On Madera Creek by Rachel Goss
What's It About?
“On Madera Creek” is a fast-paced genre-bending tale set against the captivating backdrop of 1947 West Texas.On Madera Creek, the second installment in Rachel Goss’s engaging SHE (science, history and espionage) series, is a fast-paced genre-bending tale set against the captivating backdrop of 1947 West Texas.
The journey unfolds with the bloody prison escape of convicted Soviet spy, 28-year-old Natasha Baranov. Though she’s killed an innocent woman on her way to freedom, living with that guilt is a burden she’s prepared to accept — unlike the lengthy prison sentence she faced for her crimes of espionage. Now on the run, she quickly finds some solace, and safety, in her old life, where she ushers Soviet operatives across the Mexican border in Presidio, Texas.
In a parallel narrative we meet 21-year-old Imogene Park, the young woman who exposed an espionage ring in her hometown, and who was the key witness in Natasha’s trial, sealing her fate. At odds with her family, and seeking a fresh start, Imogene packs up her belongings and her beloved horse to take a job as a cook at a dude ranch near McDonald Observatory.
Genre-Bending Thrill Ride
It’s clear the Observatory and the ranch hold special meaning for Goss; her husband grew up on a dude ranch, and Goss had the opportunity to live on the grounds of the Observatory in the 1980s, where she met a number of interesting people, including renowned scientists. These interactions weave their way onto the novel’s pages, creating an authenticity that truly brings the setting, and the people within it, to life.
“These places are off the beaten path, and it was fun to write about them,” she says. “And the characters all come from different walks of life — the different people in the story make decisions that have far-reaching consequences, and it makes you think about the decision you might have made under similar circumstances.”
From the novel’s opening pages, Goss deftly carves out believable and sympathetic character dossiers for each of the strong female protagonists, allowing the reader to quickly immerse in these women’s stories, as well as root for them as they try to find their bearings once again.
At first, the women find romance and adventure, and for both of them, life seems to be taking a turn for the better. But of course, the past is never far behind — and when their paths cross for a second time, Natasha is prepared to exact revenge for the “miserable” life she believes Imogene is responsible for. Imogene, however, has other plans.
In one of the novel’s many twists, the two form a fragile friendship — a friendship that is ultimately tested, and fortified, when they must team up to take on a dangerous Cold War era assignment.
Readers Will Be Left Breathless
Goss leans into her considerable writing prowess here, driving the story to a cinematic end that will leave you breathless.
On Madera Creek can be read as a standalone, but Goss says she has written a prequel that may lend extra insight into the characters, and of course, readers are encouraged to check out the first book in her SHE series, Driven by Conscience.
After devouring On Madera Creek in one sitting, I know I will be.
About Rachel Goss:
Rachel Goss is a fifth-generation Arkansan. She received an AB degree from Washington University in St. Louis, studying English Literature and Biology, and she has a Master of Science in Biology from Texas A&M University. She has lived in Arkansas, Missouri, Texas and New York, where she worked in basic scientific research, studying plant science, pathology and vascular medicine. Lastly she moved to California, where she enjoys writing, gardening, swimming, and long road trips.
Her novel, On Madera Creek, received the Maincrest Media Award for Adventure Fiction 2023.
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