1890. The lawless New Mexico Territory is overrun by criminals who steal money and land without consequence, and everyone carries a gun.
In Montaña Roja, robberies threaten Fred Harvey’s newest Harvey House restaurant. Disguised as a Harvey hostess, undercover Pinkerton agent Clare ventures west, risking exposure at every turn as she searches for answers the law won’t pursue—relying only on her instincts and her derringer to survive.
Dana Stabenow is an award-winning author best known for her gripping crime fiction, richly drawn characters, and bringing the rugged beauty and complex cultures of Alaska to life. With a career spanning decades and dozens of books, she continues to captivate readers who crave smart, atmospheric storytelling.
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Read behind-the-scenes glimpses into my writing life, reflections, updates on works in progress, information about publication dates, and about upcoming events. You’ll also find the occasional recipe, book reviews on Mondays, and whatever else crosses my desk—or my mind—along the way.
If you’re a writer, you only wish you could write this well. Some excerpts: According to the news, Kyle Rittenhouse, the man who fatally shot two protesters during the 2020 demonstrations in Kenosha and then became the right-wing’s favorite little armed grievance goblin and mascot for gun worship and “self-defense”
A reread after many years, which holds up well. Not much style but a lot of substance—settlers fleeing a dying Earth emigrate across the stars to a planet in orbit around Rukbat. A story for our times for sure. Only—uh-oh—until…after they’ve landed and moved planetside they discover that an erratic