Dudes Rush In

When I down loaded this book I was expecting a light romance novel. I was pleasantly surprised to find it to be a suspenseful mystery as well as a sweet romance. It is very entertaining. I enjoyed it very much.

Downey’s book “Dudes Rush In” takes readers on two women’s journeys through grief, heartbreak, and love—set years apart but in the same desert location, connected by a secret diary.Downey lures readers into what first appears a Western romance only to realize murder is in the dry Arizona air and it’s catching.A literary Western murder mystery with archival qualities, presenting time specific: food, dress, and language of endearing Americana.

Post-WWII life, love, risk-taking, friendships, and everything else that makes reading historical fiction (set in Dude Ranch Arizona) a whole bunch of fun!!I really love Phoebe-the-heroine, who cuts her own path toward happiness after the death of her husband in WWII. And also LOVE the setting.Reading DUDES RUSH IN makes me want to book a trip to a Dude Ranch. Circa 1950's, of course. Looking forward to Book 2 :)

Very cool anthology! Thank you!

This book tells the exciting story of two appealing and strong women living 40 years apart in the mythical town of Tribulation Arizona. Phoebe staying at a dude ranch in the 1950s finds the hidden diary of Ellender dating from the 1910s. From a bucolic tale of self discovery, it is the dark history of the past that forces itself into the lives of both women and draws their stories together in an unexpected and dramatic way. Fascinating details of life on a dude ranch and charming dialogue progress into a page turning adventure. I highly recommend this book.

Historian Lynn Downey uses her knowledge of the West and especially dude ranches to create an authentic Western setting for her debut novel. The details and imagery shine.The premise is intriguing with a nice mystery to it that entwines Phoebe and Ellender's timelines. Things really get exciting in the last few chapters, though I would have liked to see the murder plot twist come in sooner.The dialogue is a bit wordy (lots of information being conveyed), and Phoebe spends a lot of time reading and reflecting upon Ellender's lengthy diary entries. I think the pacing would have benefited from shorter chapters, perhaps separating the two narratives. Some of what transpired seemed irrelevant to the overall story.Despite a little lag in the middle, the novel has a thematically satisfying conclusion with Phoebe finding the purpose/identity that she'd felt lacking at the beginning.

Who doesn't like Arizona, dude ranches, and mysteries? Not to mention women trying to heal from heartache. This is excactly what you'll get in Dudes Rush In when Pheobe shows up at the H Double Bar and finds a woman's diary from 1910. This is a fun read from an author who knows her history and the Arizona landscape.

After reading Lynn Downey's new debut book “Dude's Rush In” I feel like she had just booked me into a dream vacation at the H Double Bar Dude Ranch in Arizona. Downey brings her knowledge of dude ranches and skills as a research historian to create an engaging historical mystery. The setting, a fictional town of Tribulation was based on her visits to various dude ranches in the surrounding area of Wickenberg, AZ.The story takes the reader back to San Francisco in 1952, where an aspiring war widow Phoebe McFarland decides it's time to make some changes in her life. With a bold move, she quits her job, bids her friends farewell and heads south to spend the next six months on her in-laws' dude ranch in Tribulation, Arizona. Phoebe has fond memories of having spent many vacations there. She's happy to have the opportunity to spend time with her husband's sister. In exchange for room and board, Phoebe has volunteered to help out in the ranch's office organizing all the paper work. She has high hopes with extra free time to finally finish the novel that has been in the works for some time. Soon after her arrival Phoebe's novel writing is derailed with the discovery of an old diary hidden in a desk. Phoebe's life collides with a young woman, Ellender Shepherd, owner of the diary from decades earlier. She is swept into Ellender's story that captures her early married life and the early growth of the mining town of Tribulation.As Phoebe stumbles onto secrets from Tribulation's past, unexpected discoveries with a few shocking revelations set her on a dangerous course as she tracks down a variety of clues to solve a few mysteries. Betrayal, greed, redemption and love make Phoebe and Ellender's stories intriguing. heartwarming and a touching read with an unexpected ending. With two stories running simultaneously throughout the novel I also found myself swept into Ellender's story as secrets and clues began to unravel. Phoebe's story is told in the third person and Ellender's in the first person. Certainly a clever way to format a story keeping the reader engrossed. You may be asking yourself how would Phoebe's story be different if she hadn't found Ellender's diary?Downey's meticulous research enhances the story with authentic details. Her vivid descriptions of desert landscape, exterior and interior of the dude ranch, hospitality offered guests including the dynamics of social hours and dinners,visits into Tribulation and surrounding area effectively capture the ambiance of visiting an Arizona dude ranch back in the early 50s.