Anarchists, assassination attempts, political intrigue, plots to overthrow the government? Sounds like today’s era, but this was over 100 years ago in 1908 America. Jerry Borrowman’s Flames of Anarchy is a thrilling historical fiction based on actual events & the creation of the FBI. It’s a heart-stopping political thriller told from several viewpoints that was hard to put down.

After a bombing at Union Station narrowly misses President Theodore Roosevelt, Senator Jason Ellis vows to find out whether it was a lone wolf or part of an attempt to overthrow capitalism. He enlists his friend Pinkerton Agent Andy Pettit to investigate. But, the plot is complicated & those involved elusive. With the Republican National Convention looming, will they catch the perpetrators before it’s too late?

Angel Casimer, an American Bolshevik, longs to be famous for overthrowing capitalism. When his attempts are frustrated, he becomes increasingly agitated, especially with mounting pressure from those who recruited him. He hopes his next assignment to topple the financial industry & set stocks plummeting will bring him the glory he desires.

I enjoyed this well researched, historical fiction based on actual people & events. Theodore Roosevelt, JP Morgan, & others are deftly brought to life in this story. I was fascinated by the debate over the creation of the FBI. The need for protection & security versus privacy is an ongoing debate & it was interesting knowing past fellow Americans had these concerns.

I listened to the audiobook version & it was chilling getting perspectives from multiple points of view including the anarchist’s. I was on pins & needles wondering how James & Andy would ever discover the key figures behind the plot. The narrator did a good job bringing this story to life. At first, there were a lot of characters to keep track of while listening, but eventually, I was able to distinguish them all.

I enjoyed having notes at the beginning & end highlighting fact vs fiction. It’s a fast-paced thriller with several moving parts that kept me eagerly listening. DefiniteIy recommend to historical fiction fans! I received an advanced copy from the publisher with no expectation of a review. All opinions are completely my own & voluntarily provided.

Jerry Borrowman's Flames of Anarchy offers a fictionalized version of Theodore Roosevelt's crusade against anarchists terrorists in early 20th Century America. The novel is action-packed and folks who enjoy books with strong narrative arcs—particularly those who are interested in this particular era—will find Flames of Anarchy an enjoyable read.

Borrowman provides a helpful pair of lists at the start of the book: one of historical characters, one of fictional. I appreciated this information because it allowed me to ruminate about his portraysals. Why this historical figure? Why did he want to add in a character of this type? That said, the characters have clear motivations and are active, but I didn't feel as if I was getting to the internal selves. In action-based narrative, I don't think that's necessarily a problem, but I kept wishing for the characters to grow more complex (or for my understanding of them to grow more complex) as I read.

If you're looking for lively summer reading combining action and history, you'll want to check out Flames of Anarchy.

I received a free electronic review copy of this title from the publisher via NetGalley; the opinions are my own.

Fascinating topic - The Anarchist movement during Theodore Roosevelt's presidency and the birth of the FBI. I loved learning about this time, but I felt that this might have been better as a non-fiction book rather than a historical fiction. It just didn't grab my attention.

Interesting book. Keeps reader engaged to the very end.However it wasn't clear whether this actually happened as written despite the notes at the end

Flames of Anarchy opens with a bang! A bomb goes off at Union Station in Washington, DC, killing a financier rather than the intended target - President Teddy Roosevelt. Then Senator Jason Ellis and a number of Senators' wives are almost roasted alive at a Washington restaurant. Senator Ellis brings in his friend Andy Pettit, a Pinkerton agent, to find out what is going on. Clues from these events, a shooting in Connecticut, and then attempts on Senator Ellis in Europe help to narrow the field of suspects. The book climaxes with a confrontation at the Republican National Convention in Chicago and then in New York City. An interesting historical thriller set in a time not often explored .

Thanks Netgalley and Shadow Mountain Publishing for the opportunity to read this title!

A historical fiction about the creation on the FBI? Why not. It’s not something I’ve ever thought about, so it was fun to go back in time with Theodore Roosevelt to a time when the FBI didn’t exist, but crime directed at the government did.

I liked that there were multiple points of view from politicians and villains. I liked that it was a fairly quick read. I liked seeing the need for the FBI. I went into it knowing that young America did not want a strong police/government force, so it was interesting to see how different viewpoints might lead to a change. Overall a fun book. This was a historical fiction that read as a light thriller. I enjoyed it and enjoyed learning something new.

As a mostly fiction reader, I didn’t get very attached to characters. I think for me that was one thing I wish this had. A more human element.

I enjoyed this read quite a bit!
I am not familiar with US politics/ presidencies or anything of the sort so I wondered how I would perceive the story/writing and I am surprised at how well written this is.
I like how you get different narratives and get to understand each character (even the side ones get their own chapters!) which I believe helped build the story and helped my understanding as a non American.
Overall I enjoyed this book. Hope to read more!

-Book was provided by NetGalley for an honest review.

Solid piece of historical fiction which reads as a political thriller. With masterful plot pacing and well-researched historical detail, readers will quickly find themselves lost within the pages of this story. I loved the author's notes and lists of characters at the beginning of the book. He lets the reader know which are historical or fictional characters.

Borrowman pens a captivating tale of the anarchists that were spinning an international web of terror during the final months of President Theodore Roosevelts presidency. As his friends, a senator and ex-Pinkerton agent start to connect the dots, they realize that time is running out.

I loved the fact that the story is told from different POV(points of view). This allows the readers to get a true understanding of many of the political issues of 1908, getting inside the thought process of those that opposed a capitalistic society. I also enjoyed the explanations of the stock market and how it worked. Readers will love the explosive ending.

****content warning- a few swear words, acts of violence

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author/publisher. I was not required to write a review. All opinions expressed are my own.

I picked up this book because I love the publisher and I had heard of the author. I enjoy a historical political thriller. I didn’t really get the feel that this was a thriller. It was an engaging read. I am grateful for the character notes at the beginning, since I do not know a lot about this particular timeframe or subject, so it was good to know who was fictional and who was real. There was no mystery to solve, no romance to intrigue, but the history of people and places was interesting. I would recommend this book to history buffs or political enthusiasts, as they would probably enjoy it. It flows pretty well once you get into the story. I would probably say it’s a PG-13 read with terrorist plots, assassinations, gun, knife and bomb interaction. There is also talk of death, murder, and suicide. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

My thanks for the ARC goes to NetGalley and Shadow Mountain Publishing. I'm voluntarily leaving a review.

Genre: Historical Fiction, American Historical Fiction

First of all, give a shout out to the book cover's art! I adore it!

FLAMES OF ANARCHY might feel eerily similar to politics you're familiar with—terrorism and dissatisfaction. The discontent of the "haves vs the have nots" actually reminded me of The Good Earth by Buck. However, the stories and outcomes of these two books are vastly different. Within Borrowman's book, this is a time when those living in poverty are rising (and have assassinated or are trying to assassinate men in power).

I generally love historical fiction, but I had a hard time getting into this one, and here's why: The villains are fictitious, and I think a more accurate portrayal would have been better. There was a little too much explanations between characters that I felt like they were talking about things both of them knew—I've heard this called maid and butler dialogue. This may sound contrary, but I also didn't get as much "story" and "political intrigue" as I expected, which would be the fictional part of this historical fiction.

I initially liked the women in the story because they felt authentic to the time. After all was said and done, I had to DNF this one because I wasn't the right audience.

So even though the book wasn't for me, I'm going rounding 3.5 stars up to 4, figuring the perfect audience will love it.

Happy reading.

Reading the description of this book, I was totally intrigued! It sounded like such a promising story. After reading a few chapters, however, my attention wasn't hooked like I had hoped it would be. I think the right reader will really love this one, but I don't think I am actually the target audience for this book. Perhaps I will come back to it later, although for now, I think it is time for me to put it aside.

After the initial pages, I found myself not connecting with the story or characters, so I decided to pass on this book. Did not finish

This is a political thriller set in 1908. I thought it was really cool to have real historical figures like Theodore Roosevelt, JP Morgan and more, included in the story. There are also fictional characters too. I liked that there was multiple povs, including the bad guys. This story is pretty fast paced and you never know where the bad guys are going to strike next. I liked Senator Ellis and his wife a lot. Overall, I thought the storytelling was interesting but there were times it felt pretty chaotic and all over the place. Like too much was happening and then other times nothing was happening. I was also surprised at the amount of swearing, though mild I didn’t realize this publisher did that as I’ve never encountered before from them. Overall though I enjoyed this story.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Content: 5 uses of “d*mn”, 2 uses of “hell”,

I think voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from netgalley. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.

"Flames of Anarchy" by award-winning author Jerry Borrowman is a fast-paced political thriller. It takes place in 1908 and follows several people and plotlines. I love that many characters in the book are actual historical figures and there is a helpful list of characters in the front of the book which show which characters are fictional and which are historical. I also loved the chapter notes at the back, which include historical photographs. Mr. Borrowman writes in a way that makes history accessible and easy to read, with short chapters. I also appreciate that there is a bit of a faith element with characters praying. The story is well-researched and contains great historical details. The plot drew me in and made me want to know what would happen next. I especially liked the portrayal of President Theodore Roosevelt and learning more about what his personality was like. It was neat to see the Pinkerton agents and talk about the early ideas of the FBI. It was fascinating to have sections of the book devoted to the point of view of the American Bolshevik (the bad guy of the story) and see how the mind of a terrorist would work. While I must admit that this is not my normal genre (so I was a little confused at some parts with the talk of stocks and other parts of the political plot), I still very much enjoyed this page-turning drama! I think fans of political thrillers and historical fiction will enjoy this book!

I give this a PG rating for content. Some examples of the content: mention of smoking, cigarettes, alcohol and laudanum; the words “da*n,” “a*s” and “hell” are used; the Lord’s name is taken in vain; mention of a man being a “groper” and peering down the dresses of women.
TW: mention of su*cide; possible alcoholic; mention of SA in the past; mental illness.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the author. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.

Thanks to Shadow Mountain Publishing and NetGalley for this free ARC in return for my honest review.

Really fine effort by Jerry Borrowman!!! This book takes place in 1908 and gives a really good story about the rise of Anarchy in the United States, using Historical figures and events to tell the story of the beginning of the FBI, thanks to the rising fear on the lives of politicians and businessmen, as they attempt to destabilize the US economy and all of capitalism. Borrowman follows President Theodore Roosevelt, a US Senator and a Pinkerton detective as they are some of the major figures in the US attempting to stop terrorist bombings and killings. We go from Baltimore, to Washington, Germany, Russia and Chicago in a plot that is fast paced and highly believable. As we deal with terrorism today, it is fascinating to go back over 100 years ago and realize we were dealing with the same issues at the beginning of the 20th Century!
4.5****

Flames of Anarchy deals with the threat of anarchist attack in the early 1900s, the impact of this on financial markets and the founding of the FBI. This political thriller opens with an assassination attempt on President Theodore Roosevelt’s life – a stark indication of the dangers faced by politicians and businessmen at a time of rapid change and social upheaval.

The writing style of this novel will suit some readers, though I felt that historical and political context was often included for explanation and to educate the reader rather than being woven into the storyline. Some characters brought distinctive personalities to the story, for example, Roosevelt with his irrepressible energy and optimism, but character development was limited and this was predominantly a plot-driven story.

It’s clear that considerable research has been carried out in the writing of this novel and it was very interesting to learn about this episode in America’s history, but I found it hard to immerse myself in the story and unfortunately this novel wasn’t for me.

Thank you to Shadow Mountain Publishing and NetGalley for sharing this free digital review copy with me in exchange for an honest review.

Dive into "FLAMES OF ANARCHY" by JERRY BORROWMAN, a captivating political thriller set against the backdrop of the tumultuous early 1900s. As Teddy Roosevelt's presidency draws to a close, the discontent among the working class ignites a powerful fight for justice. With anarchists targeting influential figures, the atmosphere is charged with suspense and peril. This compelling narrative not only chronicles the birth of the FBI but also offers a poignant glimpse into a pivotal moment in American history. If you revel in intense stories anchored in actual events, this book will leave you breathless. A must-read for followers of Traci Hunter Abramson, it promises a thrilling journey through history that is as enlightening as it is entertaining!

I received a complimentary e-copy of this book and read it with pleasure. I was under no obligation to leave a positive review. Thank you, Shadow Mountain Publishing and NetGalley.

#FlamesofAnarchy #shadowmountain #NetGalley
#awardwinningauthor #historicalfictiontriller
#historicalfigures

What I love about this author’s books is that I learn new things. The stories flow and the characters are interesting, all while telling history accurately.
This one had me intrigued, while also schooling me in things about history that I didn’t know.
A win-win!

#FlamesofAnarchy #NetGalley.

A political thriller set in the early 1900s. A time when common people in the workforce thought things were unfair and decided to take things into their own hands. Teddy Roosevelt is nearing the end of his presidency when things start to heat up. With anarchists trying to kill political leaders, it was a terrifying time. This is the beginning of the FBI. I didn't know very much about this time period. It was a historical thriller full of suspense.

I really enjoyed this as a historical mystery element that I was looking for and enjoyed the overall feel in this world. The characters were everything that I was looking for and enjoyed the overall concept that they were going on. Jerry Borrowman was able to weave a strong concept and thought it worked well in this genre. It uses the time-period perfectly and was glad I was able to weave a strong mystery element.