This book started out really well. I liked the echoes of Texas ranger drama and Jesse James like outlaws. But by chapter 5, it gets a little odd. The main character is obsessed with birds. The male lead is mean to her without any reason other than that she is a woman. Their isn't much motivation in the storyline for what the author is writing about. I think that is a big mistake in novel writing now. Their needs to be clear motivation or reasons why a character does something or else it seems pointless.
I was weary of this book, since the last few books this author has written, I haven't liked. Her first book 'bride most begrudging' was the only one of hers I really did like.
I will say that the research shows up well in the first few chapters. The tone of the book is right on, for the time period.

But mostly this book bored me. At least, the in between stuff did. I don't want to read about a women's strange obsession with birds. The ranger research and undercover stuff was really the best part of the book, however Luke was hard to be believed as being Lucius--the man described at the first of this book was not the undercover 'Luke'. It was as if the author wrote two different men. If the book had been what the first chapter seemed to be, it would have been excellent. Their were a few thrilling parts of the book, and most were predictable..like Frank Comer and Luke's long lost brother. That was sorta soap opera-ish. I just found a lot of things very unbelievable and silly. Making the book less that what it could have been.