When the demure Christie Hayes meets Deputy Zee Brodie, she is at first afraid of her, then she grows impatient with her, but all the while there is an undercurrent of fascination with her, and ultimately, a strong attraction to her.  Set in the old West in the days when gunfights were still the order of the day for settling an argument, Zerelda (Zee) Brodie is someone to be feared and respected.  Formerly called “the Hellcat,” Zee got the name when she was a notorious outlaw.  She did time in Yuma prison for her offenses and was pardoned by the governor, finally becoming a Deputy in the town of Benson, Arizona.

Zee and Christie meet when Zee is escorting a captured outlaw to prison and her boss, Sheriff Hogan, tells her that the Hayes house is a safe place to wait for the Yuma train once she gets to Contention.  Zee’s outlaw charge tries to escape more than once and constantly tries to talk Zee into giving up her new life on the right side of the law and joining his gang.  But it is Christie, not the outlaw, that is Zee’s undoing.  Christie surreptitiously informs the Wells Fargo agent in town that “the Hellcat” is in her house and that she is afraid for her life.  The agent sends Christie home and, after a while, barges in and shoots Zee.  When Christie finds out that Zee has been telling the truth about going straight and becoming a Deputy, she is remorseful and helps Zee escort her prisoner to the train, where Christie saves Zee’s life when the outlaw gang tries to rescue their leader.  All this happens because Christie’s brother, Blue, has been called away on business.

The aloof, untouchable Deputy Brodie is smitten with Christie Hayes, though, and returns to Contention eager to see her.  However, when she arrives, she discovers Christie entertaining her beau, Fred Younger, a small man in more than just his physical appearance.

Disappointed, Zee returns to Benson, writing Christie off as someone who would never be interested in another woman.  What she doesn’t know is that Christie herself is very fascinated by Zee and finds it difficult to have any feelings whatsoever for Fred, but Christie’s brother, Blue (Bluford) thinks the wealthy businessman, Fred Younger, will make Christie a good husband.  Deciding to follow her head instead of her heart, Christie finally agrees to marry  Fred.

When Fred sends Christie to Benson to get her trousseau sewn by the town seamstress, Christie discovers that Zee lives in the whorehouse in that town and, with some hesitation, she follows Zee, determined to talk to her again and to try to discover what her true feelings are for the tall, dark and handsome Deputy.

As the story progresses, Zee softens and Christie discovers what she really wants from life, but their lives are made more complicated by the ladies of the Temperance Union and one very closed-minded family.  Fred and Blue have difficulties of their own that eventually create complications in everyone’s lives and it is Zee who must work to bring peace back to Contention.  In order to do that, Zee must travel to an orphanage where she meets the notable Sister Florence.  In Christie’s own words, she tells us “She’s certainly not your run of the mill nun….” (page 341)

Davies has given us easily likeable characters in Christie and Zee.  Even Zee’s darker side proves to be only a mask covering a soft, loving woman.  There are a host of characters that work at the whorehouse, drink and gamble at the saloon and end up in Deputy Brodie’s jail.  These folks also entertain and enthrall us.

This first offering from new publisher Bedazzled Ink Publishing Company is an entertaining read and Barbara Davies is a master at dropping one-sentence morsels at the end of almost every chapter foreshadowing what is to come and tantalizing the reader to push on to read just one more.

Reviewed by Anna Furtado
Anna Furtado is the author of The Heart’s Desire – Book One of The Briarcrest Chronicles, a Golden Crown Literary Society “Goldie” Award Finalist, distributed by Starcrossed Productions www.scp-inc.biz.
Anna is also a book reviewer and monthly feature column writer for Just About Write and a book reviewer for The East Bay Voice (www.eastbayvoice.org) .
Email: annaf@annafurtado.com
Website:  www.annafurtado.com