The Lawman and the Lady

By Tera Lee Mattera

ISBN 0-9721574-1-7

Cody Ben Taylor Publishing

Fresno, California

2003, trade paper, 292 pages, $14.99

"The smell of cordite and the tingle of romance fill the air in nineteenth century California when Deputy Sheriff Cody Benjamin Taylor and Nurse Gina Angelica Tufano are thrown together in a savage struggle for their very survival."

First her father dies, then her mother is gone.   With both of her parents dead Gina Tufano leaves New York to make her home in Sonora with her Aunt Mary Sciaroni. She finally arrives in Sonora after an arduous journey across the continent by train and stagecoach.  There is no one to meet her.  Soon she learns that her aunt, her only relative is dead as well.  She is completely alone in the world.

            Gina moves into her aunt's house and finds a job nursing for the town Doctor.  Almost as soon as she settles in she is threatened by a psychopath and is forced to rely on Cody Benjamin Taylor, the deputy sheriff. 

            She had despised Cody as an arrogant boy when she visited Sonora five years earlier, but she soon learned how much he had changed. This man stood fast against a mob and worked to make the streets of Sonora safe. The story of Gina and Cody is interwoven with the history of Sonora and the surrounding area.  This is an interesting view of early California with lots of action and romance.

            Tera Lee Mattera is a Fresno California native. She is currently working on a sequel to The Lawman and the Lady.

A.H.Holt, Editor

WesternFictionReview

May 2004