Some books have covers that are perfect for their tale. A Woman called Sage is one such book. An Indian woman in Western garb stands thoughtfully staring into the distance while a hawk flies overhead. She encompasses my image of Sage so perfectly that I found myself staring at the book cover, longing to read more, while I worked around the house.

Sage is half-Ute and sought help from her tribe after her husband was murdered. She’s sworn vengeance on his killers and uses her Indian training to become an excellent tracker and bounty hunter. While the thought of a woman bounty hunter might initially seem implausible, the author makes the character and her job entirely believable. And while Marshall Parker Timmons might not immediately be ready to accept a woman’s help, he soon finds himself believing all the tales about her too.

The truth about the outlaws is a little harder to learn, and soon both Sage and Parker are wondering how much to trust of what they hear. Was Sage’s husband the honest man she believed, or is there some dark secret lurking in his past that caused his death? Soon, she’s not even sure if she really knew his name.

Both Sage and Parker keep secrets from each other, each trying not to cause the other pain. Meanwhile the town is rapidly turning against them. Rumors fly—ah how rumors do that—and the local pastor denounces sins that may never even be committed. Rule of law, rule of religion, rule of pride… all come before a fall. But the rule of hope survives them all, and maybe faith is worth more than religion after all. And love worth more than doubt wins out.

The author keeps the mystery and the tension flowing till the end. I really enjoyed the story and characters. And like I said, I even enjoyed the look of the book.