What I’m Reading: Blackman’s Coffin

I have several books on my hold on my online library but none were going to be available soon so that lead me to start looking through the “stacks”.  I was looking for a mystery when the book The Fitzgerald Ruse: A Sam Blackman Mystery (Sam Blackman Series Book 2) by Mark de Castrique.  It looked interesting…a mystery…something to do with F. Scott Fitzgerald…I was catching the bait.  Only problem, it was book 2 of the series.  If I was going to start a new series, I wanted to start with the first book so off I went to check if it was available and it was..so I checked out Blackman’s Coffin: A Sam Blackman Mystery.

I loved it!  It’s the perfect little bit of history mixed with crime and mystery.  The books of the series also have a connection to an classic literary writer.  This one focus’ on Thomas Wolfe.  Being a former English major in college, that part was intriguing too.  I am so happy I found a new mystery series.

Here’s what Amazon had to say, “What’s really hidden beneath Asheville’s rich history? Sam Blackman is an angry man. A Chief Warrant Officer in the Criminal Investigation Detachment of the U.S. military, he lost a leg in Iraq. His outspoken criticism of his medical treatment resulted in his transfer to the Veteran’s Hospital in Asheville, NC. Then an ex-marine and fellow amputee named Tikima Robertson walks into his hospital room.Tikima hints that she has an opportunity for Sam to use his investigative skills–if he can stop feeling sorry for himself. But before she can return, Tikima is murdered, her body found floating in the river. Tikima’s sister, Nakayla, brings Sam a journal she finds in Tikima’s apartment. The volume dates to 1919 and contains the entries of a twelve-year-old boy who accompanies his father, a white funeral director, as they help a black man, Elijah Robertson, transport his deceased relative to a small family plot in Georgia. Nearly ninety years ago, Elijah’s body was found in the French Broad River, a crime foreshadowing the death of his great-great granddaughter–Tikima’s.Sam and Nakayla must devle into Asheville’s rich history, the legacy of the Vanderbilts at the Biltmore estate and of author Tom Wolfe, to uncover the murderous truth. Blackman’s Coffin starts a new series by Mark de Castrique, author of the critically-acclaimed Buryin’ Barry Mysteries.”

Amazon readers are giving the book 4.5 stars.  I’d agree.  It was good, interesting in different levels and a series I definitely plan on continuing.  In fact, I already have book two downloaded and ready to listen to.