In Dossett’s historical novel, a teenage girl in the Prohibition era vows to avenge the murder of her brother by tequila smugglers.

Sarita Gibson lives on the family ranch, La Barroneña, with her ailing father John and her younger brother JJ. She’s somewhat adrift after her mother’s death, unable to graduate school in San Antonio as she had planned and barred from fully devoting herself to working on the ranch by her father, who doubts her capability on the basis of her sex. One day, a catastrophe forever changes her life: When two tequila smugglers rob Sarita and JJ of four of their horses, JJ is shot and dies in his sister’s arms. John turns to the local sheriff and the Texas Rangers for justice, but both entities are too preoccupied to be of any meaningful assistance, a predicament that only exacerbates John’s “frail heart.” To exact vengeance on JJ’s behalf and prove to her father that she can take over the ranch (John is poised to sell the spread to Burr Archer and his “greedy white teeth”), Sarita sets off in search of the killer, Javier Salsito de Ortega, a ruthless bandit and smuggler. Her resolve is stirringly captured by the author: “JJ had not been peaceful in death. His face had brimmed with confusion and fear. He’d had no chance; his life had been taken, running out of him like sand through a funnel. He had died trying to save me. I couldn’t give up so easily.” The plot is aggressively paced, packed with vividly rendered action, but this is more than just a tale of adventure and revenge; Dossett astutely captures the near lawlessness along the border at that time, a circumstance only worsened by the prohibition against alcohol. Sarita is a deftly drawn character encompassing complexity, toughness, and vulnerability. This novel will please readers in search of a thrilling plot that is thoughtfully executed.

A powerful tale of revenge and perseverance in the face of danger.