Chili Queen

By: Sandra Dallas

Narrated by: Barbara McCulloh

This Literary Guild and Doubleday Book club alternate by best-selling author Sandra Dallas features a bank robber, a mail-order bride, and a cathouse madam joining forces on a quest for happiness in 1880s New Mexico.

Life may have been hard on Addie French, but when she meets friendless Emma Roby on a train, all her protective instincts emerge. Emma's brother is seeing her off to Nalgitas to marry a man she has never met. And Emma seems like a lost soul to Addie - someone who needs Addie's savvy and wary eye. It isn't often that Addie is drawn to anyone as a friend, but Emma seems different somehow. When Emma's prospective fails to show up at the train depot, Addie breaks all her principles to shelter the girl at her brothel, The Chili Queen.

But once Emma enters Addie's life, the secrets that unfold and schemes that are hatched cause both women to question everything they thought they knew.

©2002 Sandra Dallas (P)2009 Recorded Books, LLC

Critic reviews

"[T]he zesty, offbeat charm of life among these undesirables in the seedy West keeps this tale moving smartly." ( Publishers Weekly)

What a story!!

Loved the characters and how it becomes a love story.
Easy to read and entertaining.

quite a ride

Imtriguing story that drew me in and made me care about all its players. It's a good mystery,too, with as many twists as old Agatha could have manufactured. But it's also fair with all the hints to decipher the plot laid out for the astute reader
Lots of fun.

Brilliant!

This was one of the best books I’ve listened to on Audible. The story was brilliant and the reader was perfect!!! So good!

excellent experience

I thought I had it sussed at the beginning. But such wonderful twists and turns. Excellent Reading.

Disappointed

I couldn't figure out who to root for. None of the characters, despite their tragic pasts, were very likable. It was a strange departure from her typical style.