Selected as an INDIE BOOK WE LOVE by LoveReading, a top book-recommendation website. "This book will grab your attention from page one. I hope you read it and thoroughly enjoy it, as I did."

Nominated as BOOK OF THE MONTH by Discovering Diamonds, a leading independent review site. "In A Town Called Paradox is one of those rare, glittering reads that traps the reader immediately and doesn't let go until the end. Thank you for an emotional, gripping and utterly rewarding read."

I WASN'T LOOKING for Marilyn Monroe even though I knew she was in town filming River of No Return... So begins In A Town Called Paradox, set in Utah during the 1950s when the Big Five Hollywood studios arrived to film their blockbuster movies.

Corin Dunbar - banished to live with her aunt Jessie, an obsessively religious spinster who runs a failing cattle ranch in Utah - hates her new life until Hollywood transforms the rural backwater of Paradox into a playground for glamorous stars. Seduced by the glitz, Corin finds work in the movies, but after a brush with the casting couch channels her growing ambition into saving the ranch-the jewel of the Dunbar family for three generations.

When Corin falls for Ark Stevenson - a charismatic stranger drawn to Paradox by his fascination with the movies that are filmed there - her future seems bright. That's not the outlook facing Yiska Begay, a Navajo on the run from prison.

These three very different lives collide as each of them seeks their own kind of freedom: Corin is determined to cast off the restrictions imposed on her by society; Ark yearns for a spiritual freedom after he suffers a horrific accident; and Yiska is desperate to regain the physical freedom he has unjustly lost.

In a gripping climax, Corin is faced with an agonizing dilemma. She can win them the freedoms they crave - but only at a heartbreaking cost?

Told mainly by Corin - now a middle-aged woman still haunted by her decision - In A Town Called Paradox is a poignant love story that explores some of the ideas and beliefs that shape our lives, as it asks the question: If each of us has a life story, who determines how it unfolds - and how it should end?

Early NetGalley reviews of In A Town Called Paradox

• "A beautifully written novel... full of fantastic characters."
• "The story will make you laugh, cry and cheer."
• "It grabbed me and didn't let go."
• "This is so well done I cannot recommend it too much. An excellent read."
• "An emotional and compelling book."

Miriam Murcutt is a former journalist, editor and marketing executive. She has an M.A. in English Literature and now works full-time as a writer. In addition to the women's historical fiction book, In a Town Called Paradox, she has written four narrative non-fiction books, published in seven countries. Born in England, Miriam lives in Boulder, Colorado, where she is a student of Spanish and a volunteer interviewer for a Carnegie Library oral history archive.

"I wasn't looking for Marilyn Monroe when I bumped into her, even though I knew she was in town filming River of No Return…"

So begins In A Town Called Paradox - set in Utah, in the 1950s, when the Big Five Hollywood studios were lured to that state by the fiery red-rock scenery that formed the perfect backdrop to the blockbuster movies they planned to film.

Corin Dunbar - banished to live with her aunt Jessie, an obsessively religious spinster who runs a failing cattle ranch near Paradox - hates her new life, until the arrival of Hollywood turns the rural backwater into a playground for glamorous stars. Seduced by the glitz of the movies, Corin finds work with the studios, but after a brush with the casting couch, channels her growing ambition into saving the ranch-the jewel of the Dunbar family for three generations.

When Corin falls for Ark Stevenson - a charismatic stranger who was raised by missionaries in the Amazon jungle (then drawn to Paradox by his fascination with the Westerns that are filmed there) - her future seems bright. That's not the outlook facing Yiska Begay, a Navajo Indian and convicted murderer who's on the run near Paradox. These different lives unexpectedly collide when a tragic accident wrecks Corin's dreams and forces her to make an agonizing decision that changes the course of her life forever.

Told mainly by Corin-now a middle-aged woman still haunted by this watershed moment-In A Town Called Paradox is a compelling read that redefines the meaning of love as it asks the question: If each of us has a life story, then who decides how it unfolds - and how it should end?

Early reviews of In A Town Called Paradox

"This is a story of struggle, hardship, relationships, ranching, and the glamour of Hollywood… There are so many rich strands and such diverse characters…The book is well researched, well written and I loved it. It grabbed me and didn't let go. I wholeheartedly recommend it." - Barbara W, NetGalley reviewer.

"I enjoyed this book so much. It asked some very interesting questions and I admit I pondered on them a lot… This had everything from police corruption, the good old boy network, and how little power women had in this time… Very Well Done!" - Patricia F, NetGalley reviewer and on Goodreads.

"The convergence of the three lives seems unlikely, but authors Starks and Murcutt pull it off successfully." - Reviewer 415900 on Goodreads.

"From the first page, the characters and their story take hold of you. In A Town Called Paradox is a beautifully crafted novel that has the propulsive energy of a bestseller." - Chris Fortunato, Amazon reviewer.

300 pages.