Shakespeare, New Mexico, during the Great Depression

Two men's lives come together in a small, nearly abandoned mining town that changes both of them forever. Lett Halsy, who is a veteran miner, has inherited "property" from his late brother. Unfortunately, this land and its holdings is in Shakespeare, New Mexico, and there are only a handful of inhabitants, and most of his inheritance is a ramshackle saloon and the shacks behind it. Sam Ransom has fled from California where the law and several not-so-law-abiding people are after him. Sam is a con artist of the lowest ilk, and he's picked Shakespeare for his next scheme -- to sell shares in a mine that hasn't been worked in ages, hasn't been proven to be worth mining, and is dangerous to work in.

Lett leaves Colorado to start his new life in New Mexico, unaware of the lack of promise Shakespeare holds for him. Upon his arrival, he meets the bartender who has been holding his brother's "business" together, the motley bunch of left-over miners who are hanging onto the hope that Shakespeare will be rejuvenated, and the last whore in town, the lovely, but aging, Delight Jones. Shortly after Lett arrives in town, so does the flashy, Sam who promises to reopen the mine. He puts Lett in charge and, along with the small crew he's allowed to hire, they begin to reactivate the old silver mine. To everyone's surprise, especially Sam's, the men discover a rich vein of silver and gold. Much to Lett's surprise, he finds himself falling in love with Delight! But what will happen if the wrong people in California discover where Sam has moved to?

THE MAN WHO KILLED SHAKESPEARE is a great tale of humor, sadness, mystery, and a bit of romance. The Depression is getting worse, and men will do anything to make money. Lett spends a lot of time worrying about how to deal with Ransom and his schemes, as well as feeling responsible for the men he's hired to work the mine. He's honorable and a realist, and he's pretty sure Ransom is not. Delight has worked hard all of her life and her choice of a career was forced upon her at an early age. She is kind-hearted and, at the same time, knows that her days as a whore are coming to an end. What will she do then? All of the secondary characters are essential to this tale, from the fat bartender whose lousy cooking killed Lett's brother, to the children of a down-and-out young man.

Ken Hodgson fans will not want to miss this terrific story. THE MAN WHO KILLED SHAKESPEARE is a page-turner with great characters.

Jani Brooks