysses
S. Grant to the mining
community of Leadville,
Colo., sparks Parker's
third mystery (after
2006's Iron Ties),
a twisty tale of murder
and ambition. Saloon
co-owner Inez Stannert
is preoccupied with
divorcing her missing
husband, her affair
with the local minister
and her secret business
partnership with the
local madam when one
of the madam's prostitutes
is first attacked and
later killed. Eager
to protect her investment,
Inez begins to look
into the case, confronting
mine owners with personal
agendas; local politicians;
zealous journalists;
a mapmaker with a past;
a determined mother
with aspirations for
her wastrel son; a
prostitute with family
obligations and hopes
for a better life;
and a ruthless city
tax collector, appropriately
nicknamed the Hatchet.
Parker is proficient
in showing the crossroads
between civilization
and the frontier, including
emerging new roles
for women. A cliffhanger
ending sets a promising
stage for the next
installment. (July)
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