Jessalyn Joy loves her husband, but she canât help the feelings that arose when he volunteered for the Union army. When he comes back to her in a box instead of on his feet, those feelings complicate even more.
Jessalynâs mourning period is cut short when something begins to attack the livestock in their small town, and greater dangers begin to threaten their provincial life. Thrown together with the new reverend, one of her own students, and a strange man somehow related to her husbandâs passing, Jessalyn must find a way to stop the evils that threaten her husbandâs first and ultimately last home.
Set in the Southwestern home front, Huszar blends a taste of fantasy into a startling down-to-earth world, creating a high stakes adventure for this strong female protagonist and her band of amateur sleuths.
Jessalyn Joy loves her husband, but she canât help the feelings that arose when he volunteered for the Union army. When he comes back to her in a box instead of on his feet, those feelings complicate even more.
Jessalynâs mourning period is cut short when something begins to attack the livestock in their small town, and greater dangers begin to threaten their provincial life. Thrown together with the new reverend, one of her own students, and a strange man somehow related to her husbandâs passing, Jessalyn must find a way to stop the evils that threaten her husbandâs first and ultimately last home.
Set in the Southwestern home front, Huszar blends a taste of fantasy into a startling down-to-earth world, creating a high stakes adventure for this strong female protagonist and her band of amateur sleuths.
July, 1862. Southern New Mexico TerritoryÂ
The sharp crack of an ash-encrusted log dissolving into the bowels of the fire pit brought Bill Andrews out of his stupor. He had never liked night watches. There was something beautiful about the seemingly endless expanse of sky above him, but also something strange. As the night grew, so did the quiet. Surely a time when all good souls should be asleep and unaware of these long, dark hours.Â
Bill sat up, feeling the lower half of his back pop, and rubbed the drowsiness out of his eyes. Weird feelings or no, he had a job to do out here. He pulled another hunk of wood onto the shrinking fire and nudged it with the toe of his boot. As more smoke billowed up, Bill stared out into the plains around him. The dry grasses and air were still, amplifying the quiet of the night. âAnd not a star to be seen.âÂ
A noise off to the left caught Billâs attention, and he froze for a moment before recognizing the footfalls of his partner, Frank Byas. Frank entered the circle of firelight, and sat down across from Bill, taking off his hat to fan away some of the smoke and sparks.Â
âSee anything out there?â Bill asked.Â
âNothing out of the ordinary,â said Frank. He was a younger man than Bill, and had a bit more energy at this late hour. âWalked the whole perimeter of the Heeley lands, nothing but cattle. All well here?âÂ
âYep.âÂ
Frank followed Billâs gaze across the plains for a moment, letting the silence sink in. âWhat would you bet on? Wolves or coyotes?â
Bill, who had been falling under the hypnosis of the too quiet night once again, looked to his partner. âWhat?âÂ
âYou know. The reason weâre out here. What dâyou reckon is attacking the livestock? Wolves or coyotes?â
âIs there much difference between the two?â
âWell, sure,â Frank said, starting to get excited. âWolves are bigger. And they can go solo. Coyotes work in a pack.âÂ
âI suppose I hadnât considered. I heard from Wyatt Heeley himself about his bull two weeks ago. âShredded,â he said. Not sure even a wolf could do damage like that to a steer. But a whole pack of coyotes? Thatâs different.â
Frankâs sly grin widened. âWould you bet on it?âÂ
Bill leaned forward, grinning back. âYou trying to hustle me, Frank Byas?â
âNever, Bill. I just think itâs interesting. Everyone Iâve asked so far has been of the same mind as you. And I think I might know more about wolves than everyone in Three Willows put together.â
âThen do enlighten me, oh Wolf Expert,â Bill said. âHow could a wolf do it?âÂ
âWellââ
A cry echoed out across the plains. The wrenching, choking screech of a steer in distress.Â
Frank and Bill were on their feet in seconds.Â
âCame from the east. Get your gun, Frank!â
âRight behind you.âÂ
The two men ran towards the fence line, rifles in hand. The once quiet cattle were now on the move, clustering near the fence. Bill and Frank reached the hem of the herd without delay and scanned along the backs of the beasts, looking for any sign of what had birthed that awful cry.Â
Bill was the first to see it. âThere! At the back. Steerâs down.âÂ
The animal was flat on its side, the steam of hot and heavy breaths blasting from its nostrils. They hadnât brought a light, but even on this moonless night, Bill could see the whites of its eyes glowing in fear.
The men approached the steer cautiously, avoiding its legs and horns. The tangy scent of blood washed over them both.Â
âOh my God,â Frank whispered.Â
Long, wide slits ran along the steerâs side, belly, and haunches. Blood flowed freely across its hide. The rising heat and smell of the flesh made Billâs stomach turn as he leaned closer.Â
âLook around,â he said. âAnything out there? Anything running away?âÂ
Frank broke his gaze from the pitiful creature and hoisted himself up onto the fence for a better view. âNot that I can see.âÂ
Solemnly, Bill pulled his hunting knife from its sheath, and with one steady cut, put the animal out of its misery.Â
Frank looked back at the sight over his shoulder. âAny wolf that would tear open a steer like that must have been rabid beyond salvation.â There was a quaver to his voice.Â
With the steer now lifeless, Bill moved closer to inspect its injuries. âLook at these marks. Single slashes. This werenât no wolf unless it was ten feet tall and carrying a knife.âÂ
âThatâs crazy. We would haveââ Frank halted his speech and spit on the ground, rubbing at his mouth with his sleeve. âUgh, dirt.â He looked out across the plains again. âJesus, where the heckâd this wind come from?âÂ
The poorly butchered beast had been his focus, so he hadnât noticed either, but as Bill stood to his full height, he felt the warm wind buffet his body, spraying his eyes with dust and small debris. It seemed to be picking up speed faster than he could think. âA storm?â he called out to Frank.Â
Frank pointed out across the landscape once again. âRainâs coming in fast! We better get to the old barn, or weâll be caught in it!âÂ
Without further discussion, the two men vaulted the fence line and made a mad dash for the only structure within miles on the ranch lands, the old barn. At least it had a solid roof. Together, the men heaved open the heavy door and ducked inside as the rain began to pummel their backs.Â
Inside, Frank leaned against the wall, panting hard. âHow did we go from the quietest night Iâve ever seen to a disaster in less than five minutes?â
Bill didnât answer. He was just as astounded as his partner. How on earth were they going to tell the tale of this night?Â
As he heaved the old barn door closed, Bill took one more look at the moonless sky. Waves of wind and rain pelted the sides of the old barn, causing the structure to creak, joining the discord. Perhaps it was the exhaustion, or the adrenaline and blood pumping through his own ears, but Bill could swear there was another sound in the mix: the beating of wings.Â
Then Came The Thunder by Rachael Huszar is a fantasy novel set in the nineteenth century. Jessalyn Joy is a teacher, mourning her husband who died in a war. She lives in the small, quaint town, Three Willows, situated in the middle of a desert. Samuel Brooks, a stranger with a secret, comes to Three Willows to make a fresh start. But something is killing the livestock there, and soon, it becomes clear that the town has a secret of its own.
I loved how the author so brilliantly took a small town, added lovable characters, and mixed them all together with a nice mystery. The pace of the plot was perfect. Not too slow that it would make me lose interest, and not too fast that it would overshadow the characters. Although the fantasy part kicks in in the second half, the first half made me fall in love with the characters.
It seems the author fleshed out the characters from real life people. They were so grounded, and their struggle with emotions seemed so real, it made me root for all of them. It would be hard for me to choose a favorite character because I feel each of them had a role to play that gave a sense of closure to the story in the end.
The entire setting of Three Willows and the bond everyone shared with each other made me feel all warm and snug. It is a place I would love to live in. Every scene is so brilliantly executed by the author and life of the people described in such a manner that I would have loved to read about how they go about their day.
If there was anything I feel could have been improved, it was the fantasy part. I wish some more pages were spent on it. I don't want to say anything more about it as I don't want to spoil it for other readers. But there will be more books in this series so maybe we'll get to know about it then.
Overall, it was an amazing read. If you're looking for a feel-good story, go for it. Highly recommended!