The Killing Land — Jacqueline Seewald

In this Western suspense thriller set in the Arizona Territory of the early 1880s, a courageous settler from the East and an aristocratic cattle baron become involved in a relationship neither wants but neither can resist. Although attracted to each other, Mary and Cal are also distrustful and antagonistic toward one another. Mary suspects that Cal is responsible for trying to drive the homesteaders and sheepherders off their land. When her uncle is murdered, Mary intends to discover who is responsible and why. In so doing, she becomes a person of interest to a vicious outlaw. Cal, whose mother deserted him and who had a bad experience with his former fiancee, is now suspicious of women altogether. When these two finally begin to surmount their personal prejudices, circumstances place dangerous obstacles in their path and put their lives in jeopardy.