Salvation, Texas
Grade : B+

Salvation, Texas is a second chance at love story, a mystery, and a very enjoyable book. It was a treat to read a good book set in Texas that really felt authentic. The people in this book were not just pretty folks in Wranglers and ropers - they felt like they belonged there.

Randall Ryder made a lot of money in Texas oil and in other "bidness" as well. He's kept his money and used it to set up trust funds for his three daughters and to buy lots of influence in the small town of Salvation, Texas. Ryder is a mighty big man in Salvation and has most of the officials in his pocket - all except the new sheriff, Rusty Joplin.

Rusty used to live in Salvation and at one time was wildly in love with Ryder's daughter Elena. Ryder didn't like him - he is a very controlling man and wanted to pick his daughter's husbands. Ryder took advantage of a misunderstanding between Rusty and Elena and used his influence to make Rusty leave town. Rusty went into law enforcement, married and divorced, then left the police and ran and was elected as sheriff in the county where Salvation is located. It's just Rusty's luck that his first major case involves the death of Carla Blanchard - Ryder's second daughter.

Carla's husband Gary blames the new horse they just purchased for Carla's death. He said that a rope Carla was carrying got wound around her neck and the horse spooked and dragged her to death. That sounds far-fetched to Rusty - Carla was an experienced horsewoman - so he asks for an autopsy, which does not sit at all well with Blanchard or Ryder.

Rusty's investigation brings him back into the orbit of Elena Ryder, who is a nurse in the town. She still lives with her father - he won't admit it but his health is failing, and despite all he has done, Elena loves him. She never married and has rebuffed all of her father's attempts to match her up. It's soon clear that she and Rusty never stopped loving each other, but their path to happiness is not a smooth one. Rusty is embroiled in what looks like a very nasty murder case and Elena's father has vowed to do all he can to stop him.

Rusty's investigation into Carla's death kept me engrossed - as the story unfolds there are a number of people who had good reasons to want Carla dead and Rusty carefully and methodically follows all the clues. At first I thought the killer came out of the woodwork, but when I looked back, I realized there were subtle clues planted earlier and the villain's motive was understandable. This is not an evil cardboard villain who is bad just for the sake of badness.

Rusty and Elena were a passionate couple in their youth and they haven't lost any of the feelings they had for each other. At first they have some miscommunication and misunderstandings, but they slowly and realistically learn each other all over again and recapture their love, which is now stronger and more mature.

Salvation, Texas has a very nice sense of place and it was a treat to read a book that is set in the USA - I love England, but there's no place like home. It also has a beautiful cover that really stands out on the shelf - I originally picked it up because of the beautiful cover and the blurb piqued my interest further. I'm glad I read it and I can recommend it to anyone who likes romantic suspense and second chance at love stories.

Reviewed by Ellen Micheletti
Grade : B+

Sensuality: Warm

Review Date : January 9, 2007

Publication Date: 2007

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Ellen Micheletti

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