West of Washoe
In 1864 mining engineer Gil Ross arrived in Virginia City, located in Nevada Territory. He was on assignment for the federal government to inspect the mining operations and to report on the potential wealth of the region, especially how it would help the Union cause during the American Civil War. Because of greedy mine owners who wished to maximize the flow of silver from their operations to promote outside investors, he ran into more trouble then he expected.
Tim Champlin is a prolific writer of historical fiction. This was my first reading of one of his stories, and I found it to be a page turner. He continues to put his protagonist, Gil Ross, into predicaments from which it seemed impossible for him to extricate himself. It was enlightening to discover more about events in the United States during the early 1860s that didn’t directly involve the Civil War. The author displays his knowledge of silver mining in the West and expertly interweaves it throughout his tale. I highly recommend this book for those who enjoy novels of the early West.
