Colorado Ransom

Summoned to Well Springs, Colorado, by an anonymous telegram that alleges that his uncle--the victim of a supposedly accidental mine cave-in--has been murdered, Richmond Bates suddenly finds himself the next target of a killer

YA-- Forrest Bates and Olivia Palmer have made a promising strike in the 19th-century gold fields of Colorado. However, the situation takes a dramatic turn when hired hand Roy Shannon tries to jump their claim, killing Bates in the process. Bates's nephew comes to rescue Palmer and the mine from Shannon and his cohorts. The story develops smoothly around the clear protagonists vs. the antagonist. Palmer's kidnapping by Indians introduces an interesting and pivotal subplot that enables her to emerge as the lead character. Her physical and emotional strength under stress show her ``grit.'' An unusual twist to the traditional boy-gets-girl ending concludes this well-crafted tale.

David B. O'Hara, W. T. Woodson High School, Fairfax, VA

Copyright 1992 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Top billing in this promising first novel is shared by two remarkable characters. Richmond Bates is an Arkansas farmer who in the 1870s goes to Well Springs, Colorado in response to word that his uncle Forrest, a gold miner, has been murdered. Olivia Palmer, the woman who has been living with Forrest, shares the dangers and heroic action as she and Richmond fight for the land and mine that belongs to them. In Well Springs there is no law, only outlaws. People defend their homes and/or mines to the death (theirs or the outlaws'). The author maintains fast action and suspense with vividly described battles and an incredibly hazardous ride up and down a mountain trail. A remarkable first Western.
- Sister Avila, Acad. of the Holy Angels, Minneapolis
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.