The Scent of Roses

Charlene
Raddon
Genre: 
Historical

WESTERN:  After Whip Kincade loses faithful employees in a mining accident, he discovers it could have been avoided if it weren't for his partner Josiah Bullock's frugality. Racked with guilt and anger he seeks Josiah for answers but instead finds him murdered. Sure he will be accused he goes into hiding at Rose House with hopes of discovering who the real killer is.  

Roslyn Delany arrives at Rose House determined to rise above the haunted story which surrounds it.  More than one mystery is afoot here and secrets are in abundance. Whip and Roslyn finally meet but he is not who she thinks he is. Before he can clear his name he must not lose his heart.

 

The ever increasing connections between characters and their hidden pasts keep this story entertaining while climbing new heights.  Whip is a rough kind of character around the edges but proves to be a worthy man in both the eyes of Roslyn and the reader. He is very much a "what you see is what you get" kind of man. A spirited Roslyn struggles with many issues - she is from a religious background and becoming associated with Whip is a whole new adventure. Opposites certainly attract here when the heat between begins to rise.  They do seem to go from one extreme to the next in a short amount of time which lessens their impact. When the story takes another plunge, the intensity begins again and with a ghost story interlaced between the pages. 

 

Margaret Faria