Mr. Bennett distrusts banks, so when he boards a steamboat with his daughter in New Orleans to travel to Natchez, he carries their life savings with him—in gold.

When Rebecca meets Oliver Sebastian on board she can hardly take her eyes off him. He seems to reciprocate her feelings and is all charm and kindness. Rebecca barely notices her father gambling with some of the other passengers or that he is foolishly exposing them both to danger.

Before the boat arrives at Natchez, Mr. Bennett is murdered and the gold stolen without a trace. Rebecca is left alone in the world, and penniless. Then she remembers Oliver. Surely he will take care of her!

Once they arrive at the farm her father was to purchase, Rebecca discovers that Oliver is not only married, but he is in love with his wife, and intends to sell the farm in order to return to England with her. Rebecca is devastated.

How will she mend her broken heart and, more urgently, earn a living in order to survive? When Oliver heads back to his homeland, can she learn to live without him?

With some help from new friends in Natchez, Rebecca forges a different life for herself. She plans to earn enough money so she can buy the farm her father wanted her to have. And though her chosen profession isn’t exactly “legitimate,” Rebecca is surprised at how good she becomes at it. Her father’s killers, however, are still at large and Rebecca, unwittingly, finds herself entangled amongst their deadly game.

Will Oliver return in time to save her? Can he offer her more than just the status of being his mistress?

Reading Natchez using a Common Ground Mini Viewer was great fun. You can enlarge the font for comfortable reading, and “ctrl Pge dwn” takes you quickly to the next page.

Deb Crockett writes mainly romances with a theme of intrigue and danger. Natchez kept me riveted, and I’m looking forward to her next novel.