Title: The Sheriff's Surrender
Author: Susan Page Davis
Publisher: Barbour Books
Genre: Inspirational Romantic Mystery
Publication Date: December 1, 2009
Print ISBN: 978-1602605626
eBook ISBN: 978-1607421382
Length: 320 Pages
Reviewer: Veronica
Purchase: Amazon
Book Blurb:
Join the sassy ladies of Fergus, Idaho, as they protect their town in this quirky historical by award-winning author Susan Page Davis. A crime spree has divided the men in town, so Gert Dooley forms the Ladies’ Shooting Club to protect their businesses, homes, and families. But when one of their members is murdered, will these feisty gals have what it takes to find the killer before he strikes again? Will the new sheriff put the club out of work, or will he surrender his heart to one crack shot lady?
Veronica's Review:
The first in the Ladies’ Shooting Club series, The Sheriff’s Surrender is sure to delight anyone who likes a dash of romance and mystery thrown into inspirational, historical fiction.
The story is set in the Wild West. The plot is pretty straight-forward: a small town on the edge of the frontier is being plagued by violent crime, and the women are fed up. They decide to defend themselves, trained by the unglamorous old maid Gert, who happens to be a crack shot. The author, Susan Page Davis, keeps it interesting with some unexpected twists and turns to the plot, as well as having a mix of well-developed characters, and of course the light, but sincere, romance.
Author Davis is skilled at painting vivid scenes with just a few witty comments- one of the aspects of the book that I really appreciated. She also added enough cultural tension and ethical decisions to give the book an unusual depth for this genre. The women of the Ladies’ Shooting Club are not out to prove anything to anybody: they just want to feel more secure in their town. Nonetheless, some of the Town Fathers do not appreciate women running around with guns (they might hurt themselves!) and *gasp* actually leaving the home at all. The rest of the men in town have to decide if they are going to support their women or go along with the opinionated men.
On the other hand, the ladies have their own ethical quandaries: do they allow the unappealing homeless woman to shoot with them? How about the tavern girls? How about the tavern girls- wearing pants?!
Meanwhile, there is the mystery of who is perpetrating the violence, and what the criminal is after. And of course- the story ends with a bang.
Overall, a fun read, and I’m looking forward to reading the other books in the series.
Veronica's Rating: 4 out of 5 Crowns
