Nearly Departed in Deadwood

I was a bit apprehensive when I bought the book from the Kindle store. I didn't start reading it immediately; I guess something about the book kept putting me off. I'm a great fan of stories set in the Wild West of American legends. I haven't stayed or lived in Wyoming or Dakota, but everyone have heard of Wild Bill Hickok, right?

The starting of the book leaves you wondering if the rest of the book is going to be the same; full of laughter, more of Vi and Bessie. Well, it is...sort of. One of the things that struck me as odd was the fact that the main character worked at a real estate agency - Calamity Jane Realty. Calamity Jane is well known. I mean, who doesn't know her? Her claims of being an acquaintance of Wild Bill and her professionalism as a woman scout is well known. That is what gave her fame. I found it odd that Charles would put two Wild West legends in a book that's not completely Wild West. But well, it was set in Deadwood, South Dakota.

The book takes you on a roller-coaster journey that spans the whole of around two to three weeks. Charles has done an amazing job of stretching the book to 300+ pages and made it so interesting. She has touched upon a few fantasy elements such as people being able to see ghosts. Of course, she doesn't make that the center of attention; rather it's one of the small mysteries that keeps you reading the book till the end.

Charles has a really great way of keeping the readers in the dark until she deems it necessary to revel the information. It's one of the many things that defines a best-selling author. Every new character, every new clue, keeps you guessing until the end. What Charles does is that she magnifies a single situation and makes it the center of th whole story. She keeps accusing the wrong person of the crime until the very end, where Vi is almost burnt alive. That's where her true genius lies.

Vi is certainly a great character and reading the story through her point of view gives you the impression of someone just out of her adolescent years, trying to make her mark in the world. Charles has written Vi in such a way that it makes you think she's a bratty teenager and is rebelling against the world. Characterization is really great and amazing.

All in all, this book has kept me very occupied and I sure do hope the second book does the same!