Leaving certain danger behind Pearl, Hallie and Mary made a bold decision to head out to parts unknown in search of what would hopefully be their sanctuary. That is if they were to survive their precarious trip in a wagon alone, just the three women with only their meager belongings, and driven by the fear of what and who they left behind in Whiskey Bend. Pearl and Hallie knew they had to keep traveling fast and furious to put distance between them and the town that held only bad memories for them. They were also motivated by the unerring threat to Mary's life. They had literally grabbed Mary from the painful future faced at the hands of her abuser Chester. But now they realize that he may be just as great a threat to them as to Mary. So run they must. But life has a way of throwing curves along the way and for these three women nature was throwing everything at them but the kitchen sink in the form of a monstrous thunder storm. They were all at the mercy of the storm when their luck changed and a rancher, Eli Morgan and his uncle rescued them and offered them a safe place to recuperate. Relieved to be in the safety and comfort of a ranch Pearl and Hallie were intent to help Mary recuperate from her bruises.

At the same time they often found themselves looking over their shoulder sure that Chester was never going to give up searching for them. Things at the ranch were not necessarily that great. There was a strained relationship between Eli and his mother as well as past unresolved issues that threaten Eli's future, not to mention the three visitors, at the family ranch. So the future was certainly still looking bleak. Certainly makes the threesome wonder if they escaped one situation only to find themselves squarely in the middle of another.

Fans of Dorothy Garlock know her stories don't revolve around faint hearted women. In fact many times her women exhibit more backbone then her male characters. Her women are shrewd and clever. All the women in LEAVING WHISKEY BEND are typical Garlock females just not all with good intentions that's all. She gives her characters pasts that somehow catch up with them. How they resolve their past is the beauty in her story. There is always time to curl up and enjoy another Garlock tale. Enjoy.

This review is from the Trade edition.

Book Summary

Schoolteacher Hallie Wolcott and her no-nonsense friend Pearl Parsons know there's got to be a better place to live than the roughneck town of Whiskey Bend, Colorado. When their friend Mary is assaulted by her brutal stepbrother, it's the last straw. Hallie and Pearl pull up stakes, rescue Mary, and put as many miles of Colorado wilderness behind them as they can. But a violent storm soon sends their journey careening in a different direction.

Enter Eli Morgan, a quiet rancher deep in family troubles-and pursued by unseen, ruthless enemies. Now with Mary's vengeful stepbrother closing in on them all, Hallie must learn strength, perseverance, and courage . . . if she is to claim the life and love that can be hers.