Golden Legacy: A Kayla and Steven Young Mystery

4.8/5 ( ratings)

“Golden Legacy” blends historical adventure with modern-day mystery in an exciting novel that follows two time lines. Embarking on a harrowing treasure hunt, two daring heroines tackle the hazards of gold country more than a century apart. Although a stand-alone novel, readers who have already met Kayla and Steven in the High Seas Mystery series, may enjoy their continued love story in the Rockies. See real places around Ouray, Colorado through actual photos within the narrative.

Ginny is a “modern” English gentlewoman traveling alone in the year 1888. At the age of twenty-five, she deems herself a spinster, admitting the condition results from her own decisions. After Ginny gains control of her own money, she sets out to travel the world, hoping to publish a series of travel journals. Upon landing in San Francisco, Ginny’s aristocratic life drastically changes course when she learns that miscreants shot her twin brother, Johnny. Ginny journeys by train from San Francisco to Ouray, Colorado, faithfully recording events in her journal. After tending to Johnny in hospital, the gutsy woman strikes out to locate his hidden gold mine, armed with courage, a fountain pen, and two sharp hatpins. It is her duty to deliver supplies and information to Nick, her brother’s business partner and dear family friend.

In modern day action, Kayla and Steven deal with aftermath from the aborted murder attempt on Kayla after their wedding. Plagued by turbulent dreams of drowning, Kayla develops a paralyzing fear of open water. She’s summoned to a dying aunt’s bedside and jumps at the chance to trade life at sea for the comforts of home in Colorado. To inherit the family legacy, Kayla must solve clues and locate the family gold mine. After reading Ginny’s journal and searching for clues scattered throughout a charming Victorian house, Kayla and her friends endeavor to find the mine. They cross hazardous terrain through wild country and face tricky problems inside the derelict mine. Old generators lie dormant, and they need to activate a trompe to open the “safe” inside the mine. Clues purloined from the house might guide disgruntled heirs to steal the treasure for themselves.

Kayla struggles to decipher the mystery before snow falls, testing her courage, ingenuity, and honesty to qualify for the golden legacy. Can she overcome fear to reveal what is most important to her future?