Pistols, petticoats, & poker : the real Lottie Denos-- no lies or alibis

by Jan Devereaux

Gambler, Prostitute, Lady of the Town. Battered by the hard times of some of the roughest towns in Texas, Lottie Deno in her youth earned a reputation as a stalwart survivor in a particular locale of a man s world the frontier saloon. She reportedly bested none other than Doc Holliday at poker and was otherwise competent, in demand, and profitable after hours. But where other ladies of the night faded sadly, and prematurely, into penury and sad obscurity, Lottie Deno would in time marry well and reinvent herself as a respected lady of the towns of Silver City and Deming, New Mexico. Not persuaded by the myth-makers of the past, author Jan Devereaux presents and annotates the facts and tells a good story to give us the real Lottie Deno, one of the Wild West s most fascinating characters.

277 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2009

Reviews

[Laura Jean · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rigorous academic research on the true life template for Gunsmoke's Miss Kitty, Lottie Deno. The author is a lovely writer. Strong use of alliteration and some very lovely phrasing in addition to her very thoughtful approach in teasing the truth from myth, assumption and downright gossip.

[Orion · Rating 4 out of 5]

The sensational exploits of "Lottie Deno" have been well documented in The Story Of Lottie Deno: Her Life And Times by J. Marvin Hunter, and Lottie Deno: Gambling Queen of Hearts by Cynthia Rose. Jan Devereaux looks behind the legend to piece together the facts. Her research is impressive and her writing is relaxed. It took me a while to get used to her narrative style, but I was rewarded with what she calls in her subtitle "The Real Lottie Deno, No Lies or Alibis." Devereaux is amateur historian like Hunter, and she is wise to not give up her day job in the healthcare field. She has excellent local credentials and her work shows thorough research while lacking academic polish.

[Patti · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not so good. The author should have written it as straight biography. Instead it reads more like a history text, telling you more about the times in which Lottie Deno lived than the facts of her life. Really very little is known about her. The book is tiring.