The Topaz Brooch - Review
WOW!
This is without a doubt the most ambitious of the Celtic Brooch series books yet.
It is 758 pages long and jam-packed with history, romance, and tension. It is always impressive how much historical research Katherine Lowry Logan must accomplish in order to incorporate and weave real historical figures and historical events into the storylines of her books.
In this case, the Battle of New Orleans of 1814 was the historical setting where a rag-tag group of Americans battles a superior British force in defense of New Orleans. Heading the poorly equipped U.S. Army is Major General Andrew Jackson (who later became the future seventh President of the U.S. as a result of this victory) against Major General Sir Edward Pakenham’s British troops. French pirate, smuggler, and privateer Jean LaFitte, along with his cutthroat pirates, are recruited with promises and do more than help the Americans win the Battle. Without their help, it was surely doomed to failure.
Their vibrant, quirky, dangerous personalities are all brought to glorious life by the author’s vivid writing in her descriptions of their meetings, the horrific sights and sounds of the battle and the aftermath. Their individual relationships with our main characters were complex and lifelike but worked seamlessly.
All of this is the backdrop where several of our beloved characters from past books, as well as expanding the roles of two new characters, is where our story takes place. And, it is a doozy!
Ms. Lowry Logan already warned her rabid readers that there was going to be violence and raw language in this book, so I was prepared. When there are pirates involved, what do you expect? There is also the fact that our two main characters, Billie Malone and Rick O’Grady, are two former military who are deep in denial about their PTSD. Their struggles with PTSD cause problems from the get-go. And, for a time I though famed artist Sophia Orsini (from “The Pearl Brooch”) was turning into another Jack Mallory (“The Broken Brooch” and “The Diamond Brooch”). I will leave the reader to find out what happens there.
The entire book is moving toward a climactic ending that will answers some questions to the history of the Celtic Brooches and open up more mysteries at the same time.
It is an epic, outstanding book in this fantastic series. I thoroughly enjoyed it! Bring on the next book!!!
Yes. This series just keeps getting better and better. I couldn’t put “The Topaze Brooch” down. Please quickly write/publish the next book in the series.
I’m working on it!