When Marshal Ira Farrell learns that his youngest brother and his fiancee may have been murdered in what's alleged as an accidental fire, he'll stop at nothing to see the killer or killers brought to justice. However, he never expected to have his investigation hampered by beautiful, stubborn Sarah Brighton, an independent, female journalist who insists on male and female equality. At first, he's convinced to go it alone, but as thye uncover another murder and a cattle rustling conspiracy that involves the entire town counsel, they're forced to work together in order to survive.
The Price of Pride
By Donna MacQuigg
Five Star Publishing (2006)
Reviewed by Kelli Glesige for Reader Views (3/06)
“The Price of Pride” is an enjoyable and entertaining western romance
that takes place in the Territory of New Mexico in the year 1892. The
deaths of Zachary Farrell and his young fiancée, Emily Brighton, in a
suspicious fire have Zachary’s older brother; Marshall Ira Farrell
determined to get to the bottom of the untimely deaths. The Marshall
leaves his current jurisdiction of Carefree, Arizona and heads home to
Santa Fe, New Mexico, intent to bring a killer or killers to justice.
Meanwhile, in St. Louis, Missouri, Sarah Brighton, cousin to the
unfortunate Emily who also perished in the fire, is the lone female
journalist working for the St. Louis Herald newspaper and writing for
the society page. Sarah’s ambitious nature and her determination to be
any man’s equal have caused conflict with her boss in the past, but
when she asks for a few weeks off to travel to Santa Fe to see to her
deceased cousin’s estate, she is flatly refused. Sarah resigns from the
paper and heads to Santa Fe, single and alone, but full of spunk.
Once they arrive in Santa Fe, of course Ira and Emily are destined to
meet, and both are determined to solve the mystery of the questionable
fire and premature deaths of their relatives. At first each one has
different ideas on solving the mystery, but they soon realize they must
work together to bring justice. The web gets more tangled when
another murder is uncovered and a cattle rustling heist has so many
townsfolk baffled. Could all of this be connected? Ira and Sarah soon
realize that maybe it is not dislike they feel for each other, but
something entirely at the other end of the spectrum of emotion.
What follows is a fun-filled adventure to find the guilty parties, with a
good deal of romance thrown in. The story is your typical western
complete with shootouts, good guys versus bad guys, and pretty girls
that hang out in the local saloon. If you enjoy westerns and romantic
mysteries, you should enjoy “The Price of Pride.” The Farrell family
reminded me of the late television show, Bonanza, as Uncle Jeb does
all the cooking and holds the home front together for the other males
of the household; Adam, Cole and Ira, along with Zachary before his
death. No other females live on the ranch. The Farrell’s business is
cattle and they are one of the largest landowners in the area, making
their ranch one of the wealthiest. In comparison, I remember how in
Bonanza, Ben Cartwright was a single parent to Adam, Hoss and Little
Joe on the Ponderosa Estate in Nevada where cattle was their
expertise, and Hop Sing kept the household running smoothly.
Donna MacQuigg tells a good tale, and I enjoyed the strong-willed
characters she developed. Each is determined and has certain
expectations, so inherently there will be friction, and sparks will fly.
And they do, literally! Reading “The Price of Pride” was a pleasurable
experience, and I would recommend it to others who enjoy a good
western romance!
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