Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Book Review: Patriote Peril by Thomas Thorpe

   
     Patriote Peril is one of six historical mystery thrillers in the Darmon Mystery series about a couple from Kent that solves international crimes during the 1830's. These novels include: Message of the Pendant, The Fourth Contention, Patriote Peril, Fair Wind to Bahia, Desperate Crossing and Without Redemption.
      Cover Blurb:
   Following the return of an empty carriage, Elizabeth Darmon begins a harrowing pursuit of her family's kidnappers. Alone, scared on the frontier of New Brunswick, she trails the kidnappers through deplorable conditions along the St. Lawrence River to Quebec City where she finds a woman posing as Elizabeth with another William. Near the scene of the abduction, her brother-in-law, Charles, recovers from a gunshot wound and is led to the Patriote Party's fanatical element of Reformers. He is swept into a rebellion, recruiting Americans at clandestine hunting lodges. Family members cross paths attempting to unravel conspiracy and murder before a tumultuous assault on the governor's palace. Historically accurate events provide non-stop suspense.


          I hadn't read mystery for a while, and this was a good book to ease back into the genre.
          Most of the characters did seem just different shades of the same color, and I think their reactions could have been a bit stronger, but I really liked that Elizabeth (first main character) never became a washed-out pansy. Throughout the entire story she was full of daring-do and would not shirk at anything to get her family back.
Characters: 2 Stars
          I thought I saw what was coming on this one, but I wasn't close! Throughout every chapter the level of intensity kept building until the book finished with a bang. As with all good mysteries, the reader is led on with a carrot, and I can safely say this book definitely fulfilled that requirement.
Plot: 4 Stars
          The action throughout this book moved very fast, and I (as a sometimes skimming reader) liked this. At parts it felt the story was stripped to the bare basics (no descriptions and such) but it was a nice effect for a quick read.
Style: 4 Stars


Rating: 3.3 Stars
Source: From Author for Review
Genre: Historical Fiction / Mystery
YA Fiction


Author Info:
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