A mystery set in 1880's Idaho with a bordello madam Hennessy Reed at the centre of it, that has a lot going for it. I know....

Hennessey Reed is a bordello madam with a liking for laudanum, irish whiskey and the local marshal. Although they keep that last one on the quiet as much as possible. Reed is more than a bit annoyed when her 3 young girls are murdered near her town, Melancholy, where she's part come to hide out and start again. When her own daughter goes missing, she's into the hunt, whether US Marshal Rafael Cooper likes it or not, and she's convinced that a threat from the past - the awful Jedidiah Cannon - is behind these killings.

Armed with a Bowie knife strapped to her calf, with faithful wolfhound Raven at her side, as the blurb puts it she becomes a one-woman stampede. And you can really believe that's exactly what Hennessey Reed would become when anybody is wronged on her watch. Needless to say Reed is the stand out of this novel. Strong, determined, bolshie and independent, this madam-come-avenger is a tremendous character with considerable ongoing series potential. Sure there's a tendency for this novel to get overly wordy at points, and the overtness of the threat and the white hat / bad hat obviousness needs dialling back a bit, along with some tweakage to the flow of dialogue and plot to help achieve a more overall pace consistency, but they are mostly minor irritations that could be easily resolved, and might not even be an issue if you're more of a fan of historical styled novels than fast paced crime fiction.

At the heart of ONE FOR ANOTHER, the standouts, however, are the great character of Reed, the strong supporting cast around her, and the interesting scenario into which those characters are placed. Tighten the delivery up and you can't help but feel there's something very good coming our way.

https://www.austcrimefiction.org/review/one-another-andrea-jacka ( )

One For Another by Andrea Jacka

Idaho Territory in the era this story was written still had Indian raids as well as settlers and prospectors looking for gold. In remote and larger towns there were businesses that catered to the needs of those living in the vicinity and Hennessey Reed was the proprietor of the Fleur-de-lis – in her own words: a cathouse, bordello, house-of-ill-repute, den of iniquity, place of solace. She is the madam and has a group of women selling liquor and flesh to those that come to buy. The patrons are varied and quirky as are many of the characters in this story.

Ness is a woman that is as different as the rest of those peopling Melancholy, Idaho. She lost her entire immediate family at the age of six and how they died has that left her with rather unsettling memories and flashbacks. In addition she sees apparitions, has an addiction, works in a profession many look down on, and keeps personal secrets that increase her mystery. Marshal Rafael “Raff” Cooper is another interesting character that seems to know Ness better than most. He has history with her that is only alluded to for the most part. He is part Indian but in a position of power – something different for the time and the location.

Into town slithers evil and when the first body of a young girl is found the unveiling of multiple heinous murders begins. Who is killing young girls and why? Will they find the murderer and be able to impart justice or will the murderer continue killing in a painful sordid way?

The writing reminds me of novels of the past with more description than modern books tend to have. I believe someone who has nothing on their mind and wants to sink into a historical novel rich with phrases that paint pictures in the mind might fall in love with this book. I have to say that today was not the day for me to read this book but I have a feeling that if I were to pick it up in a month and have nothing else to contemplate this story would be one I would sink into and truly enjoy. My takeaway today is that I wished that I had learned more about Hennessey between the time she was six and the time that this book takes place. I think I might have preferred either a straight-line story or flashbacks that told more of the backstories of Ness and Raff. That said, if this is to be a series then perhaps more will be unveiled in future books.

Thank you to NetGalley and Red River Pony Publishing for the ARC – This is my honest review.

3-4 Stars ( )

I READ many books and this is the first book in a LONG TIME that I HUNG ON EVERY WORD!! Loved this western mystery drama with a gritty madam and a serious marshal in the town of Melancholy in 1880's Idaho Territory. Indian attaches were still frequent occurrence as were unsolved murders. Travel back to time when individuals could escape their past to a brighter location and life. Kind of a Gun Smoke theme but Hennessey Reed is no Kitty and Rafael Cooper has way more sex appeal than Matt ever did. Jacka has a talent to tell a tale that is fast paced and portrays characters that are carried close to the heart. "A copy of this book was supplied by Red River Pony Publishing via Netgalley with no requirements for a review. Comments here are my honest opinion." ( )