Josephine Stuart, a fifty-year-old widow, is blessed and cursed with an overactive curiosity, a strong sense of right and wrong and a willingness to put herself on the line for her friends. Josephine has been hired to paint murals in the secluded Munger mansion located at the top of a wooded mountain. Certain local reprobates have their reasons for wanting the Mungers to leave. Accidents, fires and the death of a forest ranger have everyone on edge. Josephine's curiosity drives her down the mountain, into a world of illegal activities and nefarious characters. Her situation becomes dire--no way to escape. One captor has a knife, the other has a rifle. Can she save herself and her friends?

Review

Loved the Book!, August 19, 2010
By Carolyn M. Carnell - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Secure the Ranch (Paperback)
Josephine's curiosity is like a cat with nine lives! What a ride, now I need to rest from all the excitement. A thrill from start to finish. Jo is a hired muralist who can't help but wonder what is going on at the Munger Mansion being built with incident after incident. She and her side kick basset hound Solow smell trouble and follow their nose into an adventure you're sure to enjoy! --Amazon Books USA

Great read!, July 10, 2010
By Katherine M. Orlopp "Kt." (Valley Springs, CA United States) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Secure the Ranch (Paperback)
Fans of Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plumb novels will love this book. Oroz's main character, Josephine Stuart, is an every day "Jo" (ha ha) who gets into pickle after pickle in the scenic Santa Cruz mountains. Jo, and her trusty side kick Solo, is a woman you'll want to spend more time with after the book is over. Oroz has created a funny - at times laugh out loud - adventure that had me staying up late turning pages. Help --Amazon Books USA

Hang on Tight For a Great Mystery Ride!, June 21, 2010
By Jennifer Chase "Author of Dead Game & Compulsion" (San Jose, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Secure the Ranch (Paperback)
Josephine Stuart is a heroine that you'll cheer for in this carefully crafted mystery. She's an artist and muralist who gets herself in a heap of trouble while on a job in a remote mountain community. There are strange happenings with accidents, fires, and of course murder.

Secure the Ranch is a well-written, entertaining mystery with characters full of depth that builds from the first page and doesn't stop until the very end. You won't see what's in store for Josephine - I guarantee it. I couldn't put this book down. I couldn't believe that this is a debut novel for Oroz. It drew me into the lives of the likeable, and some not so likeable, characters in the story.

I highly recommend this book for anyone who loves mystery and suspense stories. I can't wait for the next installment to see what's in store for Josephine.

-Jennifer Chase, Author of Compulsion & Dead Game
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Wild Ride with Josephine!!, June 21, 2010
By B. Altman - See all my reviews

This review is from: Secure the Ranch (Paperback)
I thoroughly enjoyed this book about a wild middle age lady who painted murals and all the things that went on....This was very hard to put down because things were happening so fast. What an imagination this writer has. I loved it!!! Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
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Well-written Intriguing Fiction, June 2, 2010
By Richard S. Pearson (Colorado, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Secure the Ranch (Paperback)
Oroz captivates and paints a vivid picture of the story settings to keep you sitting on the edge of your chair. Her descriptive language invites you into the time and place - it's tough to put this book down once you start reading! Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
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