I don't know what I think about this book.

Some books are crazy easy to review. You immediately connect with the protagonist, love to hate the villain, and are drawn into the story like nobody's business. Easy peasy.

The Blue Cloak, however, left me staring at the book, not knowing how to respond. I usually follow Amazon's old rubric of "loved it, liked it, okay, didn't like it, hated it." That doesn't work for this one. I didn't like the book, but the author did her job well. You see, I don't think anyone should like this book. Some books are like that, you know?

Especially since this is the story of true crime--real people who died in senseless, horrifying ways simply because two men felt like it.

I can't compare this book to the others in the series. It's not right to compare one book to another. Each book needs to stand on its own merit, and this one has a lot going for it.

For the most part, the writing is solid. Ms. McNear made people I wish hadn't lived come alive on the page. That takes skills. On the other hand, the characters she created are necessary to the story, but I always felt like they didn't let me in.

Still, that might be a good thing, actually. I mean, we're talking about characters who have seen the brutality of mankind at its worst, fear for their friends, and fear for their own lives in trying to put a stop to heinous crimes. What felt like the desire for more from them might just be genius.

So, yeah. I can't say I like this book.

But that leaves the question of did the author tell the story she was given to tell well? Considering I dreaded turning every page that deal with the horrible Harp men, I'd say she did. If it hadn't been true crime, I would have considered the glee the men displayed with each killing to be way over the top. Instead, she actually managed to draw hope from me--hope that the younger Harp might have repented eventually.

One thing Ms. McNear definitely demonstrated was that brutality begets brutality. It's an ugly, ugly thing.

in the end, I'll say this. Ms. McNear did a good job of showing the horror of those years and the senselessness of their crimes. She took the crime she chose to expose and made us feel the horror of that era, the hopelessness of the women trapped in such a terrible life, and the relief when it all ended. And she did it well.

But again, no. I didn't like the book. by the old rubric, that should mean a 2-star rating, but that's not right. The Blue Cloak is better than that. So, this doesn't follow my usual grading scale. I'm saying four because I can't decide if the created characters are done crazy well or if they leave something wanting. I just don't know.

An extremely well written title that merges fact with fiction. It seems so strange as an observer that 3 women would continue to be tethered to 2 awful men on a murdering rampage. But, this is exactly what happened.

I had never heard of this murdering rampage in Tennessee. The author's story was riveting enough on its own. Her details of the history she uncovered during research was a greatly appreciated part of the book.

I have read several of the books in the True Color Series. Each is based off a real historical event - recreated as a fictional story. This book, is a bit gorier then some of the others that I have read. But I enjoyed it. I don't know if I have read anything by this author before, but I will be on the look out for anything that she writes in the future

In this edition of the True Color Series - We travel back to 1797. This time period is not one that I read about often. It seems that the author has done amazing research to bring this time period to life.In this story, we see what life was like in the historical setting of the frontier of Virginia, Kentucky and Tennessee. I can't imagine what life was like during this time - we are post revolution and building as nation. In this story, we see the story of horror that 2 men inflicted. As stated above, there are some gruesome descriptions -- but there is a lot of FAITH weaved through it. It's sad to think that this is based off a true story - but we know (as with what we are going through now with COVID) God is ultimately in control. There is also a sweet love story that is included - Rachel and Ben. Ben wants to find out who killed his cousin, and is following clues. Rachel, who works at her father's story - ends up mixed up through her friend. During the chaos their paths cross and they develop feelings for each other.

This was a well written story. There is a lot of description and character development. I love suspense and mystery stories. Again, just the disclaimer of the description of the gore.

I received a copy of this story, through the Celebrate Lit blogging program - all thoughts are my own.

My favorite book so far in this series. True crime is disturbing yet fascinating and the mixture of fact and fiction never ceases to attract my attention.

This series is not for everyone, and The Blue Cloak has some content that not everyone will be able to read since it does deal with some heavy subjects and has at least one rather gruesome scene.

The story is brilliantly written, and its evident Shannon McNear spent a great deal of time and prayer on the story. Her exceptional writing skill shines and brings to life a tale of hardship while also giving rise to God’s grace. The light is stronger than the dark, and The Blue Cloak is a testament to that.

It can be difficult to see the good amid so much evil, and the deeds of the Harpe men are not the focus of this tale. People are cruel. God is not.

Rachel and Ben’s parts here bring a solid faith element and keep the story pointed toward the light. Ben seeks justice while Rachel seeks peace for her friend. Their acts of courage and faith bring everything together.

I requested a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit. I was not required to leave a positive review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

I have read everyone of the True Colors stories so far and they are totally captivating! Author Shannon McNear has done extensive research on the subject of her novel which brings the reality into clear view. From the first page to the very last page I was drawn in and held spellbound. In the year 1799, the Harpe brothers began their terrifying murder spree in Tennessee and Kentucky. They were appropriately known as the first serial killers. The gruesomeness and cruelty they exhibited in their crimes reminded me of some of the scenes from the TV show Criminal Minds. They were a pair that would be a great case study in today’s time. Rachel Taylor and Ben Langford were the fictional characters brought together during the initial murders. Ben had a cousin that the Harpe brothers killed and he went in search of them for his own peace of mind and to bring justice for his Uncle’s sake. Some of this novel may be hard to read but it is worth the time to learn of the history told through it all. Prayers were emphasized many times throughout the reading by the various characters, as would be expected under these circumstances.
My own personal note: Rachel and Ben were drinking some Hyson tea one night and talking about how good it was. I found some online and ordered it to try. I have not received it yet but I hope it is as good as it reads in the story!
I always appreciate the authors notes in the back of the book to help me understand the real facts vs the fiction.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through Celebrate Lit but was not under any obligation to write a review.

The murdering Harpes won’t be stopped and Ben Langford is on their trail as his own cousin was one of their victims. Wow! This author holds nothing back in her descriptions as we follow these two men on their murderous trail. There were a few that will flash through my mind occasionally as I wonder how could they be so consistently cruel. Won’t tell you how it ends… but it was certainly justice served!

I absolutely loved The Blue Cloak by Shannon McNear. It is an inspirational historical suspense novel based on true events and a book you definitely don't want to miss.
Rachel and Ben meet under very unfortunate circumstances when his cousin his murdered by the Harpe cousins who are thought to have been the very first American serial killers. Rachel's best friend had married Wiley Harpe about an year and half before they went on their killing spree. Rachel believed that Sally was being held against her will and needed help getting away from her husband and she intended to help while Ben tried to do everything he could to see that his cousin's killers were brought to justice.
I'm not only looking forward to reading more books in this series, but also by Shannon McNear.

I was given an ARC from the author/publisher. All conclusions are mine and mine alone.

Oh my, this story was chilling! I had never heard of the Harpe's before picking this book up. They were horrible! This book, while well written, was a little to dark for me.

Oh, such a hard topic. It was skillfully done though.
This time in history set in the Old East, a tale of domestic violence, serial killers and the people that hunted them down is not easy to read or see.
This author captured it in a way that was neither overly graphic nor traumatic, but gave you a clear photo or glimpse into the life of the people of the time.

This whole series has been eye opening in a good way.

This story is one of those that you just can't say you really enjoyed. It is brutal, it is heartbreaking, but it's also history. Shannon McNear did a fantastic job telling a disturbing story with tact. Her attention to detail and research shows through in her ability to make such a horrendous piece of history interesting and make you, as the reader, feel as though you're learning something. I very much appreciated McNear's writing in this story and feel that she did an absolutely wonderful job!

I received a complementary copy of this book through NetGalley. All opinions expressed are my own.

When I was in third grade, I watched a movie about Mary Queen of Scots and Lady Jane Grey. To this day, I remember the final scene and the feeling of numbness and disbelief over the bloodshed that stuck with me for days. . .

As you can see, I'm not predisposed to enjoy violent stories. When I first heard about this story, despite loving The Cumberland Bride, I decided to pass on the opportunity to be an advance reader. I just couldn't see myself reading it. Later, Having heard about the blog tour, I was torn. I waited until the last day to sign up and decided to give it a try. And made sure to read it on a Saturday when I knew I would be able to finish it while it was still daylight. :-)

I will honestly say that The Blue Cloak was much more gruesome than I had expected. And yet, gruesome isn't quite the right word. While in some instances, the atrocities committed by the Harpe brothers had a little bit of detail, for the most part, they were simply mentioned. however, they committed so many heinous crimes - targeting men, women, and children, even just to say what they did was overwhelming for me. There were several places in the story where I got nauseous and others in which I was ready to contact Celebrate Lit and beg off the tour. Yet I knew that I now needed closure, so I persisted and finished the story.

You will probably have noticed that I gave the story 4 stars. It was very well written. I loved Rachel and Ben. There was an emphasis on Sally turning to the Lord in repentance and seeking His help. And there was a sweet romance. So, if the details of what the Harpes had done were summarized more, I would have given this a higher rating. Therefore, it merits this rating for those reasons, not the way my heart (and stomach!) reacted to it.

I saw from the author's note that she almost didn't tell this story. That it was so evil she struggled with it. Her desire and the reason she wrote it was to show good prevailing over evil. This does come through, though, again, more of the evil was shown than I prefer.

If you enjoy "True Crime" type stories with good prevailing, then I recommend The Blue Cloak to you. – Jean, this might be your type of book! In the meantime, I'm off to read a comedy!!!

The Blue Cloak was a powerful story. I was amazed at how the author took a tale that was wrought with evil, death, and abuse, yet was able to write a story that pointed toward hope in God.

I felt as if the author did a very good job of getting into the mind of Sally, one of the wives of the murderers. It helped the story to make sense, seeing how scared and helpless she felt. But what I enjoyed most about this book was the story between Ben and Rachel. They were brought together by horrible circumstances, worked toward finding justice for those involved, and their love story was so enjoyable to read about. They both were beautiful examples of God’s love for us, especially in their treatment of the wives of the Harpes.

While many of the scenes of the murders were off-screen and spoken of after the fact, there were a couple that occurred on the page and I would caution that for those with extreme sensitivity to violence, it might be bothersome.

This true story of the Harpes was definitely a disturbing piece of history, but the author has written an historical fiction tale that captures not only the depravity of the situation, but also points the reader to the hope and love of God.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Can love and faith survive the darkness?

I knew I was in for a doozy when I started The Blue Cloak. You see, I'd heard of the Harpe brothers years ago while reading an old magazine about treasure hunting. I vaguely remembered them as river pirates around the Cave-In-Rock area and that they were particularly vicious murderers. Uh, yeah, I kinda didn't fully remember just how BAD they really were.

I've read, and enjoyed, all of the books so far in the True Colors series, and, despite the fact that each one has taken on some pretty evil historical villains or places I think this book was the darkest. The horrific crimes the Harpe brothers perpetrated are unimaginable. But in all of it Shannon McNear wove a thread of faith. Her depiction of the power of prayer in the face of evil is inspiring. I also appreciated how she didn't sugercoat the facts but kept the on-page violence from being gratuitous.

There is a lot to The Blue Cloak and I could go on about how much I learned from the story, about the time and the area, how I didn't know that the Harpe brothers had traveled with women and even children, but I really don't think those are the important things. No, aside from the power of prayer which I already mentioned, there's the importance of listening to the spiritual senses that God sometimes sends as warnings of evil. In addition, Shannon McNear's portrayal of women, through the eyes of the heroine's friend Sally Harpe, trapped by fear and abuse is, I think sadly accurate. It's easy to judge when you are on the outside but this book will open your eyes to compassion for the victims, both obvious and unseen.

The True Colors series does feature stories of historical crimes but they also have a romance element that I would be remiss in not mentioning. It was interesting to watch the relationship between Rachel and Ben slowly grow despite the darkness surrounding them. And it was nice to have that thread provide a little light to the story.

If you want to read a good story that mixes true crime with historical romance you should check out The Blue Cloak which is Shannon McNear's addition to the fascinating True Colors series.

(I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are entirely my own.)

This book was very well written. How do you describe a such a story as this?
Suspenseful, intriguing, horrifying? Those adjectives are some of the things that go through your mind while reading it. BUT there also is Jesus in the middle of all of it. Jesus is with the characters through all the suspense, intrigue and horror. He guides, protects and makes good.
I loved the characters of Ben & Rachel. Ben was a determined "dandy" that was so focused. Rachel was a beautiful girl who believed in the power of prayer.
I loved how Shannon brought to light in such a needed way the story of 3 women who have may long have been forgotten. They deserve to have their story told!
This story made me dive deeper into history to learn more about what had truly happened.
I highly recommend this book and this series. They will keep you up and turning pages!
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

The book starts with an happy wedding and wishes to an happy life together for Sally and Wiley.
Soon Sally realizes "what have I gotten myself into?"
her dear friend, Rachel, will miss her very much and prays for her often.
In that wild places, a serie of bad events occured, and also Sally is involved.
"Sally was tired of riding. Tired of running. Tired of hiding. Tired of living."
Read the book to know them and visit the wild country of Tennessee in the year 1797.
ThùI barely put down the book, wonderful characters.
the story is a mix of western, mistery, scary real awful events of the past, as mentioned at the end of the book.

I cannot tell how many times I had to get up, walk away from this book and take a few deep breaths before I came back to read it again. Shannon McNear did an excellent job with an awful series of events in our history. Couldn't read it, then I couldn't put it down. An excellent novel but not for the faint of heart.

Barbour’s True Colors series always has me anticipating the release of the next installment, and each story seems more intriguing than the last. True crime is a genre that I have watched on television as well as read about, and although I can’t remember exactly which medium provided the information, I’m sure that I’ve heard of the Harpes before, although the details are extremely hazy. Due to having some medical background and chronic illnesses, descriptions of bodies tend not to bother me as much as the next person, so in my case that is not a deterrent. This book does include content that some readers may find disturbing insomuch as to make them want to avoid reading it, but these passages are few and far between and are handled tactfully, without sensationalized graphic details. As usual, the pop of color (blue, in this case) on the otherwise monochromatic background infuses life and dimensionality into the cover.

A horrifying look at the two brothers who are considered by many to be America’s first serial killers, Shannon McNear’s “The Blue Cloak” is a book that will stay with you after turning the last page. The first third of the story is, in my opinion, a bit more slow-paced, with exposition and character development, but that is certainly not to say that it is lacking in activity, which becomes apparent later on. From the beginning, Sally Rice’s wedding to Wiley Harpe felt wrong, but unfortunately in the late eighteenth century along the Wilderness Road in Tennessee, the threat can remain hidden for a long time. Rachel Turner is a godly heroine, relying on prayer and trusting God to work in all situations. As an employee of her family’s trading post business along the Wilderness Road, she also represents a working woman who does everything that she can for those she loves. Her work, and that of lawyer Ben Langford, serves to not only seek out justice but also to bring the hope and love of God to even the most desolate. In times such as these, this message is all the more important; may we be lighthouses guiding the lost to the safe shores of the Savior’s arms.

I received a complimentary copy of this book through Celebrate Lit and was not required to post a favorable review. All opinions are my own.

The old saying truth is stranger than fiction is alive and well with The Blue Cloak. This fictional account of the first serial killers in American history draws on the account of the Harpes, two brothers (or cousins) who terrorized the people of Tennessee and Kentucky in the late 1790s. Modern-day murderers had nothing on these ruthless men. Shannon McNear does a great job of balancing the evil that lived in their actions with the faith and determination of those seeking to bring them to justice. The novel is a bit dark, but the graphic details are kept at a minimum. I admit to googling while reading this book — and McNear has the facts down while creating two wonderful fictional main characters that kept the story going as well as bringing light to an otherwise dark tale. And it is that balance that makes this book very readable. True crime can be gruesome, but with McNear’s narrative the reader sees that good always triumphs. I found the story incredible and riveting — I never dreamed that such things occurred in our nation’s early history. But there is never anything new under the sun, and evil exists at all times. It is good to read a story where justice prevailed and redemption reigned.

If you like history (McNear pays attention to details) and true crime, then I recommend The Blue Cloak to you. You won’t be about to put it down!

Recommended.

Audience: adults.

Clearly, I did not read the comments or description well enough. The cover and title drew me to this book and the fact that it appeared Christian. It is so well written that I was pulled in before I could back out and I nearly did several times. Instead of leaving completely, I brushed past a few pages. It was so difficult to read some of them.

The setting finds Rachel assisting her family as the run the outpost, way station in 1797. One can imagine the characters that will stop in for supplies, meals, fresh horses or a night's sleep. Your neighbors are scattered so you will mostly see them at church or community gatherings but you may never really know what goes on at home. We meet the main characters at a wedding. It turns ugly for the bride and everyone else who comes across the path of her husband and those who live with them. Sally questions is God can still love her after all she has experienced during her marriage to Wiley Harpe.

This book is dark and grizzly. There is Christian foundation in some of the characters and when there is light, it's needed in this book just to get you through. The Harpes evidently murdered for recreation or because you were in the way but mostly because they were broken, lost and without God in their life. There was no moral compass.
I had no idea this was based on true stories until the end of the book.

Shannon McNear is incredibly talented in her ability to pull you in from the start. Nothing slow here. She obviously researched the facts well but I wish I hadn't read about them. I would love to see her write a different genre, something not so devastating. I won't read the rest of her books simply because I won't read books of abuse and murder. While this might not bother some, it does me.

Thank you NetGalley and Barbour Books for the opportunity to read The Blue Cloak. I gave it 3 stars because I liked most of the book.

Where to start on a book that sucks you in and doesn’t let go…

The Blue Cloak by Shannon McNear summed up in one word is: STUNNING. When I started reading this book I could not stop thinking about the characters and their plights, Shannon McNear brought their thoughts and feeling to life in an almost tangible way that made me feel like I was right there experiencing the haunting twists and realizations with the characters. She weaved in such a thread of hope and light amidst all that happened for her characters that were a true reflection of the hope we need to pray for in our fallen world.

I was captivated from the first chapter of this true-crime story in a way that I do not think I have ever been by a book before. The historical detail and research that went into the writing of this book were phenomenal, it made the story even more eye-opening for me. I loved how Shannon McNear took the time at the end (in the author’s note) to explain several different aspects of the story and the historical documentation to back them up.

I truly loved the setting, the plot, and the three main characters in this book. When combined I think they made a truly stunning and captivating story that weaves a tale of faith, perseverance, trust, and hope amid unknowable tragedy. Shannon McNear did a great job portraying the darkness in our world but expressing the hope that we have in Jesus’ name.

I give this book a resounding 5 out of 5 stars for the amazing storyline, the historical details, and the great characters. I highly recommend reading this book and I am personally ordering a physical copy for my book collection.

*I volunteered to read this book in return for my honest opinion. The thoughts and opinions expressed within are my own.