About this item
Autumn 1880 in the Rocky Mountains brings frost, snow, and the return of Silver Queen Saloon owner Inez Stannert to Leadville, Colorado.In this silver rush boomtown, those who are hungry for material riches seek their fortunes in precious metals. Others, hungry for spiritual relief, seek to pierce the veil between life and death with the help of fortunetellers, mediums, and occultists. Deep in the twisted byways of Leadville's Stillborn Alley, soothsayer Drina Gizzi awaits the promised arrival of her benefactor, the mysterious Mr. Brown. When she is found murdered, strangled with a set of silver and gold corset laces, no one seems to care except the three who find her body -- Inez, her lover Reverend Sands, and Drina's young daughter, Antonia. The mystery surrounding Drina's death deepens when her body vanishes without a trace.As Inez and Antonia band together to seek out Drina's killer, they unearth disturbing evidence of underground resurrectionists, long-held grievances, and white-hot revenge. Meanwhile, Inez's husband, Mark Stannert, true to his word that he only "plays to win," contrives to drive Inez and Sands apart, gambling that he can convince her to abandon her plans for divorce. But what can gold buy, after all? A new life? Freedom from the past? Truth and justice for those murdered and unmourned? Or a final passage for Inez and Antonia into an unmarked grave and the world of the dead?And what of Mr. Brown, whose missing presence hovers over all, like a spirit from beyond?
About the Author
Ann Parker earned degrees in Physics and English Literature at the University of California, Berkeley, before falling into a career as a science/corporate writer. During the daylight hours, she scribbles about "bleeding-edge" scientific R&D. At night, she delves into the past. Ann is listed in the Colorado Authors' Hall of Fame.The early books of her award-winning Silver Rush historical mystery series are set primarily in the 1880s silver boomtown of Leadville, Colorado, and feature Silver Queen Saloon owner Inez Stannert - a woman with a mysterious past, a complicated present, and an uncertain future. The first in the series, Silver Lies, won the Willa Literary Award for Historical Fiction and the Colorado Gold Award and was a finalist for the Bruce Alexander Historical Mystery Award as well as for the Western Writers Association Spur Award for Best Novel of the West. It was chosen a best mystery of the year by Publishers Weekly and The Chicago Tribune. Iron Ties, the sequel to Silver Lies, won the Colorado Book Award (CBA) for Popular Fiction. In its starred review, Publishers Weekly says, "Parker's outstanding second Silver Rush mystery finds her heroine, Inez Stannert, corset-deep in the intrigues of Leadville, Colo. . . . Plenty of convincing action bodes well for a long and successful series."Leaden Skies, the third Silver Rush mystery, was a CBA finalist. Booklist calls it "a lively historical tale with a strong female protagonist. The intricate plot, lively characters, and vividly realized historical landscape will appeal to those interested in the Old West as well as to historical-mystery fans."Mercury's Rise, fourth in the series, is winner of the Bruce Alexander Memorial Historical Mystery Award, and finalist for: the Agatha Award for Best Historical Mystery, the Colorado Book Award (Genre Fiction) , the Macavity / Sue Feder Memorial Historical Mystery Award, and the Willa Literary Award for Best Historical Fiction. About Mercury's Rise, Library Journal says: "Encore!"What Gold Buys, the fifth in the series, received a starred review from Publishers Weekly, which called it "emotionally and historically convincing." What Gold Buys was a finalist for: Best Historical Mystery Novel, Lefty Award; the Sarton Women's Book Award (Historical Fiction) ; the Macavity Historical Novel Award; and the Will Rogers Medallion Award (Western Romance) .The next three books in the series take Inez and her young ward, Antonia Gizzi, to San Francisco. Information for A Dying Note (#6) , Mortal Music (#7) , and The Secret in the Wall (#8) can be found on Ann's website at https://annparker.net/books/ .For more information about the series and Ann's other writings, see https://www.annparker.net.The Silver Rush series is published by Poisoned Pen Press, an imprint of Sourcebooks.
