Julie Weston

Miners' Moon Julie Weston

"Crime photographer Nellie Burns and Basque Sheriff Charlie Asteguigoiri travel from central to northern Idaho to investigate bootlegging and possible complicit town officials. A suspicious mine explosion pulls them into a second investigation. They wireretired miner Rosy Kipling to join them. He brings Nell's black Lab, Moonshine. While Charlie roams the backcountry in search of illegal stills, Nell questions survivors of the explosion. Rosy descends the principal mine to listen and pry. The two investigations lead all three to discover secrets and lies-from "soda drink" parlors, local brothels, worker hints deep in the mine shafts-that have deadly consequences. A town dance lures Rosy, Charlie, and Nellie to play and shades of romance, until a fire blows up a town. Predictably, Nellie gets in over her head. A rock burst seals off Charlie and Rosy in a mine collapse. Will Moonshine come to the rescue? All four of them long for their high desert home but cannot return until they expose the secrets and lay bare the criminals before their luck runs out"--