In the American West of 1880, Leadville, Colorado, is the wealthiest mining district on earth and by far its richest mine is the Eye Dazzler.

When Lucinda Ridenour, the notorious widow-heiress to the Dazzler, chooses young Kit Randall to be her lover, Kit thinks he has the world at his feet. But when their affair sinks into depravity, he must rediscover himself and find out if he has the character to survive in a society that has more money than morals.

After waking up from an absinthe-created hallucination in which unspeakable acts seem to have taken place, Kit angrily leaves the house of Lucinda and her twenty-year-old son, Christopher, feeling betrayed and exploited. Then, Lucinda is found stabbed to death.

In the midst of this turmoil and of Leadville's anxiety over its labor unrest and the impending arrival of the railroad, Kit's uncle, Brad Randall, and his fiancé, Eden Murdoch, arrive in the boomtown planning to celebrate their wedding, but are instead shocked to learn Kit is the primary suspect in the sensational murder.

Eden resolves to learn the truth and clear Kit Randall's name. To do so, she forms an uneasy alliance with Bella Valentine, Kit's former girlfriend and a dabbler in the occult. With this unlikely ally Eden uncovers shocking secrets of the Ridenour family just as Leadville's first labor strike brings the town to an armed and dangerous standstill.

The Second Glass of Absinthe is a dazzling glimpse of the Victorian West and a riveting murder mystery set in the dizzying world of a boomtown where lusts-for gold, for power, for flesh-intoxicate all who come in contact with it.

At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.



Praise for this book

“Eden Murdoch is one of those premature modernists who give life to so many fine historical mystery series--Miriam Grace Monfredo's Civil War books, for example, or Laurie R. King's stories about Mary Russell. There's a well-drawn murder plot, a credible and touching love story, and an homage not only to contemporary feminism but also to the civil disobedience taught by Henry David Thoreau.” —The Chicago Tribune on Solomon Spring

“Absorbing. . . . Black's graceful style and meticulous attention to historical detail render Solomon Spring a historical thriller of the first water.” —Raleigh News-Observer 

“The saga of Eden Murdoch began in An Uncommon Enemy and this latest work continues the life of this resilient 19th century woman...Readers of An Uncommon Enemy will not want to miss this sequel! And those who are meeting Eden for the first time receive enough back story to be thoroughly engrossed in this creative mixture of fact and fiction. This is a fast-paced enthralling read.” —RT Book Reviews on Solomon Spring 

“Credible and engaging characters, particularly the fearless and feisty heroine, Eden Murdoch, together with a well-paced, suspenseful plot make for a fine historical adventure yarn in a this sequel to Black's An Uncommon Enemy.” —Publishers Weekly on Solomon Spring

“The strong characters, the vivid details of life in the West in the late 1800s, and an engaging plot combine to make this an absorbing historical mystery.” —Booklist on Solomon Spring

“A courageous, deeply moving, fiercely honest novel about a woman trapped between the frontier military and the Cheyenne. I was enthralled, not only by the swift-moving story, but by the integrity and depth of understanding in every page. This novel is richly rewarding, and I look forward to more splendid stories from her.” —Richard S. Wheeler, author of The Fields of Eden, on An Uncommon Enemy




About the Author

Michelle Black is the Colorado author of such novels as An Uncommon Enemy and Solomon Spring.


Title: The Second Glass of Absinthe : A Mystery of the Victorian West
Author(s): Michelle Black
Volume: 3
ISBN: 9781429969611
Copyright 2010
Release Date: August 03, 2010
Publisher: Tor Publishing Group
Countries: United States, Canada | Learn more about available countries
Language: English
Format: mobi,ePub | Learn More about our supported formats
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