"A refreshing western romance"

In the nineteenth century out west, Sophie Madrigal makes a living by telling fortunes, but her real motive is to bring Ivo Hardwick to frontier justice administered by herself for the murder of her son. Pinkerton undercover agent Gabriel Caine also seeks Ivo, but being a quasi- member of the law he must bring the killer in alive.

When Sophie and Gabriel meet on a train, the attraction overwhelms everything else. However, they have nothing in common but the need to find Ivo links the twosome. Still, Sophie's Aunt Juniper decides that it is in the cards for Gabriel and her niece to share a lifetime of love. Using every trick she knows as a spiritualist, Juniper plays matchmaker between two stubborn individuals who fate has deemed belong together.

GABRIEL'S FATE is a refreshing western romance because of the inclusion of the occult in the thrilling story line. The plot is action packed, and the strong cast makes this is a fascinating reading experience. The lead couple disagrees on everything, making them an engaging duet, but it is the support ensemble of eccentrics that allow Gabriel and Sophie to shine as they amusingly enable fate to take its "natural course" of action. Emma Craig provides the audience with an appealing amusing novel worth reading by sub-genre fans.

Harriet Klausner

Reviewed by Harriet Klausner
Posted November 6, 2001

Summary

When Sophie Madrigal sets out to exact vengeance on Ivo Hardwick, accompanied by her aunt Juniper, her pug dog Tybalt, and the dwarf Dmitri, she doesn't expect to stumble over Gabriel Caine. Gabriel, a Pinkerton man who is also out to get Hardwick, wants to bring the villain to justice. To Sophie, the only justice appropriate for Hardwick is death. Administered by her.

It doesn't help either Sophie or Gabriel that, while on their individual quests, they keep bumping into the magic they inadvertently create whenever they get together. Sophie's family has been in the spiritualist business for ages. Sophie's always reviled the family business, believing it to be so much hokum -- until now.

As for Gabriel, the son of revivalist preachers, he's as cynical as a man can be -- until he meets his fate in Sophie.