2023 New Mexico-Arizona Book Award Finalist

A novel of wild women, unbreakable friendships, a madcap road trip, and help found in the least likely places.

In 1905 Kansas, ex-dancehall girl and outlaw Ruby Calhoun has settled into a (mostly) quiet and (mostly) lawful life. But out of the blue her past comes hustling into town when her ex-dancehall partner, Pip Quinn, shows up with a grim message and dangerous mission: Cullen Wilder, an old enemy with a long memory, is determined to see them six feet under.

With Cullen’s relentless henchman hot on their trail, Ruby and Pip find themselves in a mad dash through the Kansas hinterlands, not just to save a friend, but to save their own hides. What follows is a journey filled with hilariously unforgettable mishaps, mayhem, blunders, bounders, and a cast of eccentric characters.

Through it all, Ruby is haunted by the memories of her life years ago in Arizona Territory, when the upstairs girls at the Paradise Saloon and Dancehall kept her safe, and the dreadful day when it all went wrong.

Will Ruby have the guts to face her turbulent past, or will she cut and run like a coward one more time?

Join these two accidental outlaws as they outwit their foes and try to stay one step ahead of the law.

“Blakemore’s madcap novel sparkles with scintillating wit, heartfelt warmth, and snappy repartee…” – Historical Novels Review