ORIGINAL DEATH is the third book in The Bone Rattler series by Eliot Pattison. Filled with historical detail, a complex revolutionary plot, and a need for justice in a world ruled by greed and power, ORIGINAL DEATH is truly a fascinating and emotionally charged mystery.
Scottish exile, Duncan McCallum, travels Colonial America with Conawago, searching for the last members of Conawago's tribe. When they do locate Conawago's family, it is only to find the entire village slaughtered. Conawago sees the ritual murders as a crisis in the spirit world, one that he must correct. Duncan has no time to investigate the true nature of these murders before he's arrested for the crime. Escaping from British custody, Duncan must piece together clues that hint at a far greater plot that could spell the end of the native tribes, British rule, and colonial America as he knows it.
ORIGINAL DEATH by Eliot Pattison brings together everything that is wonderful about historical novels and mysteries. The authenticity of the historical detail is amazing, and the facts are woven into the story seamlessly, never slowing the plot or turning into a lesson. The history feels active and alive, in a way that all history should be told. The mystery is intricate and goes down an unexpected path. There is a lot happening in ORIGINAL DEATH. The murders that draw Duncan and Conawago into the plot are just the very tip of what is happening, but these murders are never forgotten even as the mystery expands to include a secret rebellion that could shift the power balance for the world.
Eliot Pattison has crafted a tightly woven mystery, with intriguing characters and vivid historical detail. ORIGINAL DEATH is a fascinating glimpse into pre-Revolutionary America and the struggles of a people to retain their identity in an ever shifting political struggle. Fans of historical mysteries will enjoy ORIGINAL DEATH.
Despite the raging war between French and British, Scottish
exile Duncan McCallum has begun to settle into a new life on
the fringes of colonial America, traveling the woodlands
with his companion Conawago, even joining the old Indian on
his quest to find the last surviving members of his tribe.
But the joy they feel on reaching the little settlement of
Christian Indians is shattered when they find its residents
ritually murdered. As terrible as the deaths may be,
Conawago perceives something even darker and more alarming:
he is convinced they are a sign of a terrible crisis in the
spiritworld which he must resolve.
Trying to make sense of the murders, Duncan is accused by
the British army of the crime. Escaping prison to follow the
trail of evidence, he finds himself hounded by vengeful
soldiers and stalked by Scottish rebels who are mysteriously
trying to manipulate the war to their advantage. As he
pieces together the puzzle of violence and deception he
gradually realizes that it may not only be the lives of
Duncan and his friends that hang in the balance, but the
very survival of the native tribes. When he finally
discovers the terrible truth, Duncan is forced to make a
fateful choice between his beloved Highland clans and the
woodland natives who have embraced and protected him.
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