The Maynwarings by Digger Cartwright tells the epic tale of the Maynwarings. Living in Greenbriar, the Maynwarings fight to keep what is theirs, to keep their way of life intact and to protect their future. The patriarch of the family, Barron Maynwaring, is also a US Senator. When he returns from Nevada to the family home, he finds himself the center of attention in a way he didn’t want. Add to that a bit of rustling, murder, lynching and the cattle ranch coming under threat and things are not going very well. All of a sudden, a stranger appears on the scene and starts buying up property, which gets people talking about the future of Carson City. The Maynwarings must fight, not just for their own survival, but for that of the area and, as the body count rises, the game takes a sinister turn.

The Maynwarings by Digger Cartwright is a first class novel, one that has a bit of everything in it. Murder, mystery, intrigue, politics, suspense, drama, all rolled into one express train of a novel. I couldn’t fault the plot or the characters, both were very well crafted and the characters fitted the story perfectly. The story line flowed perfectly and there wasn’t a minute where you felt that things were slowing down. This is a highly entertaining book, full of drama and a page-turner of the highest degree. Add in a few twists and turns, especially the shocker at the end, and this has to be one of the best books I have read for a long time. I find myself hoping that there will be a sequel to this one and I look forward to reading it if there is.

Barron Maynwaring, a patriarch and rancher who traded part of his duties for those as a United States Senator, returns to Greenbrier, the Maynwaring family home and ranch. His homecoming is smeared by political scandal, cattle rustling, the murder of their neighbor, and the lynching of their long-time friend. When a mysterious stranger, Giddeon Van Thorn, starts buying properties and well established businesses in any way he can, worries are aroused as to what his plans really are for Carson City.

Set during the Reconstruction Era, The Maynwarings: A Game of Chance by Digger Cartwright follows the story of a close-knit family that is threatened by the arrival of a newcomer whose sole mission appears to be ruining what the family holds dear. Characterization is excellent and I particularly gravitated towards Barron’s daughter, Mary Catherine, the courageous Carson City solicitor. She refuses to bow down to pressure when she starts to investigate the death of Jeremy Foster, a longtime friend and neighbor of the family, who was accused of cattle thieving and murder.

With its intriguing premise, The Maynwarings: A Game of Chance is an intelligent page-turner, well-written and engaging. It’s brilliantly paced and doesn’t drag on. I love the vivid setting of the story, as it reminds me of the old western films that I’ve watched before. And, like all dramas, it doesn’t quite lead readers where they are expecting to go. It’s about family bonds, suspense, and shadowy politics. This is my second read of Cartwright’s work and it’s good.

Barron Maynwaring thought that leaving Washington meant the end of the political struggles, at least until he was called upon to return. But it turns out that things in his beloved Greenbrier are becoming more political than he could have hoped. Being gone only a short time seems to have been long enough for some strange happenings to start taking place and for someone to get a little more interested than normal in their town. It’s going to take some investigation for Barron and his family to get others to open up about what’s really going on. Even those they once thought of as friends seem to have some secrets they’d rather keep hidden in the dark. But are those secrets the reason for the rash of killings? Could it really be their friends and neighbors that are behind it all? Or are their suspicions correct and the strangers who’ve just come to town are more dangerous than they seemed?

The Maynwarings by Digger Cartwright was definitely an interesting book to me because the characters really drew you in. You feel like you understand Barron from the moment he steps off that stagecoach. Other characters like Jed, Van Thorn and even Mary take a little longer to get to know, but you really like them once you do. If you like adventure and intrigue then you’re going to like this book. There is, after all, plenty of adventure going on in the town of Carson City and no one is above suspicion. Not only that but there’s no end in sight, even if the townspeople are able to put off the fight.