Böcker av Melody Groves

Women in the 1870s have little control over their lives and the women of Dry Creek, California, look to Sheriff Maud Overstreet, a thirty-something spinster, as an example of women's progress. Following a disastrous fire that leveled the school, Maud appoints a woman as fire chief. Inspired, several women step forward to run their own businesses-a bakery, charm school, and newspaper-much to the consternation of the male town councilors.While searching for the school arsonist, Maud witnesses a shooting which left a man dead, questions the new concept of insurance, and assumes the salesman was the arsonist. She also takes on the role of campaign manager for two of her friends, both vying to be Mayor. Toss in more fires, a wild romance, a rowdy town dance, establishing a school for Chinese girls, and mysterious threatening notes, Sheriff Overstreet faces each new challenge with determination. She is, after all, a Lady of the Law.

"The exciting action and adventure western series from award-winning author Melody Groves and starring the Colton Brothers continues! Despite battling a frenzied horse, poisoned water, aggravated Apache, a fanatical Army officer, along with other life-threatening trials, the four Colton Brothers-Trace, James, Luke, and Andy-refuse to turn their three thousand longhorns around and head back to Mesilla, New Mexico. Determined to deliver the contracted beeves to Tin Town, California, on time, James Colton drives men and cattle as hard and as fast as he can. The brothers hope to celebrate the end of the Civil War and the cattle drive by hoisting a beer in Tin Town. But Whid MacGilvry has other ideas. Killing James is not enough to exact his revenge for incorrectly perceived injustices. Destroying the entire Colton family will have to do. And where better than out on the range?"--

**Winner of the 2021 New Mexico-Arizona Book Awards (History, Other)**Lawman or Outlaw?At times, the black-hatted "villains" and white-hatted "good guys" of the Old West were one and the same. Often it was difficult, if not impossible, to distinguish who was who. Sheriff Wyatt Earp stole horses and ran brothels. Albuquerque's first town marshal, Milton Yarberry, was accused of murder and subsequently "jerked to Jesus." Burt Alvord, town marshal of Willcox, Arizona, and friends, robbed a train. Alvord then deputized these same friends into a posse to apprehend the robbers. It came as no surprise when his posse came up empty handed. Justice Hoodoo Brown and Deputy JJ Webb ruled Las Vegas as leaders of the Dodge City Gang until they were run out of town by citizens fed up with their type of justice. "Mysterious" Dave Mather and even two of the Dalton Gang spent time behind a badge, as well as behind bars.When Outlaws Wore Badges explores the double lives of outlaw lawmen through some of the West's most memorable frontier characters.