Saturday, July 6, 2013

Of Grave Concern-Max McCoy

Of Grave Concern


Max McCoy

Kensington, Jul 2 2013, $7.99

ISBN: 9780758281937



By 1877 many surviving family members heeded the advice of New York Tribune editor Horace Greely to “Go West, young man.” Heading for Colorado, spirit sensitive Ophelia Wylde rides the train accompanied only by Eddie the quoting bird in a cage. As the train passes the Hundredth Meridian that all schoolgirls know, Ophelia sees a spirit of a murdered girl. When the train stops moments later in Dodge City for a ten minute break, Ophelia takes a look at a murdered girl.



When she goes to re-board the train, Ford County attorney Michael Sutton stops her. She is accused of being murderess Kate Bender of the Bloody Benders and will be handed to the sheriff of Labette County where she will stand trial. Ophelia sits in a jail cell musing men enjoy taking away freedom from independent women. She puts on a psychic performance at the opera house to raise money to pay her lawyer Potete that stuns everyone except bounty hunter Jack Calder who knows she is a con artist. The customers turn into an ugly mob who takes her to Boot Hill where she encounters real ghosts; as Ophelia is legit but to make money means being a fake spiritualist; skeptical Jack saves her.



The first Ophelia Wylde Paranormal Mystery is an enjoyable Reconstruction Era investigative thriller. Ophelia’s fabulous first person account anchors the time and place with terrific tidbits and witty commentary that holds true today. Readers will enjoy this entertaining historical as the medium and the bounty hunter make a fine team.



Harriet Klausner

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