The Killing Land is set in the Arizona territory in the 1880s, and opens with an intriguing hook that snags the reader’s attention quickly. Mary MacGreggor is a pioneer from the East Coast who moves in with her aunt and uncle after the death of her parents. Cal Davis is a rich cattle baron who is suspected of driving homesteaders off the land he wants. As expected, Call and Mary become entangled, each bringing their own baggage into the mix with them. Along the way are the requisite complications, misunderstandings, and potential other love interests of the standard romance novel.

Seewald does a fine job with character development, including with her secondary characters. Several are intriguing and complex, in particular Wolf, Billy, and Rebecca. The plot itself is quite detailed as well, with fairly believable twists and action. Seewald is rather vague and loose with Arizona geography, though perhaps only a fourth-generation native such as myself would know it. She does well with some of the state history, such as the Tewksbury and Graham clan feud. Fans of western romance should be pleased with this novel.