Publisher and Publication Date: Archway Publishing. November 8, 2016.
Genre: Historical fiction.
Pages: 370.
Source: Complimentary paperback copy from A.E. Wasserman. I was not required to leave a positive review.
Rating: Very good.

Langsford Series, Book 2

Amazon

Book Blog Tour for 1886 Ties That Bind

About The Author:

The daughter of a newspaperman, A.E. Wasserman grew up in a household filled with books and stories. At age 14, she wrote her first novella and never stopped writing.
She is the author of a new mystery/thrillers series, the first of which takes place in London: 1884 No Boundaries, A Story of Espionage and International Intrigue. The second in the Langsford Series, 1886 Ties That Bind, A Story of Politics, Graft and Greed, has just been released.
Her work, critically acclaimed as “richly atmospheric,” is being noticed by readers and critics alike, and has garnered international attention, not only in the U.S., but Europe and the U.K. as well. She recently received top honors from Writer’s Digest for her work.
After graduating from The Ohio State University, she lived in London, then San Francisco. Currently she resides in Southern California with her family and her muse, a Border Collie named Topper.
For more information, please Visit the author’s web site at www.aewasserman.com. You can also connect with her on Facebook and Twitter.

Summary:
It is 1886 as Englishman Lord Langsford travels by train to San Francisco. Newly widowed, Langsford is desperate to escape his grief, demons, and life in England. As Langsford completes the last leg of his transcontinental journey, his life unexpectedly changes once again when he crosses paths with Miss Sally Baxter, a beautiful rancher who packs a pistol in her purse.
Sally has made it her mission to find the men who robbed a train and killed her brother. Unfortunately, no one—not even the owners of the Southern Pacific Railroad—seem to care. Unable to resist her pleas, Langsford offers to help Sally and soon becomes entangled in a web of politics, corruption, and greed. As murder, threats, and attacks ensue that endanger both Sally and Langsford, influential men in both California and Washington, D.C. jockey for positions of power. Langsford, who finds himself oddly attracted to Sally, now must sort through criminals and politicians alike to discover the truth behind her brother’s death and prevent his own murder.

Giveaway:
During the Blog Tour we will be giving away two eBooks of 1886 Ties That Bind by A.E. Wasserman! To enter, please enter via the Gleam form below.
Giveaway Rules
– Giveaway ends at 11:59pm EST on April 6th. You must be 18 or older to enter.
– Giveaway is open INTERNATIONALLY.
– Only one entry per household.
– All giveaway entrants agree to be honest and not cheat the systems; any suspect of fraud is decided upon by blog/site owner and the sponsor, and entrants may be disqualified at our discretion.
– Winner has 48 hours to claim prize or new winner is chosen
Direct Link: https://gleam.io/UpvUY/1886

My Thoughts:
What I loved about the story:
•The descriptions and setting in the story helped shape the time period. California and traveling by train during the 1800s is brought to vivid life.
•A solid command of sentence structure, word usage, and symbolism. For example: “The metal parade was a dead man’s train.”
•The railroad was big during the 1800s. It was the powerful advancement of the 19th century that issued in a new age in travel and migration to the west coast. Using the politics of the railroad provided a good plot.
•I love the character, Miss Sally Baxter. She is an independent gal. She has gumption, intelligence and perseverance.
•The pairing and dialogue of Miss Sally Baxter and Lord Langsford is brilliant. Their differences only make for a sweet chemistry.
•The tension and mystery of the story is in why Sally’s brother was killed.

What I did not like about the story is 3/4th way into the book is an event that felt pasted. I have not read the first book in this series; and it’s possible Lord Langsford has a habit of placing himself in a dicey situation and something happens that is out of character. I have read other books where at the exact spot (3/4th way) in a book a shocking event happens. It’s not that I don’t want this event in the book, it is the point of where it is placed, and it feels like a pasted storyline.
Over-all I loved 1886 Ties That Bind.