Cripple Creek

Set in the early boomtown mining days of the city, Cripple Creek centers on the noble adventures of young mining engineer Casey Daniels, a man both empowered and burdened by his principles. Daniels returns to Cripple Creek at the beginning of the book, determined to make his living there. Being of upstanding character, it doesn't take him long to run afoul of local corrupt mine owner Phillip LaFarge and all-around ne'er-do-well Oliver Sawyer, and the drama quickly becomes riveting. Sorting out his problems takes Daniels all around a locale salted with historical sites and peppered with real historical figures at their most interesting times. The work is meticulously researched and thoroughly detailed without ever becoming ponderous. In Cripple Creek, Hirt has given us a real treasure, a book that lets us for a short while breathe the air and rub elbows with the larger-than-life people in one of those fleeting and magical moments of history.

This is a great western / mining story that closly follows the growth of the town. Many of the characters are actual town founders. The accurate historical background gives you the feeling that the tale could be non-fiction. A thriller that I couldn't put down.