320 pages

5 stars

Brilliant!

This book was a joy to read. It has a low grade tension, spiked with action and drama here and there. A law professor who was very close to an aging archeology professor named Barrington Holmes learns of his sudden death. He is very quick to learn that it was murder. He is also good friends with the investigating police detective and so he advances the search for the murder suspect.

This begins Professor Matthew Shane’s search for the killer. He has promised the law professor’s wife Mary that he will find the killer. Matthew’s search begins in New Orleans. It seems the professor was involved with a group of like minded archeologists who were searching for a treasure.

From New Orleans, Matthew hops the globe investigating and meeting some really interesting people. And getting in some very tight spots.

I especially liked the part of the story about Captain Henry Morgan and his two Welsh subordinates. I guess I have a thing for “pirates.” (Even though Captain Morgan had letters of marque from the British government to capture and search Spanish ships, he was still considered a pirate.)

I truly enjoyed this novel. I kept reading long past the time when I should have been in bed. I learned a great deal. I like my novels to teach me something. The writing was excellent. The level of tension was well crafted and the increase in pressure came at the right times. The dialogue was good; no wasted words.

I want to thank NetGalley and Oceanview Publishing for forwarding to me a copy of this most excellent book for me to read, enjoy and review. The opinions expressed in this review are solely my own.