Murder at Buckskin Joe, a novel by J.V.L. Bell, is a lively mystery that covers a two-month period in 1865 Colorado.

Millie Drouillard is shocked to meet her husband Dom’s Uncle George. He’s crude, rude, dirty and smells bad. He’s a terrible influence on their two children, Rachelle, 6, and their adopted Arapaho son, Hopa, 12. Uncle George insists his nephew come to Buckskin Joe, a mining town, necessitating several weeks of travel. George has been accused of murdering his partner and co-owner of a fledgling gold mine. He insists his nephew help clear his name before others claim the mine.

To let Dom go alone with his uncle is unthinkable. Millie doesn’t trust George and feels the family must stay together. They make the journey and find a barely adequate cabin for what Millie hopes will be a short stay.

What follows is a parade of likely suspects, all with motive to kill George’s partner, a man as unpopular as George. Millie tries to run a household and be a supportive wife and mother, but her interest is piqued in trying to solve the mystery. Besides, the sooner they discover the murderer, the sooner they can return to their own home and peaceful life.

The author has obviously done her research in the history of Colorado gold mining boom days. She explains in some detail the various kinds of mines, mining methods and equipment used. Her characters are colorful, but believable. I could almost feel the grime of the dirty little town, built to accommodate the needs of miners and not much more.

Murder at Buckskin Joe is a fun, rollicking cozy mystery that takes readers back to a colorful but gritty time in Colorado’s mining history.