Perilous Pursuit on the Santa Fe Trail

I loved this novel and all the historical facts are like icing on the cake. I can't wait to walk on the Santa Fe Trail and I'll keep my fingers crossed that I just might see a ghost.

Private investigator Sheila Jones, eager to take on another case, takes a break from her vacation to meet Helen Stoner. Helen is due to receive to a significant share of her mother's estate on her twenty-first birthday. Helen is convinced that her step father plans to kill her before she reaches her birthday as he will become heir if she is not living. Dr. Roylott planned treasure hunts for Helen and her sister as they were growing up and now has planned one for Helen along the Santa Fe Trail as she was completing a thesis on the Trail. Jones and her partner, Dora Watling, join Stoner in finding the mysterious clues to discover Roylott's scheme in order to prevent the crime and save Helen's life. With each new clue the reader is provided highlights of the historical landmarks, museums, and road markers along the historical Santa Fe Trail through Missouri and Colorado and New Mexico. I enjoyed the author's frequent inclusion of the words to trail songs, and ethnic folksongs as the trio visited various lodges, family homes and camped along the trail. This gave an additional sense of authenticity to the settings. Ross is a natural story teller. Like her other books, "Perilous Pursuit on the Santa Fe Trail" is fast moving entertainment sprinkled with interesting accurate stories of the history of Southwestern states and in particular the Santa Fe Trail. This is a compelling story right up to the surprise ending. This is an excellent book for the mystery lover or the historical enthusiast.

Reviewed by Joanne Benham for Reader Views (4/06) Private investigator Sheila James and her assistant, Dora Watling, were on vacation when they received a call for help from Helen Stoner, who fears that her stepfather, Dr. Sydney Roylott, (Sherlock Holmes fans will recognize the Roylott name) may attempt to kill her before her 21st birthday in November. The basis for this fear is the will her wealthy mother wrote shortly before she died, leaving Helen a sizable estate. If for some reason Helen does not live to see her 21st birthday, the money goes to Dr. Roylott. Dr. Roylott had always made treasure hunts for Helen and her sister when they were growing up, and now he's made up a doozy of a hunt, sending Helen, with James and Watling to provide protection for her, down the Santa Fe Trail from Missouri to New Mexico. Along the way, they meet all manner of interesting characters, including farmers, ranchers, ghosts, snakes and one particularly interesting group headed up by a character called the Trail Boss. Watch out for this group! Until I read this book, I was not aware that you could actually walk the Santa Fe Trail, following the ruts made by the great wagon trains as they forged this new country. This book is filled with fascinating trivia and the historical references are woven in very neatly, so neatly in fact that you don't even realize you're learning a big slice of American History 101. I really enjoyed reading this book, which was fast paced and engrossing. I especially enjoyed trying to figure out whether the person being introduced was a real, living person or a fictional character. I highly recommend "Perilous Pursuit on the Santa Fe Trail."