Lucky Red

DEBUT Cravens’s debut combines classic Western tropes with a fresh perspective and fine writing. In 1877, Bridget is “Lucky Red,” a pretty young redhead coming West with her father who’s addicted to alcohol. He dies of a snakebite as they cross the Kansas plains, and Bridget is left to fend for herself. She finds her way to Dodge City, KS, where she is soon recruited by one of the madams at the town’s only woman-owned brothel. Bridget finds the work tolerable, and the comfort of shelter and food keeps her settled. But as a girl with an eye for other pretty girls, her longings are used against her when a burgeoning relationship leads to a deep betrayal. Bridget seeks revenge and finds her own path forward. The author’s familiarity with the Western genre comes through in her setting and characterizations. Featuring gunslingers, gamblers, outlaws, madams and brothel workers, this story is fast-paced, racing to an explosive conclusion. Lesbian romance plays a definitive role, with complex characters whose motivations and desires are integral to the plot.