Showing results by narrator "Sandra Murphy" in All Categories

Did men truly conquer the frontier, or was it the women who quietly traded hopes and dreams in a gamble to build something even bigger for themselves and their families? In Flats Junction, sacrifices grow ever starker as the town begins to realize it faces an existential crisis on multiple fronts. Enigmatic storekeeper Kate has ambitions to become more powerful than her father, but to do so requires making deals with many devils to bring electricity and a hospital, perhaps to Flats Junction's detriment.

When reporter Jo Walker is assigned to investigate the murder of a young Latina girl, she plunges into Denver’s immigration mess and connects with women who have been cheated of their lives. As Jo untangles the web behind the girl’s murder, she discovers corruption at the highest political levels. Henchmen take off their gloves and play for keeps. Jo draws on every ounce of courage and tenacity she possesses to stay alive as she fights for justice in a war where bad guys often win.

When a tourist is found dead and a villager is accused of murder, Reeva knows the village has bigger problems than icky ice cream. It’s time for Long and McLaughlin Private Investigators (a.k.a. Reeva and Ruby) to put their sleuthing skills into action and catch the real killer.

As Whispering Pines’ busiest tourist season ever draws to a close, Reeva Long, Ruby McLaughlin, and the other villagers are ready for things to quiet down. Instead, a break-in and a small fire set near Hearth & Cauldron puts everyone on edge. The only clue, a melted candle stub, gives the amateur sleuths little to work with. Soon other fires flare up, threatening the entire village, so Deputy Jayne O’Shea takes charge of the investigation. Can Jayne, with Reeva’s and Ruby’s help, catch the firestarter before someone gets hurt or worse?

It’s time for the annual Whispering Pines Tour of Gardens, and plant lovers are arriving by the busload. Discussions of raised beds, fertilizers, and proper amounts of water and sunlight can be heard all around the village. But just as the tours begin, chaos erupts. Someone has vandalized the gardens.

No one takes a woman seriously in the Dakotas, least of all a woman of mixed race who owns the only general store in Flats Junction. But Kate has never let her heritage or gender stand in her way. Not even when shy, Boston-bred widow Jane moved to town and stole her beloved. Not even when her Lakota mother was forced to flee after her house mysteriously burned down.

Dr. Patrick Kinney is no ordinary man, not least for his tenuous position as the only medical professional in Flats Junction. He's met his match in the widow Jane, in more ways than one, but together they struggle against disease, injuries and the stubborn resistance of frontier folk to medicine and healthcare.