Badlands (Sawbones, 3)

What an intense read! Not for the faint of heart, but, such a compelling story you just can’t stop reading and pulling for the main characters to finally have a life together. Worth all of the emotions this book triggers. A must read.

WESTERN/HISTORICAL THRILLER Melissa Lenhardt Badlands Redhook Paperback, 978-0-3165-0537-6, (also available as an e-book, an audiobook, and on Audible), 416 pgs., $15.99 June 27, 2017 SPOILER ALERT: Badlands is the third book in a trilogy. Proceed at your own risk. Laura Kindle (previously Laura Elliston, originally Dr. Catherine Bennett) is on the run again from the law, Pinkertons, and bounty hunters, after the arrest of her husband, William Kindle. She and St. Louis madam Rosemond Barclay, who claims to be helping Laura at William’s behest, wash up practically penniless in the quintessential Western boomtown of Cheyenne, Wyoming Territory. Rosemond is determined to go legit, joining proper society and leaving her past behind; Laura waits to hear news of William’s court martial, creating yet another identity in another new place. But the past catches up to both women, and Laura knows she must finally confront the New York murder charge against her or forever be a dependent pawn in other people’s games. Badlands is the final installment in Melissa Lenhardt’s historical thriller trilogy, the first of which, Sawbones (2016), I hailed as “a thoroughly original, smart and satisfying hybrid, perhaps a new subgenre: the feminist Western.” Badlands, worthy of the established characters and ethos, does not disappoint. Laura’s first-person narrative begins with Lenhardt’s characteristic bang. Apart from the middle third when the pace flags along with Laura’s resolve, reflecting her exhaustion and despair, the action is fast, the plot twists frequent. Though Lenhardt does a good job of integrating necessary facts from the two previous books, Badlands does not stand alone; to get the full effect you should begin at the beginning. A novels-within-the-novels device is a welcome, humorous touch of tongue-in-cheek. As always, a shout-out is due for the cover art and design of this trilogy. All three novels are gorgeous. Lenhardt’s characters are diverse and complex. Her women and their friendships get the attention they have always deserved but so rarely receive. Prodigious research is evident in the language, settings, and situations. An unsettling many of the era’s convictions regarding social justice and gender roles remain (bizarrely) controversial today. Lenhardt also breaks out vivid similes: “Between hands I would catch sight of Salter sitting across the room at a poker table, the prostitute draped over his shoulder like a poncho.” Like a poncho. Badlands is every bit as tough and raw as the American Wild West (which smells of “body odor, blood, horse sweat, manure, and new lumber”) and proves more authentic as it denies the genre its myths and tropes, unsparingly exposing the options of women of the era with an unflinching eye. Badlands is not for the faint of heart; Lenhardt seems to be trying to shock us, but it doesn’t feel egregious—it feels like bold truth-telling. Originally published in Lone Star Literary Life.

Do not wonder any longer what your next escape read will be. Make it the entire Sawbones series/ you won't be disappointed! This final offering for the series definitely brings things round to a satisfying conclusion. Remember how much you loved little badass Maddie in True Grit? Well Laura Kindle is the new #feministwestern who is as foul mouthed and smart and tough as Claire Frazier (and stubborn as Maddie), and William Kindle is just as dreamy and man enough to handle it as James Frazier. And the West is as violent as you know is true, while the East must be navigated with as much care as a rattlesnake in your bed blanket. And this narrator is superb (except for the Native and Spanish mispronunciations but there are none in this book). Go for it right now.

Amazing. So many twists and turns.

Great story. Well developed characters. I felt like I knew them. My only problem with the storyline was the constant problems Laura ran into. There was barely any normalcy. Just constant turmoil. But in the end, a great ending to the mystery.

The Sawbones trilogy will appeal to many different readers because it's a whole lot of genres rolled up into one adventure series. It's part gritty western, part romance and part mystery. Sawbones, the first book in the trilogy, remains my favourite with the books losing some of that special 'somethin' somethin' as they go on. Badlands still had that grit that I enjoyed but it didn't grab me as much as the previous books. The plot was definitely slower, we're stuck mainly in one small, podunk town in the western fringes and sadly, we miss out on the connection between Kindle and Laura. When you add in an abrupt ending (and an obvious bad guy) it just wasn't the ending I was expecting after the amazing start to the series. Overall, this is a good series that has a strong female lead, a wonderfully varied and diverse cast of characters and I appreciate that Lenhardt doesn't hold back on the atrocities, violence and grit of the Wild West. While this wasn't as strong of an ending I still recommend this series (my Mother is quite a fan of it too!). I strongly encourage readers to read these books in order, and not too far apart, because there's a lot that goes on and the author doesn't offer her readers many hints about previous plot lines. Disclaimer: This ARC was generously provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

This was a tough book to read. It is complex and gritty. There is bloodshed, drug addiction, prostitution, murder, cheating, abuse, loss, lies, and love in many forms. This is not a sweet old western romance. I understand why the author labored over this series. The hero, William, is not the typical hero, he is rescued and does a little rescuing. The heroine, Charlotte/ Laura, is not your typical heroine. She is determined, faithful, caring, has a conscience, and does not one for backing down. She does not apologize for being a doctor and it is so much a part of her that it creates major problems. They both suffer in unimaginable ways. Some of the sufferings are physical, mental and emotional. There are no easy cures or simple fixes. Love is not the perfect answer. Both have to survive in order to live and love each other. I would not recommend this book to anyone under 18 or anyone that is particularly old-fashioned. This series will stay with you long after you have read the last page. You will reread it again and see more the second time you read it than you did the first time. I do not know how Ms. Lenhardt will continue after having written this but, I would like to find out. Please, keep writing Ms. Lenhardt.

As expected