Lady of the Law (Maud Overstreet, 2)
In 1872, life is pretty calm in Dry Creek, California, until a series of fires mysteriously breaks out. Recently elected sheriff Maud Overstreet appoints a local woman as fire chief and enlists the help of the mayor and her sometime love interest, Seth. The three begin an investigation that turns out to be more dangerous than expected. Meanwhile, the women of the town, inspired by Maud’s success in a male field, begin to have professional aspirations of their own. A debate over women doing “men’s work” begins, making it even more critical for Maud to prove her abilities and identify the person responsible for the fires.
Lady of the Law is the second in Melody Groves’ Maud Overstreet series. I haven’t read the first book but had no trouble getting into the story. Maud is clearly the star of the show and the most developed character, with a spunky disposition and never-take-no-for-an-answer attitude. Unfortunately, the book has a large cast of stock characters who aren’t nearly as interesting. And while the main plot of the arson is engaging, multiple subplots pull away from the story’s fast pace. For example, it initially seems like the town’s distrust of Chinese immigrants will play a more significant role, but this storyline is never fully resolved. While this book has a few issues, it is a quick read with plenty of Western action, and the ending indicates there will be a third installment.
