J.v.L. Bell, a Colorado native, has written a fun, riveting frontier mystery that takes place in her home state when it was called Territory of Colorado, 1864. Denver City Justice takes off where its prequel, The Lucky Hat Mine ends, though each book stands alone.
Millie and Dom’s wedding isn’t the calm, refined event Millie had hoped for, but nevertheless she and Dom are man and wife and they settle into what she hopes will be marital bliss.
Their first morning, however, turns into turmoil when their neighbor, the Widow Ferris, is found stabbed to death, an icicle piercing her heart. Although Widow Ferris and her deceased husband were not popular, the murderer must be brought to justice. Many suspects surface—both Mr. and Mrs. Ferris had been blackmailing many of the citizens of Idaho Springs. Much to Millie’s horror, Dom becomes the main suspect and is hauled off to jail in Denver.
As Millie and several of the town’s matrons attempt to solve the mystery before Dom is lynched, the situation becomes complicated…and dangerous.
Bell’s keen sense of history makes this book a joy to read. As the mystery evolves, frontier lore is revealed in the clothes, habits, and customs of the period. Denver City Justice is full of heart with a good dollop of what life was like in the rugged frontier.
Mary: How does one murder someone with an icicle? Sounds like a perfect weapon—it’s long gone when the body is discovered. Gotta read this one to find out.
It gets cold in Colorado….