I bought this one in Kindle, as it wasn't available in Apple Books, my preferred ebook reading platform. I read it some time ago on loan from my library, but for some reason can’t find all the books in the Benjamin January series that my library used to have. These days I’m wondering if I’m the only library patron reading them. Maybe they have been weeded?
A pity if they have, because it’s a wonderful series which, unlike many other series, is still good.
This one is the tenth in the series, in which our favourite African American 19th century sleuth, Benjamin January, is asked to go with his white friend, policeman Abishag Shaw, to find out what exactly happened to his brother Johnny, who was murdered in the mountains. Normally he would have said no, as his wife is pregnant and he will be unlikely to return before the baby is born, but the banks have been crashing and he could do with the money. It’s interesting to think that, unlike many other amateur sleuths in crime fiction - January pays his bills mostly through playing the piano and giving music lessons - he is usually paid for his investigations.
Abishag’s other brother, Tom, tells them that the killer was certainly a man called Frank Boden and that he expects Abishag to take vengeance on him, something he can do without punishment, as there are some quirky land situations in that area, which doesn’t actually belong to the US. There is soon to be an annual gathering of trappers at which January and Shaw might find him.
But Shaw isn’t the only one who is after vengeance...
Something I noticed this time that I had forgotten on my first read was all the references to the story of Victor Frankenstein, chasing his creature and giving up everything to follow his quest. It was a nice touch, I thought.
There were some interesting characters, including such historical figures as Kit Carson. There were members of various Native American tribes, all of them with different outlooks on life, and just as likely to be fighting each other as the invaders of their lands, and some whose hatred of whites extended to anyone who wasn’t a Native American. Coal black January is bemused to be called “white man” and even “black white man”!
On the whole, though, he doesn’t have to put up with the racism he experiences in his home town, New Orleans.
Near the end of the novel, we learn that the English king has died and been succeeded by his little niece, some girl called Victoria...
I am so glad I bought this for my reread, and am seriously considering a binge reread of the entire series.
A pity if they have, because it’s a wonderful series which, unlike many other series, is still good.
This one is the tenth in the series, in which our favourite African American 19th century sleuth, Benjamin January, is asked to go with his white friend, policeman Abishag Shaw, to find out what exactly happened to his brother Johnny, who was murdered in the mountains. Normally he would have said no, as his wife is pregnant and he will be unlikely to return before the baby is born, but the banks have been crashing and he could do with the money. It’s interesting to think that, unlike many other amateur sleuths in crime fiction - January pays his bills mostly through playing the piano and giving music lessons - he is usually paid for his investigations.
Abishag’s other brother, Tom, tells them that the killer was certainly a man called Frank Boden and that he expects Abishag to take vengeance on him, something he can do without punishment, as there are some quirky land situations in that area, which doesn’t actually belong to the US. There is soon to be an annual gathering of trappers at which January and Shaw might find him.
But Shaw isn’t the only one who is after vengeance...
Something I noticed this time that I had forgotten on my first read was all the references to the story of Victor Frankenstein, chasing his creature and giving up everything to follow his quest. It was a nice touch, I thought.
There were some interesting characters, including such historical figures as Kit Carson. There were members of various Native American tribes, all of them with different outlooks on life, and just as likely to be fighting each other as the invaders of their lands, and some whose hatred of whites extended to anyone who wasn’t a Native American. Coal black January is bemused to be called “white man” and even “black white man”!
On the whole, though, he doesn’t have to put up with the racism he experiences in his home town, New Orleans.
Near the end of the novel, we learn that the English king has died and been succeeded by his little niece, some girl called Victoria...
I am so glad I bought this for my reread, and am seriously considering a binge reread of the entire series.
6 comments:
This sounds really good. It also sounds original and creative. It seems like it also delves into some interesting issues. I will recommend this to my wife as she tends to like these mysteries with seem smart and creative.
Thanks, Brian! If your wife hasn’t come across this series before, it might be best for her to start with the first couple of books in the series, which introduced all the main characters. If she enjoys those, there are plenty more to enjoy, and they’re more or less stand alone as stories.
These sound interesting. Checked the Canberra library catalogue and they don't carry any books by that author =(
What a shame! Still, if yo7’s interested, why not ask them to get some in? Libraries do that. The first in this series is called A Free Man Of Color. And she does fantasy as well.
Historical mysteries tempt me so easily - and this is unusual too.
Yes, I love historical mysteries! And interestingly, before this series I only knew the author for her fantasy. But she has a day job teaching history at a community college.
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