The person who wrote the blurb on the back of this book should either be fired or given a raise. Do the people that write them actually read the book, or are they given a synopsis that they reword into something polished enough to go on the back of the finished item, but I digress.I have to say that the writing for this story was quite well done, that the bones of the story was interesting. I enjoyed that part of it, it's just too bad that the characters ruined it. I really couldn't find it in me to like the main character, she is mean spirited bitch to put it mildly. In the first few chapters of the book she aims to kill a crow with a rock for cawing at her, break a tree branch for having the nerve to brush up against her neck, and call the marshal that hired her Mr. Satan himself for calling her out for drunk and disorderly.This leads me into the religious aspect of this book, I will not call it preachy per say but it came pretty close. That wouldn't have bothered me too much if Cora wasn't so much of a hypocrite. She gets shitfaced on whiskey and plays poker every night at the bar but has the nerve to call the deputy a stupid fool for falling in love with a whore. Cora was the most developed character, I can't say much about her husband Ben, cause well there wasn't much too him. I can tell you that he likes books, has a mustache, and blue eyes. Yup that about sums him up, I think I know more about her horse Our Lady of Virginia than her husband.I now want to point out the cliches, did you know that this was a western? I didn't when I signed up for this book so I wanted to toss that out there. I also want to list all the ways you can tell its a western just in case you don't pick it up in the fist few chapters.A mysterious stranger comes to town, a tired whiskey soaked marshal trying to save his silver mine town, a lynch mob, racism, a whore house, train rides, Yankee bashing, confederate pride, a bar fight, quick draws, a fight out in the middle of the street, and native American mysticism.So, even with all that I did still like the base story even if the ending was pure shit. I saw it coming but it still pissed me off, I don't want to ruin it for people so I will leave it at that.I can see where this author may shine later on with a different set of characters. I really hope he writes another series, I would like to read something that doesn't have the sound track to Ravenous playing in the back of my head while reading.That shit was annoying. Thank you Net Galley and Angry Robot for letting me read and review this book.
