A perfect example of a well-written, western historical thriller, SAWBONES by Melissa Lenhardt will renew your love of authentic historical fiction. Although its gritty realism may offend some readers, I was captivated by the genuine characterization. Accused of murder, Dr. Catherine Benton joins a wagon train heading west. Her only alibi is the resurrection man…

LOVE, ALICE by Barbara Davis is an amazing and heart wrenching story of past and present that brought part of my own family’s Cornish history to light. I’ve heard them called workhouses in the murmurs of what happened to my ancestor in the late 1800s during her pregnancy. In this story, we learn the fate…

THE SECOND MRS. HOCKADAY by Susan Rivers is an excellent historical mystery portrayed through letters and journal entries, unraveling an engrossing tale. For those who love the Civil War era, this novel will surely suck you right in. The book starts out with a letter from Placidia to her cousin Millie where she describes the…

MONTANA DAWN by Caroline Fyffe is a good introduction to a historical western series featuring brothers who run a cattle ranch in Montana. I picked up this digital copy free for my Kindle, which is how I try many new-to-me authors. The cover attracted me to the book, but it was the historical setting of…

Frontier Grit by Marianne Monson brings the adventure, ingenuity and extraordinary fearlessness of American pioneer women to life. As a huge fan of the pioneer spirit, I enjoyed learning about the women who shaped our country from this book. I’m normally a fiction reader, but the lack of enough authentic frontier fiction to keep me…

I was reminded of two of my favorite books while reading this story. ECHOES OF FAMILY by Barbara Claypole White weaves a hint of tempestuous saga, as in THE THORN BIRDS by Colleen McCullough but with a plausible happy ending. It also illuminates the country quirkiness of rural English life, which reminds me of James…