Inez Stannert, her husband, Mark, and Abe Jackson, a black man, arrived in Leadville, Colorado with enough money to open a saloon. It was the late 1870’s and Leadville was once again a boomtown. First gold in 1860 and then silver in 1875 brought men and women to the town seeking fortunes. As stakes were mined, rich men would be looking for those that seemed most promising and tried to purchase the claims. Assayers checked the content of samples brought in by the prospectors and, for a fee, estimate the value of a claim. Stores, banks, saloons, dance halls and brothels sprung up to serve the miners. Sheriffs kept peace and order. With a chance for easy money, any of the men and women might be honest or not.

Mark Stannert had served in the Union army with Abe and they stayed together after the war, moving from town to town gambling and running minor confidence games until Mark arrived in Inez’s family’s hometown in New England. He swept Inez off her feet and they were married in a week. She traveled with her husband and his friend until arriving in Leadville. They formed a partnership, each owning a third share of the Silver Queen Saloon. Their plan was to get enough money together to move to San Francisco and open an establishment there.
Mark left town one day and was never heard from again. Inez and Abe continued running the saloon. The profitable business had two house rules: married men cannot gamble; and drunken men will not be served liquor. Inez hosted a weekly high stakes poker game and took a cut from each pot for the business.

It is winter in the Rocky Mountains. Inez is attending her church intent on its new, interim minister when her friend, Emma Rose, reveals that her husband, Joe, did not come home the previous evening. She is extremely worried as that is so unlike him. Upon leaving church, the sheriff indicates he may have bad news. A body was found in the frozen muck behind Inez’s saloon. Sheriff Hollis hopes someone will positively identify the man who was horribly beaten and unrecognizable. Hope vanishes completely as Abe shakes his head when he sees them.

Of course, Inez and Abe become prime suspects.

I’m enjoying this series because I find historical mysteries interesting. Most authors extensively research the time period about which they write, so readers can get a real feel for life at that time and place. In this case, winter in the Rockies in the 1870's, it is cold and bleak. Ann Parker had discovered she had an ancestor who was a blacksmith in Leadville around that time. Inez is an interesting character because she is somewhat unconventional. She grew up in the east to a good family and was a proper miss, yet she went off with Mark having just met him. She is well known around town and respected by all who know her, but she runs an saloon.

Published by Poisoned Pen Press

Silver Lies, 2003
Iron Ties, 2006
Leaden Skies, 2009