"A murderous historical romance"

In post-Civil War Abilene, bounty hunter Jack Scullard gets into a tussle with his latest catch while taking him off of the train. The outlaw lands at the feet of a beautiful blue-eyed girl whom Jack mentally dubs "the Samaritan". Even though he feels immediate lust for her, he resolves to steer clear because he knows that prim and proper women like her will have nothing to do with men like him. Bounty hunters are despised by most decent folk. When Jack delivers his prisoner to the local sheriff, he finds out that a murderer he has been tracking from Texas has killed again. The man preys on pretty single women, strangling them. Unfortunately, when another murder occurs, Jack becomes the main suspect in the eyes of the residents of Abilene.

Anne Ross always meets the trains coming through Abilene, it is the highlight of her day. Anne, her aunt and mother are all living under the strict thumb of Miss Daphne, Anne's grandmother. There are no men in the house, all three husbands of the three older women having deserted them. Anne has grown up with the knowledge that men can't be trusted to stick around. Even though outwardly she is a quiet, biddable young woman, inside she longs to get away from Abilene. She is being courted by Bill, a man whom everyone thinks she should marry, but she is determined to never marry and give a man a chance to walk out on her; she knows she should discourage him, but she hates conflict above all things and doesn't know how to discourage him without upsetting everyone. When she notices Jack's interest she comes up with a scheme to get Jack to court her, thus discouraging Bill. Jack is obviously the type of man who won't stick around long, so she can count on him leaving town soon. Trouble is, the plan backfires and she now has two unwanted suitors. Well, she sort of wants one of them, but only temporarily...

Meanwhile, the murderer is still killing women and Jack begins to worry that Anne might be a prime candidate as a potential victim. He wavers between wanting to stick around to protect her and the knowledge that a woman like her was never meant to hook up with a man like him. So he decides to pretend to court Anne since he really doesn't want anything permanent. Well.. maybe he might be thinking about marriage, but only a temporary one... until he can be sure she is really safe, however long that might take.

In spite of the murderous sub plot, this book was a lot of fun, The plot and dialogue were clever, with many of the characters using similar means to achieve different ends. At eighteen, Anne is a young heroine who gains maturity when she emerges from the oppressive cocoon of her female relatives' influence, and blossoms into a woman who is willing to stand up for the man she loves. Jack is very insightful, but he sometimes draws the wrong conclusions about Anne's motives. Just a really entertaining couple to watch. The book does conclude with several surprising twists and turns which felt like just a little too much thrown in suddenly, but even that melodrama was entertaining.

Reviewed by Janice Bennett
Posted April 23, 2003

Bounty hunter Jack Skull claimed he was tracking a murderer, but Anne felt he was only after her. Women up and down the Abilene Trail were dying from just such a relentless pursuit. Would she be next? Not if she listened to her head and not her heart. Trouble was, it was tough to pay attention to anything when Jack Skull was around.

Summary

Women were dying. Pretty women, lonely women, women who gave their hearts to a man who promised happily ever after, but delivered death.

A stranger steamed into Abilene on a locomotive, a loner with a macabre legend attached to his name. Bounty hunter Jack Skull claimed he was tracking a con man and a murderer, but Anne felt as if he was pursuing her. Women were dying from succumbing to just such a pursuit. Would she be next? Not if she was smart and listened to her head and not her heart. Problem was, it was touch to pay attention to anything when Jack Skull was around.

Though she'd sworn matrimony was not for her--it seemed to backfire for women in her family--somehow she found herself saying, "I do." When Jack took her in his arms and lowered his lips to hersss, reason flew out the window, and she could well believe his would be a kiss to die for.