This was a masterfully woven tale of actual true crimes in America’s history. I usually avoid reads this heavy but my love for history compelled me to give it a try.
The author has done her research and it is evident in each page. She does an exceptional job of stating facts while trying to keep the story from being too gory or detailed.
Having said that, it is heavy as most true crime stories are.

My takeaway: this story is a horrific fictional accounting of the sadistic Harpe murderers and their reign of terror over the KY/TN region. The message I felt from this story is that God is always watching and sin will always be found out. The women in this story were victims and I feel that God’s Grace was extended to them when they were given a fresh start, the same as it is to all of us.

My rating: five stars for exceptional storytelling, historical accuracy, and faith filled writing-even in the midst of such brutality, the Author brings forth God’s goodness and love.

This copy was given to me in exchange for my honest and open review. All opinions expressed here in are my own.

This was one of those books that I wished that I had read some reviews about before starting it. I would fall into the category of a "sensitive reader" which means I can't handle reading about too much cruelty or brutality. Most of the mysteries I read have a piece of cake next to the murder victim and don't have much if any graphic images in them. So now looking back at others’ reviews, I do see that many reviews do warn readers that parts of this book could be too much for some readers. The author even hints at this in her prologue, so I guess I could say I could have taken precautions and avoided the book all together. However, I'm not the type to skip a book in a series. There was a lot of abuse, brutality, and cruelty performed by the Harpe cousins in this book. It's not overly descriptive and I would almost go to say that the author had to include it because it is a true crime book about two serial killers after all. I think most readers would be able to handle reading the book, but I must warn you that there are at least two scenes that I cannot get out of my mind and make me hesitant to recommend the book to others who might be of a delicate nature like myself.

This book is set in the late 1700's along the Wilderness Road in Tennessee. One of the main characters (Rachel Taylor) is a witness to her best friend Sally's wedding to Wiley Harpe and knows that something doesn't feel right. Shortly after the wedding, Sally realizes herself that her new husband has been keeping secrets from her. Sally's life soon starts to spiral out of control, and she finds herself in a very dangerous situation.

Ben Langford arrives at Rachel Taylor's family's way station and discovers that his cousin is one of the Harpe cousins' latest victims. While Ben is determined to stop the Harpe cousins’ killing spree, he finds himself drawn to helping Rachel’s friend Sally escape her connection to Wiley. Will helping Sally escape her evil husband bring Ben closer to winning Rachel’s affection?

I wasn’t overly impressed by the romance story line in this book which impacted my score for this book. I feel like the romantic leads’ brief interactions with each other didn’t convince me that they could have such strong feelings for each other. I am not even sure that a romance side story was even necessary except to give readers a break from reading about abuse and brutality. Although the romance was lacking, I thoroughly enjoyed reading the author’s notes at the end of the novel and reading about how the author was able to weave true historical facts into a historical fiction story. Thanks to Barbour Publishing and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book. All thoughts expressed are my honest opinions of the book.

Another good entry in the True Colors series, which draws its stories from real-life events! This time, it's the late 1700s and we're out on the frontier, where hospitality and humanity can turn into hostility (and even homicide) on a dime. I don't know much at all about this period of American history, so I was excited to read about what life was like back then.

Our two main characters, Rachel Taylor and Benjamin Langford, are drawn together by less-than-ideal circumstances, both tied to the Harpes, a murderous group of bandits wreaking havoc along the Wilderness Road. While there is hope, faith, and love to be found in this story, be warned that some of the details of the Harpes' violent acts can get a bit graphic.

All in all, I enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more from this series. Thank you to Barbour Publishing and #NetGalley for the digital copy of this book!

Because I've read and enjoyed two other books in the true color series, I expected this book to be similar. It was not; and I did not like this book.

It wasn't because of the book's goriness, which I feared (see below for more info here). It wasn't because she spent too much time with the Harpes, which I also feared. That said I did not enjoy the story or her take on it. I've read other books that deal with gruesome serial killers that didn't get bogged down in the evilness or the quest for justice. Those stories were lighter and just as informative.

I didn't like her writing style. There was too much of "telling" and not enough "showing." Moreover, I felt like it droned on and on repeating the same story over and over with out much new information. Chase the Harpes, nearly catch them, try again. The romance wasn't very intriguing either--too much of Rachel and Ben's drama that was redundant.

I want to say a bit about the gruesome details of the Harpes. More than one review commented on the gory details, and I almost didn't read the book. I think those reviews set me up for worse than it really was. She didn't graphically describe most of the details, and only included a couple without lengthy horrible detail in chapter 15. (If you desire, you could skip the last half of that chapter and not be lost, for the details come out later.) At the same time, the reality and the "off-stage" happening of the events was disturbing.

Of the Colors series, this is THE MOST disturbing of all. They've all had their level of discomforts, BUT this one is off the charts disturbing. But I have to say, the author is very compelling in her writing and kept me picking up the book, over and over and over, until I was done. There was no way, I could walk away without finding out what happened.

What I didn’t like. The bad guys: they were soulless, horrific, despicable, depraved, sorry excuses for living creatures. (Now, do you want to hear what I really think? LOL) The worst news is that they actually walked this earth.

What I did like. The ending, resolution and healing. And the writing, Shannon McNear did a masterful job of keeping you on the edge of your seat. Making you feel a bit uneasy without complete nausea (maybe one exception near the end). But also providing hope, redemption and resolution, which is what all horrible stories should have. Otherwise there would be no point in the story.

I received a copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This is a wonderful true crime historical novel set in the late 1700's in Tennessee. It follows the Harpe brothers as they possibly become the first known serial killers of the US. This is the first book I have read in the series and I'm excited to read more. This book is graphic so I would not recommend it to a younger audience.

While stories based on historical crimes are not by usual read, I was drawn to this book because of the author and since I have ties to Kentucky. Having read other books by this author, I knew that she delved into historical records before she started writing. I was not disappointed. Rachel's friend Sally marries one of the brothers early in the story while Ben's cousin is one of their first victims. Even though the two main characters Rachel and Ben are fictional characters, this connection and later romance gives a nice framework for the story. I received a free copy of this ebook from the publisher through Netgallery. This is my honest and voluntarily given review. While the murderous acts became more gruesome as the 'brothers' traveled through the state, the main characters learn about the atrocious crimes after the fact. I like the historical notes at the end of the book and the sources for her material. I was glad to learn about this piece of Kentucky history. I was surprised to learn about the real life women who were compelled to travel with the brothers. The only reason that I gave this a 4 star is because of the subject. It is a good read.

This book had my heart racing! Without divulging any spoilers… This was a crazy story and to know that it’s based on a true story is crazier! I was infuriated at times and mad… all the emotions! I loved the prayers and faith shown by Ben and Rachel and others. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley on behalf of the Publisher and was under no obligation to post a favorable review.

The Blue Cloak
By Shannon McNear
3 stars

I'm torn by this book. Half of me enjoyed it and half didn't.

What I did enjoy was the thorough research into the Kentucky wilderness in the 1700s. The chase of the posse after the Harpe brothers. The budding romance of Ben and Rachel. The internal struggle of Sally.

But the violence and gore was disturbing. The the author even said in the afterword that she even toned it down. But it was all based on real acts of violence by these vile men.

If you think you would be triggered by this I would hold back on reading this novel.

I received a complimentary copy from Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

This was great Christian Historical Nonfiction! It had me interested all the way through! And yes, it was dark, but heinous acts were committed and the story needed to be told, I feel, in its entirety. It shows us that God is with us and He will answer prayer, if we just trust in Him and His promises. I do recommend for all to read, but some parents, if they are parents that are watchful of what their children read, may want to make sure their teenager can handle this type of dark reading. Great book though! Great author!

I have really enjoyed this series based on true crime and history. This installment was violent in parts but the author did a great job in describing events. It was very atmospheric of the time.
Many thanks to Barbour Publishing and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

This was a roller coaster of a book.I hadn't heard of the Harpe brothers before so I went in blind to their crimes and wow what a tale.

I'll admit I was more interested in Sally's tale than Rachel's especially at beginning.
Ben is a wonderful hero with all the rashness,determination and heroics required of the situation.
Rachel is a lovely heroine and her love for her friend shines through she just isn't memorable for me.
The Harpe's are scum of the earth and the other residents react in a realistic way.

I didn't consciously realize that that Rachel and Ben were the main couple though having read previous books in the series I suspected it.This is more graphic but most of the detail is of the page and what is on the page is not gratuitous or is historically accurate.

That being said this is a well researched and well written book.Lovers of Historical Romantic Suspense,Historical True Crime and the good overtaking the bad will enjoy this.

5 stars- This is the latest book in the “True Crimes” series from Barbour. Each book is a fictional tale that revolves around a real crime in history. “The Blue Cloak” tells the story of cousins Micajah and Wiley Harpe who are considered to be America’s first serial killers. Set in 1797, not long after America became a nation, these two men reeked havoc and terror along the Wilderness Road.
This was not an easy story to read and based on the author’s note in the beginning of the book, not an easy story to write. Shannon McNear did an amazing job of weaving a fictional story around this dark time in American history. When Rachel Taylor’s friend Sally marries unknown Wiley Harpe, our story is set in motion. Ben Langford meets Rachel on his way to meet up with his cousin on the Wilderness Road, only to discover the horrible news that his cousin may have met a horrible fate at the hands of the Harpes.
From there, Rachel and Ben’s lives are intertwined in Ben’s determination to hunt down the Harpes and Rachel’s desperation to find and help her friend Sally. The relationship between Rachel and Ben was expertly woven and I felt emotionally invested along the way. Sally’s point of view also played an integral part in the story. Many of those scenes were at times horrifying to read and my heart hurt for Sally. It is a stark reminder that sometimes our choices can lead us into dire circumstances but that God never leaves us.
The author did a superb job of finding a way to weave a thread of hope through an otherwise hopeless story. Commitment to family, friends and God were all important themes of the story. I especially liked the historical notes at the end where the author gave an in-depth look at her research for the story.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I was selected to read and possibly review “The Blue Cloak” by Shannon McNear, a novel written about the Wilderness Trail in 1797. It seemd to be part of a series called True Colors, historical stories about American Crime. This is not the sort of historical novel that I usually read, but I decided that the description was enough to lure me into the story.

During this time in history, The Wilderness was just that, a wilderness. It drew strong, adventure-seeking men and women to forge into a new area, facing many dangers. Indians, storms, the geography of the land, and highwaymen were dire threats. Many lost their lives to one of these dangers. What drew these settlers to the west? Was it space, land, wealth? Why would anyone dare these to set up a new life on a new frontier?

I was very interested in the way Ms. McNear presented the characters in this novel. As I read further, the blood-lust of some of the robbers and murderers along the trail left me cold. I finished the book, but must admit that I did skip over some of the story just to find out what happened in the end.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley.com. for my review.

A fascinating historical fiction. I've always enjoyed historical fiction and one so rooted in true events was a very intriging read. It is a darker story and not for everyone. Well written fictional characters where created to be a vehicle to tell a story of people that where psychopathic and serial killers. A bit of a creepy storyline but solidly based in truth with a firm belief in God by those that are good. The author did a good job of research and explaining the history and geneology that drove the story at the end of the book.

This is the second book I've read by Shannon McNear and I admit I chose it because of the previous one I read and loved (The Rebel Bride--Daughter of the Mayflower, #10). The Blue Cloak is a little different from what I normally read since it's about two serial killers back in the late 1790's, the wives they had and the men who were hunting them down. That's where Ben Langford comes in...his cousin is one who is murdered and on his way to learn more about that he meets Rachel who is working at her brother's way station.

Shannon's research is extensive and she has more information about this true story at the back of the book.

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review.

Romance & murder on the frontier - definitely a page turner! It was a lot more grim & gritty than I expected but it was very interesting. I found it to be well-written & the author tried very hard to stay true to the historical aspects, providing citations at the end.

Wow! Just because this is a Christian book with characters relying on God through prayer, doesn’t mean we’re spending all our time at the church social. Based on actual historical events, The Blue Cloak tells the story of Wiley and Micajah Harpe, who terrorized the Wilderness Road in 1797. Rachel Taylor and young lawyer Ben Langford try to rescue Sally, a young woman tricked into a sick marriage. The violence these men perpetrated is unspeakable, and Sally thinks she’s destined to live a horrible life. The Blue Cloak is a story that will keep you up at night because you just can’t put it down.

This novel is dark and deep. However, the thread of hope and goodness weaves throughout this story. It is a difficult book to get through...but once you complete this story, you will have a new appreciation for it.

Not gonna lie, this was a tough read. The Harpe brothers were disgusting savages. Not mad at the author for choosing to be descriptive of the murders, as well as their relationships with their wives, as this is unfortunately a true story and it is good to be reminded that things are not always straight out of a perfect romance novel and God’s redemptive power is greater than any evil. That being said I couldn’t wait for the parts of the book that focused on Ben and Rachel’s romance for a happy shift from an otherwise very upsetting story.

What I most appreciate about this is that the story isn’t “christianized” and the author recognize victim psychology and the reality that it isn’t easy to just leave or stand up to an abuser. It is often a long, tough battle to overcome abuse.