Reviewed By Liz

ISBN 0-9785265-3-8

THE BLACKSMITH’S DAUGHTER is the second book in Suzanne Adair’s Revolutionary War series. Sophie Barton was the main character in PAPER WOMAN, and her daughter Betsy Sheridan is featured in book two. It is 1780 and seventeen-year-old Betsy is pregnant when she begins to suspect her husband is spying for the patriots. Her parents, grandfather, and uncle are already in hiding or on the run as suspected spies and British Lieutenant Fairfax, thwarted by her relatives, confronts Betsy at every turn. She is trying to keep the activities of her various family members secret from Fairfax while working to locate them so she can be reunited with them.

But Betsy is an innocent in this political intrigue and she first has to learn who the players are. There is danger for her and her unborn child around every corner and she has to be on her guard at all times if they are going to survive.

This book is not a traditional mystery, but it is a fantastic read. Instead of figuring out whodunit, you spent much of the book trying to unravel the complex motivations and hidden agendas of the different characters. Who is working for the crown and who for the rebels? And can you trust any of them?

One of the most interesting aspects of this book (aside from the wonderful historical detail) is the way that Adair communicates to the reader the tremendous amount of stress that people living during the American Revolution must have lived with. When your own country is torn apart by war and the front line could well be in your front yard, no one is safe. Saying the wrong thing to the wrong person can get you - and your entire family - killed. As you read this book, you really get the feeling of insecurity and of not knowing upon whom you can rely. While I might find this stress unpleasant in a completely fiction book, I find it gives me a better sense of the time in a fact-based historical fiction work.

Favorite character? Probably Betsy. Will I read another? Absolutely. I found both of these books to be page-turners.

Mystery Book Reviews by Liz at http://reviewedbyliz.com ©2007

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