Another Rip Roaring, Heart Warming Story of Love, Fear, and Redemption in the Wild West It’s 1891 and The DOLAN GIRLS western romance saga continues. This time it stars the feisty Ellie Dolan Parker, who finds herself caught up in the middle of the Wyoming Cattle Wars. Filled with rich, greedy cattle barons thirsty for prime land, crooked politicians, a major kidnapping, local ranchers in … in life-threatening danger, Butch Cassidy’s Hole In The Wall hideout, hired ‘guns’ from Texas, a troubled marriage, and a blossoming romance, this story is a colorful portrayal of a forgotten time. A time when these well-known events and their players filled the newspapers.
Will Ellie make her mark? Or will she simply become one of the victims?
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An Exciting Western Sequel to The Dolan Girls
S.R. Mallery has brought history to life again in “Ellie & The War On Powder Creek.” This novel is an engaging continuation of The Dolan Girls. The story begins with Ellie still mourning her miscarried baby, six years later. Shortly before the baby’s due date, Ellie was bucked from a horse that she believed had been fully trained by her husband, Brett. After the miscarriage, Ellie was told it was doubtful she’d ever be able to bear another child. That news caused a serious rift in her marriage because she still holds Brett responsible. They share a cabin, a bed, but the sparkle in their marriage is gone.
While working at the Pinkerton agency, Ellie notices that some land records have been falsified. Without the approval of Thomas, her boss and stepfather, she begins investigating the Wyoming Stock Growers Association, a group of wealthy cattlemen lead by Mr. Sinclair. The organization controls the mayor, the governor, and the Sheriff.
As outsiders who aren’t part of the WSGA acquire prime land, small herds, and their own brands, some of their cows mysteriously disappear. They suspect rustlers and the WSGA. To prevent any more of their stock from being seized and their land from being trampled by the WSGA herds, they begin to put up barbed wire fences.
A few outsiders are killed, alarming Ellie and causing her to heighten her investigation. Sinclair hires out-of-town gunmen to stop her and more fences from being erected. Brett and Thomas warn her to walk away and not look any further into Sinclair and the WSGA. Being headstrong, Ellie ignores their warnings and ends up on top of Sinclair’s hit list. The reader is drawn into the suspense. Can Ellie outsmart the gunmen and find justice for Sinclair’s victims, or will she be the next one to die?
The author weaves a tight plot and creates vibrant, compelling characters. The love Brett still feels for Ellie radiates through the whole story, even when she acts coldly toward him. This is a gripping tale filled with just the right blend of greed, suspense, romance, and intrigue. I highly recommend this great read!
Ellie & The War on Powder Creek is an epic western romance that sweeps the reader into the gritty, startling world of unregulated life in the Old West in 1891, run by power hungry cattle baron gangs empowered by layers of crooked politicians. But it isn’t just shootouts and barbary, because S.R. Mallery skillfully weaves in a poignant tale of love, loss, and family.
Ellie Dolan Parker, a broken woman still grieving for a lost child, now works for the Pinkerton Agency in town, where she’s uncovering evidence of serious wrong doing by wealthy cattlemen. This inquiry eventually leads into escalating danger for her and the entire community. As she doggedly researches the blossoming madness of the evil spreading through town, she’s also dealing with her inability to feel close to her husband, Brett, after her traumatic loss.
Aside from enjoying the basic story and the beautifully depicted scenes from the Old West, the unresolved relationship between Ellie and her husband had quite an effect on me. Here we have a totally decent man, Brett Parker, who trains horses for Annie Oakley and Buffalo Bill (aside: how fun it was to hear about the famous characters of the time!) and who puts himself, heart and soul, into working hard and being a decent person, all for the love of his wife, Ellie. They lose a child together when (in the previous book) Ellie takes off — eight months pregnant — on a galloping horse she believed was well-trained. The ensuing fall causes her to lose their baby. But the terrible part is, she blames Brett for having claimed the horse was well-trained in an overheard conversation.
I related to Brett, although at times he could be a hothead and not use common sense under stressful situations. (re: the kidnapping scene) Mostly, though, I truly sympathized for him because he lost a child, too, and he was equally grieving. On top of this, his wife treats him coldly and withholds all affection for years. Although I’ve never personally experienced this kind of loss (thank God!), I can imagine how it would hurt both parents deeply. Of course, in 1891, a man’s right to actually “have” feelings was probably not recognized or even allowed, and if this drama were played out in today’s world, perhaps Brett would have stepped forward and told her how he felt about the double loss: his child, and his subsequent relationship with his wife.
But as in all good stories, I was pleased to find resolution on many fronts. I also greatly enjoyed one particular character, Mary, a young Shoshone orphan who plays an integral part in the plot and who I hope will continue in the series to come.
Thank you, S.R. Mallery, for a wild ride through the Old West with unforgettable characters. I’ll look forward to the next book(s) in the series.
“Ellie and the War on Powder Creek” is a riveting follow-up to “The Dolan Girls,” which concentrates on Ellie Dolan and her husband, Brett. As the couple struggles to keep their marriage alive after a devastating tragedy, a new threat appears on their doorstep in the face of the WSGA and a certain man named Sinclair as its leader. Set on controlling all the cattle and pastures in the area, Sinclair and his cronies will stop at nothing to intimidate local farmers into submission. However, Ellie’s involvement with the Pinkerton’s agency allows her to dig deeper into the WSGA’s shady operations, which doesn’t go unnoticed by Sinclair…
As with all of Ms. Mallery’s novels, this one is thoroughly researched and wonderfully presented. The dialogue was authentic and the setting – vivid and absorbing. What I also enjoyed was not only the primary drama that was unraveling in front of my eyes but also Ellie and Brett’s relationship, which made them even more relatable and easy to root for. This story brings many important messages to light – family issues, women’s rights, forgiveness, friendship, compassion, and many more. If you enjoy historical Western fiction/romance, this series is definitely for you. Highly recommended!
One thing I’ve always appreciated about this author is her devotion to history. She always surprises me, portraying things—incredible things—that I cannot at first fathom, yet know somewhere in me that they actually happened. And don’t get me wrong, there’s also humor in the way these earthy people make it through another day. And there’s also love, which makes the trials Ellie, her family, and friends go through worth it all.
If you love colorful stories about the old west that come to life like a movie in your head, then pick up a copy of Ellie & The War On Powder Creek.
Sarah Mallery is one of my favorite authors, and this book is certainly case in point. I think I’ve read everything she’s written and I always eagerly look forward to the next one!
She takes a time in history and make it come alive. Ellie Dolan Parker is a fascinating character and growing up in the Midwest, I heard a lot of stories about the cattle barons of yesteryear.
And who doesn’t love a book with crooked politicians, practically a trope in today’s world! Add to that hideouts, hired guns, a troubled marriage, and a blossoming romance. This is the stuff that bestsellers are made of and no one does it better than Ms. Mallery!
Highly, highly recommended!
A Must-Read Gripping Western Adventure!!
An action-packed historical western, Ellie and the War on Powder Creek tells the story of Ellie Dolan Parker and her husband, Brett. Still grieving over a miscarriage and the news that she would probably never be able to have children after a horseback riding accident, Ellie is only going through the motions, which is having a devastating effect on her marriage, despite the fact that she and her husband were once deeply in love.
As they are trying to cope with their loss, Ellie and Brett run into trouble, namely, Mr. Sinclair, head of the WSGA (The Wyoming Stock Growers Association), who is trying to control the cattle and pastures in their territory by intimidating the local Johnson County landowner farmers into submission. With ties to the Pinkerton Agency, Ellie begins investigating the shady operation run by Sinclair and his men, and in the process puts her own life in danger when her sleuthing is discovered by Sinclair.
Will Ellie and Brett be able to repair their relationship while at the same time exposing Sinclair and his diabolical plans?
I loved this book! But who wouldn’t love a western featuring romance with relatable characters, authentic dialogue and an exciting plot told with humor and compassion?
Not only are the characters complex, the plot is believable, and the details are historically accurate, while the beautiful Wyoming backdrop is brought vividly to life by this incredibly talented author.
I give this fantastic story five stars, and I highly recommend it!!
S.R. Mallery
This is not the first book I have read by this author and found that it is an action-packed detective/suspenseful novel. Although the book is a standalone, it is obviously part of a series as previous events are referred to and the story comes to an end with an unresolved situation. One could feel for Ellie having lost a baby, and also recognise that the effect on her has a long-lasting influence, but one with a sad outcome for the people who love her. I felt that at times Ellie had more determination than common sense and her actions jeopardise her relationship with her husband and those who love her. There are so many people in the plot that at times I had difficulty keeping track of them. I received this book for free from eBook Discovery. I voluntarily post this review. This is my honest review.
I did not read the first book in this series and it wasn’t a problem. The characters were nicely developed, although Ellie’s disregard for everyone around her was annoying at times. The story was interesting and it was a relatively quick read. There were parts though that didn’t seem to add to the story and I’m not sure if the author is going to be using them in her next book or they were just unnecessary add ins. All in all though a nice read. I received this book for free from eBook Discovery. I voluntarily review this book. This is my honest review.
Ellie & The War On Powder Creek features a wonderfully complex heroine, Ellie Dolan, in a historically accurate western that is humorous at times, and at other times dark.
On the personal front, Ellie is still grieving over having lost her baby due to falling off a horse during her pregnancy, which tests her love for her husband, Brett, to the limit. At time it seems that their marriage would not stand a chance, especially because he blames himself for the tragedy, and because of a handsome stranger, Daniel Broussard, who manages to confound her emotions and arouse her husband’s jealousy.
Then on the war front, her involvement with the Pinkerton’s agency allows Ellie to dig deeper into the shady operations lead by Sinclair, who along with his cronies will stop at no crime to intimidate local farmers into submission, so as to gain full control all the cattle and pastures in the area.
With an array of characters, from her immediate family to cattle barons, crooked politicians, ladies of the night, and local ranchers, the feel of the era is delivered with vivid, colorful detail, where loyalty is pitched against betrayal, courage against fear, and good against evil. I love each description, such as, “Next came an Irish dance, featuring the Dolan girls. Lined up horizontally, Minnie, Ellie, and Cora all began in perfect time to the music, their legs formulating intricate steps while their upper bodies stayed as straight as laundry pegs holding steady on a clothesline.”
Will Ellie find a way back to rekindle her love? Will her yearning to become a mother come true? And who will gain the upper hand in the Wyoming Cattle Wars?
Ellie & The War On Powder Creek (The Dolan Girls Book 2), my fifth read from author S.R. Mallery in the last month, each very different than the others (Sewing Can Be Dangerous, Other Small Threads & Tea, Anyone? (A Brooke & Abby Cozy Mystery Book 1) and The Map Room: A Short Story until this 2 book series. All have one thing in common, no matter the genre you can count on a well-written, entertaining read. I was given a Kindle copy of Ellie & The War On Powder Creek (The Dolan Girls Book 2) and The Dolan Girls Book 1 is a tough act to follow and it wasn’t until about one-third of the way through this book that it started being comparable. (RIP Marley January 20, 2014 – July 24, 2018).
A continuation of the Dolan Girls story, we are now several years since the last book ended. Ellie, who had been so in love with her husband, is now rejecting him and his love. She seems to be only interested in her job at the Pinkerton agency.
She will not stand silent as she sees horrible things happening in her region; cattle wars, murders, bad guys inn town. She’s getting herself in deeper and deeper, although she has warnings from friends, family, and even the bad guys. Is she going to get herself killed? What about the safety of her friends and family? Is she going to leave her husband?
There is a great historical story here, along with the family saga. I enjoyed the characters and the storytelling. If this is the type of book that you’d enjoy, I think you’ll love it. I think any reader will be happy reading this book.