Diamond in the Sky

There's too much victimhood and not enough positive action in the struggling 1895 town of Leadville, Colorado. Thaddeus MacElwaine runs the local store; Noah Ralston, Thaddeus's best friend, runs the slightly more successful hotel. When newcomer Juliet ""Lettie"" Corcoran and her consumptive brother, Laertes (""Larry""), come into town (on the same day as Thad's estranged brother, Zeb), Thad sets his heart on Lettie. Unfortunately, so does Noah. Lettie admits she reciprocates Thad's love, but is worried about Larry's worsening condition and fears she might have to marry Noah in order to pay for Larry's medical care. Hope comes to Leadville in the guise of a proposed Ice Palace, set to bring tourist dollars to the town, which is already showing its factionalm worse-for-wear seams. First-time novelist Bailey's splendid scenic descriptions impart a real love of place, but it's easy to stay ahead of the sweet, simplistic plot, and frustrating when the protagonists don't think clearly enough to anticipate even a smidgen of the consequences of their actions.