Girl with a Gun

I've already enjoyed reading this novel's prequel, Shoot Like A Girl (review to follow soon), which set up Annie Oakley's tale nicely for Girl With A Gun. I think the two books could read either way around because Shoot Like A Girl provides interesting background information, but it isn't essential to have read it first.

Girl With A Gun is a fun mix of historical Western fiction and cosy mystery with young Annie Oakley, newly arrived to star in Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show, setting herself the task of discovering why her tentmate, Kimi, had suddenly dropped dead. A verdict of natural causes doesn't sit right with Annie, even more so because Kimi's being Native American seems to render her invisible to the other white stars of the Show. Kari Bovee walks a fine line between accurately portraying the racism of the time towards Native Americans and not horrifying twenty-first century readers. I did find several conversations uncomfortable to read, but I could understand why they were included. Attitudes towards animals have changed too. Several bison and birds are shot at each Show just for 'entertainment'.

Bovee's portrait of Annie as a talented, dedicated young woman makes her a great sleuth and, while this particular aspect isn't historically accurate (and Bovee does take quite a few liberties with other facts of the real Annie's life too), I never felt it jarred with the convincing world creation within this novel. The Show environments were wonderful to read about with backstage chores and backbiting contrasting with the fabulous atmosphere of the Shows themselves. Bovee really put across that excitement so well. There's quite a large cast of characters to keep track of who, obviously, aren't all as well defined as Annie or Girl With A Gun would be a very long book! I imagine we will get to see more of the central roles as the series progresses.