Set in the year 1885. The sheriff of the small Dakota Territory town of Misery, Gabriel Conover, knew about surviving in the badlands that were just outside of town. Content in his life, Gabe spent his days and nights watching over his town and knowing the difference between right and wrong was easy for him. Billie Calley, one of the new saloon girls, was thrown in the middle of the wrong kind of situation, one that only Sheriff Conover seems to be able to handle. After rescuing her, Gabe could not take his mind of Billie, he wanted, needed to know more about her. The more the sheriff came around, the more nervous Billie became, she wasn’t sure if that was because he had found out about her past, her secret or was it the way he made her feel. Trying to make a new life seemed to be more difficult than she had hoped for or planned on, Billie wondered if she would ever be strong enough to do the right thing.

Everyone has secrets, this story revolves around mystery and deception (to a point). The heroine is a really good person that got caught in the middle of a really bad situation and feels she has few options open for her. This is a very common plot, sheriff and the murder suspect. Gabe as the hero, starts as a young boy (10) and shows his courage and strength came from a good place, a place of respect for his mother and grandfather. Strength of character is always a good thing, both Gabe and Billie show it for a good story. It is predictable, but the intensity of some of the emotional sections is so well written it doesn’t matter that you already know how it ends, it is just enjoyable getting there. ( )