Much Ado About Grubstake

By Jean Ferris
Rating: 4 1/2 stars
Reviewed by Noelle

Young Arley runs the boarding house in the town of Grubstake, Colorado in 1888. Grubstake is slowly dying as the mines give up less and less gold all the time to their owners. Arley ekes out a meager living taking care of the 4 miners who live in her boarding house, and spends the rest of her time reading Penny Dreadfuls--stories of adventure that seem far away from her real life. Then a stranger named Charles Randall comes to town with an offer to buy up all the mines and to turn the town into a resort. The Grubs can hardly believe their luck! But Arley is suspicious--who would want to turn Grubstake into a resort? When another stranger named Morgan, dressed all in black and riding a black horse, appears to stay at the boarding house and poke around, it is as if her Penny Dreadfuls are coming to life. Arley is convinced Morgan and Randall are in cahoots, and that they are after something more than creating a new resort town. But it will take more than some simple snooping to uncover the plot, and even more gumption than Arley knew she had to stand up for her friends and her town. If you like a fun adventure story, where the good guys are good (although perhaps a bit peculiar), bad guys are really bad, and some bad guys can even become good guys (with a little persuasion), you'll love this one! Join Arley and the gang as they overcome all odds in fine full western style. You won't be sorry you came along for the ride. If you enjoy this story, you should also definitely read Love Among the Walnuts and Once Upon a Marigold, also by Jean Ferris.