The Chili Queen by Sandra Dallas

As much as I wanted to read this book, I was a little sad as it is the last of my stash of Sandra Dallas books.  I have now read them all. (Boo hoo!) This was a great one!

Set in the late 1800’s in New Mexico and Colorado, it is a true “Wild West” story done Sandra Dallas style. The plot has more twists and turns than a labyrinth. The whopper at the end had me so stunned it took halfway through the chapter before I figured out what was going on and had to go back and start the chapter over.

The story begins with Addie French, the ‘proprietor’ of a ‘hookhouse’ meeting Emma Roby, prudish spinster. They meet on the train going to Nalgitas, New Mexico where Addie is from and where Emma is to meet her husband-to-be.  Emma thinks Addie runs a boardinghouse and when her husband-to-be doesn’t show up she goes to Addie’s for a room. 

Emma tells Addie that her brother has cheated her out of her inheritance and together with Addie’s housekeeper Welcome and her boyfriend, Ned, they come up with a “investment” plan to get Emma’s money from her brother.  This is where the plan begins…

Dallas keeps the story moving forward and the reader doesn’t know who to trust.

4 stars (Rated PG-13 – There are a couple gruesome ‘Wild West’ scenes.)