The Lawman and the Songbird. Joshua Dillard Western, #5

Pinkerton detective Joshua Dillard goes undercover to a Montana boom-town peopled by avaricious prospectors, ruthless bandits, fancy-pants rogues, and scheming dance-hall girls. He sets his sights on arrogant, skull-faced Blackie Dukes and his bunch. But Alvin "Aces" Axford's safe at the Magnet saloon is robbed under Joshua's nose. Who has spirited away Axford's haul of gold? Joshua finds plucky songstress Kate Thompson has double-crossed the dangerous Dukes gang, and lured him into a futile dance in a raging blizzard across the Bitterroot Mountains.
It's one of luckless Joshua's worst failures. Not until seven years later does he return to Cox City as town marshal. Time has come to solve the mysteries ... and lay the ghosts of failure with a blazing six-shooter!BONUS FEATURE: "The Misunderstood Hero" . who posed a dilemma for publisher and writer.  "In this story Joshua Dillard has more than met his match in Kate Thompson, who makes for a very strong female lead character and seems to be one step ahead of everyone else.
Chap O'Keefe once more presents the reader with a fast- paced book filled with action and a twisting storyline. Never was it obvious how this tale would end and the conclusion does come as a fitting surprise. As with all of  O'Keefe's books I've read this one left me eager for more. If you've not read one yet, I suggest this as an excellent introduction to his extremely readable writing." - Steve Myall at Western Fiction Review