Diamonds and Doom
In the 1890s, murder has come to a town in the West. Dunbar, who has taken a job at Hook Ranch, has stumbled into a new mystery, as told from the point of view of Edwin “Rye” Ryerson, who is a darling and tough old protagonist starring alongside beloved Dunbar. When two ranch hands who were interested in Rye’s niece turn up dead, it’s up to Rye and Dunbar to track down the killer. There are plenty of likely suspects, including that strange boss of Rye’s sweet eighteen-year-old niece, Vivian. Then Madeline, a street girl, is killed, and the murderer could be anyone. Rye and Dunbar set off on a chilly adventure to chase the killer and his accomplice across a rugged, snowy landscape. It’s a good thing that Rye has been taking riding lessons.
Including realistic depictions of the Old West, life on a ranch, and the camaraderie of cowboys, this mystery is easy to read and hard to put down. One can’t help but care about author John D. Nesbitt’s point-of-view character, Rye, and his friendly partner for this novel, Dunbar. A master of building suspense quietly, Nesbitt has crafted a mystery and Western for a wide audience with Diamonds and Doom.
