Ida Grove in the late 1800's was like a lot of other small
communities or towns popping up in the U.S. They had their
requisite mercantile, bank, newspaper, craftsmen and
assortment of citizens from near and far. In every small
town there were a number of people who settled there for
various reasons -- some good, some bad, some happy, some sad
and for some desperation. Lark Renault settled there to
start over and gain some normalcy and respect. Ross Santana
settled there for some peace and privacy. Little did either
know that the coincidence of both of them ending up in Ida
Grove was soon to challenge their new found wellbeing. They
shared a history that neither realized until it put them and
their very standard of living in peril. Having paid her debt
to society in prison for several years Lark was savoring her
freedom and enjoying the anonymity of being a respected and
liked member of her town. Her very capable work at the town
bank earned her the respect of the bank owner as well as
added responsibility. Of course little did they know that
behind the prim exterior of Lark Renault was the renowned
bank robber Wild Red part of the Reno gang. Wild Red was
just a teenager when she followed her male cousins on their
rampage of robbery and once caught she was willingly
rehabilitated. With her cousins lynched or imprisoned she
had no reason to think anyone would be interested in
searching out her whereabouts. But there was someone with
some unfinished business to settle with one of the last
members of the Reno gang and he wasn't above killing to get
what he wanted. Ross Santana was somewhat sheltered by the
quiet existence he had carved out but once drawn into Lark's
mess he realized that he had a stake in the ensuing chaos.
I love anything about the old west and the rustic
communities that developed in rather harsh times, times when
a persons most valuable asset was their drive and
perseverance. In WANTED! Pam Crooks put you smack in the
middle of the adventures of Lark and Ross. Neither is
portrayed as perfect, each has their own ghosts to grapple
with and there is no easy solution as the past catches up
with them both. Just as you are getting optimistic for a
happy ending there is the ongoing problem of some very
important issues that have to be addressed. So Crooks does
not insult the reader and find any easy solutions. Instead
she figures out a way to carve out an interesting story with
a tremendous amount of factors that can not be just waved
away and gives the reader an intelligently written tale with
a believable end. It's a great book to enjoy while sitting
at the pool and relaxing.
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