Friday, September 18, 2020

Girl With A Gun: An Annie Oakley Mystery

 Girl With A Gun by Kari Bovee is an Annie Oakley Mystery. The story opens in 1885 as Annie joins Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show as the next American sharp-shooting sensation. Fifteen-year-old Annie is the sole supporter for her widowed mother and two younger siblings. As an expert marksman, she hunts and sells games to the local stories to make ends meet. After a stunning performance against the reigning marksman, Frank Butler, she is offered a spot in the Wild West Show. But she soon realizes that someone is out to get her. A series of crimes occur within the show’s camp including the death of her assistant, Annie doesn’t believe the official reports and soon becomes a target and a suspect. With the help of a sassy reporter, Annie is determined to solve the crimes and clear her name before it destroyed everything she has worked for. Will she find the truth before its too late?



I really wanted to like Girl With a Gun because I have always enjoyed stories which figure Annie Oakley. However, this story takes too many creative licenses about Annie’s life. In 1885, when Annie joins the Wild West Show, she is 25, not 15, already married to Frank Butler and they joined the show together. I feel that if you are going to write a story about a historical figure, you need to consider the major aspects of their life and keep to their timeline as much as possible. Ms. Bovee certainly could have done that and still presented a mystery that Annie would solve. That aside, the mysteries, the crimes themselves weren’t that interesting and when the culprit was reveal, it was a letdown. Overall, I did not enjoy this story. I do not recommend Girl With A Gun.

 

Girl With A Gun is available in paperback, eBook and audiobook

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