Go Tell the Bees That I Am Gone by Diana Gabaldon

Go Tell the Bees That I Am Gone by Diana Gabaldon

Claire and Jamie Fraser have at last reunited with their daughter Brianna and her family in the year 1779. But the Carolina backcountry is not as safe as Brianna and her husband Roger had hoped. War looms in the Colonies, causing tensions to rise. Jamie knows loyalties among his tenants on Fraser's Ridge are split, and it's only a matter of time until such a split rips at the seams. 

Meanwhile, young William Ransom, Jamie's child from a long ago dalliance, is grappling with his true parentage, and his stepfather, Lord John Grey, is just as close to the war as Jamie.

Book #9 in the Outlander series. 902 pages.

Time's Convert by Deborah Harkness

This book delves into the stories of the characters from the All Souls Trilogy. We see Marcus' past as a soldier in the American Revolution and his transformation into a vampire and doctor. His mate, Phoebe, is undergoing her own transformation in the present day, and my beloved Matthew and Diana (main characters from the trilogy) are having some interesting problems with their half vampire half witch twins.

I was really excited to read this book and it didn't disappoint. It doesn't have the same feel of adventure from the trilogy, but I liked the deep delve into Marcus' history.

Rating: 4/5
                                     Pages: 436

Written in My Own Heart's Blood by Diana Gabaldon

Written in My Own Heart's Blood by Diana Gabaldon

It is 1778 and Jamie and Claire Fraser are unsure how things became so complicated: France has declared war on Great Britain, and the British army has fled Philadelphia with George Washington in pursuit. Jamie, meanwhile, has returned from what Claire and Jamie's friend Lord John Grey were told was a watery grave only to find his friend has married his wife in order to protect her. His illegitimate son has discovered the true identity of his biological father, much to the horror of both father and son. In the midst of all this, Jamie's beloved nephew, Ian, has decided to marry a Quaker. Chaos abounding, Claire and Jamie's sister, Jenny, newly arrived from Scotland, attempt to pick up the pieces. One thing the Fraser family is sure of, though, is the safety of their daughter, Brianna, who resides in the twentieth century with her family. But all is not well with Brianna: Her young son has been kidnapped by a man seeking the family's secrets, and Brianna's husband Roger has once more ventured into the past to find the missing child, unaware that Jem is firmly rooted in the present. With Roger gone, Jem's kidnapper is free to focus on his true target: Brianna herself.

Book 8 in the Outlander series. 825 pages.

"Cross & Crown: A Sidewinder Story" by Abigail Roux

This book takes place in the "Cut & Run" universe but features Kelly Abbott and Nick O'Flaherty, two members of Marine Force Recon team Sidewinder.  These two played prominent roles in Roux's last book, "Ball & Chain."  It is now several months after "B&C" and Nick has returned to his job as a detective in Boston.  Kelly lives in Colorado but is visiting him for two weeks.  Just before Kelly arrives, Nick begins investigating a robbery/homicide.  There's a witness, but he claims amnesia and forms an attachment to Nick.  On top of that, retired CIA hitman Julian Cross is following the witness but is reluctant to say why.  Can Nick and Kelly figure out who the witness is before another killing?

This rather convoluted mystery involved lots of Revolutionary War history related to Boston, the Irish mob, Rosicrucians, and a possible cure for cancer.  Throw in Kelly and Nick's evolving relationship, Julian's unexpected appearance, and there's a lot to cover in 208 pages.  Unfortunately, it doesn't always fit together very well.  However, I still enjoyed seeing these characters again, especially Julian and his partner, Cameron Jacobs, from "Armed & Dangerous" and "Warrior's Cross."  Even Zane Garrett and Ty Grady from the "Cut & Run" series make cameos in phone conversations, so that made me happy.  208 pages.

George Washington’s Secret Six by Brian Kilmeade and Don Yaeger

(Posted for Paul Mathews)

George Washington's army retreated from New York City in 1776. On the island of Manhattan, he had six secret agents who gave him information the British. About 2 hundred years later the names of five were written about, but to this day nobody knows the identity of the lone woman in the secret six.

Audio:  8 hours 4 minutes

Print:  256 pages

Johnny One-Eye, by Jerome Charyn

A quite unusual tale of the American Revolution, as told by Johnny One-eye, bastard son of a famous New York City Madame and possibly Gen. Washington himself. At times comic, at times romantic, Johnny serves as inept double agent and observer of the British occupation of Manhattan during the war. The historical detail is quite colorful, as are the larger than life characters of this story. 475 p.