Redeeming Lies by Samantha St. Claire is a riveting tale of intrigue that begins at a train station in Hailey, in the Idaho Territory. Madison Jennings is on the run with her father, a con man wanted by Pinkerton Security agents hired to find Maddie's father. Some dangerous hoodlums want their money back. Right after her father hands Maddie a satchel containing a handgun and the money, he dies from a heart attack. Maddie boards a train heading for Ketchum. She quickly changes her last name, finds a boarding house, and lands a job in the small town. In the meantime, she develops close relationships with some of the townsfolk, including Dr. David Reynolds. Everything is going well as she embraces her new life in a town that she is falling in love with. That is until she sees a 'Wanted' poster describing her and her father...

Ms. St. Claire does a remarkable job of telling the story by breathing life into this small town, populating it with very real and believable characters for the time frame of the colonization of the territory. The description of the scenery paints a vivid picture that captures the reader's imagination. The author is able to describe in intricate detail the sights and sounds of different types of weather that accompany the oncoming spring. Just when our heroine feels like she belongs and could be happy, chaos erupts. This book was tough to put down from the beginning to the climactic apogee. Redeeming Lies is a great read and real page-turner, and Samantha St. Claire is a masterful story teller. Brava!

Redeeming Lies by Samantha St. Claire is a historical romance set in the late 1800s. Women have always had their roles defined as homemakers, but in 1889 things are starting to change. Women are gaining confidence in their abilities and going beyond the boundaries society has set for them. Maddie Jennings is one such woman. After attending Miss Emma Willard’s School For Young Ladies Of Means, Maddie wants more out of life than what her con-artist father is promising. When her father collapses on a train station platform, Maddie has her chance to start over in Ketchum. Dr. David Reynolds is in love with a married woman. Realizing that nothing can come of it, he moves to Ketchum where he starts a new life. When the two meet there is an undeniable chemistry, but unfortunately Maddie has a past that could threaten everything they are trying to build.

Redeeming Lies is not your typical historical romance. I loved the way Samantha St. Claire tackled the beginning of the feminist movement. Her female characters are strong and relatable, even in our modern times. Women are still trying to move out of the shadows of their male counterparts. I’m glad the heroine, Maddie, was compassionate and kind, something that is generally absent from practicing feminists. A successful woman can still be a mother or a great cook too. Redeeming Lies is a book for all women as it teaches that you can still do something with your life without losing the basic make-up that makes us females and different from men. The book has suspenseful subplots that carried the story to a satisfactory conclusion. There is a sense of family, friendship, and love inside the pages of this book. Fans of historical crime fiction will also enjoy this story.