Rate this book

A Marked Man (2010)

by Barbara Hamilton(Favorite Author)

3.91 of 5 Votes: 5

ISBN

0425237087 (ISBN13: 9780425237083)

languge

English

genre

Mystery & Thriller

publisher

Berkley Trade

series

An Abigail Adams Mystery

review 1: This turned out to be a very good little mystery. I was more than a little skeptical that the author could successfully turn Abigail Adams into a pre-Revolutionary Miss Marple. First, I grew up in Quincy and Braintree where the Adams' lived. My aunt lived across the street from where Abigail grew up. You can't grow up there and NOT know a lot about them. But Hamilton does a fairly credible job of creating Abigail as she might have been in 1774. It was during the brief period the family lived in Boston, which gives Abigail much more access to what's going on in the town than if she were out in Braintree. The mystery involves the mysterious disappearance of a slave girl and the murder of a special commissioner of the king's. When one of the Sons of Liberty is arrested for th... moree murder, Abigail begins her own investigation, which takes her out to Castle Island where the British troops are garrisoned and into the governor's mansion. The story is full of interesting tidbits of life in colonial America. There is also a lot of gray in the dispute between the would-be revolutionaries and the royalists. Not all the redcoats were bad, and Hamilton gives Abigail friends among them. The picture of John and Abigail as parents may be a bit too modern in some ways, as well as their banter, but it also serves to humanize them. And finally, this is not one of those mysteries where you can see the solution a mile away and can't figure out why no one else can see it. It is a very well-crafted book and I definitely plan to read others in the series.
review 2: I truly had a good time with Abigail Adams in the first book of this series, The Ninth Daughter. I was delighted to find that Abigail was at it again in A Marked Man. These books provide many little joys for the reader, especially for the American History buff. The setting is Colonial Boston, during that exciting and perilous time of the Stamp Act and the Tea Party. The background was so skillfully drawn that I felt my toes freezing in the Meeting House. (New England was enjoying The Little Ice Age.) Those who have read a little about her will know that Abigail Adams was a witty, intelligent and independent woman. She and her John were fortunate enough to be best friends as well as spouses. Their relationship, their love of their children, their strong political opinions and their loyalty to their friends is presented in a gently humorous fashion that charms as well as informs. I didn't have any difficulty in accepting Abigail as a sleuth. A woman with her restless intelligence would be a perfect detective. Needless to say, she resolves her puzzles and captures her perps, using her own wit and the help of a British Officer who believes in justice. I have been told there will be more books in this series and I can't wait to get back to Boston to see what she will be up to next. These books are an easy read, but don't fret, they're not shallow. They are like a rich dessert, full of goodies and special tidbits. You should try a bite. less

Download links for: A Marked Man

Advertising