This romping escapade succeeds on the backs of its well-developed characters.
A famed English sea captain and his infamous pirate wife return in a new adventure set against the backdrop of the American Civil War in Hendrickson’s rollicking historical novel.
Captain John Edwards and his wife Brandy Erasmus Edwards have been using their ship, the Morning Star, to carry runaway slaves to safety. When Christopher Joshua, chairman of the board of the Joshua Shipyards, dies, Lady Adriana, Christopher’s greedy trophy wife, clashes with Terrence Edwards, the company’s manager (and John Edwards’ father). Control of the shipyard should fall to Christopher’s younger brother Arthur, but Vice Admiral Arthur Joshua—John’s former captain—has no interest in business, nor is he in much better shape physically than his brother. Arthur’s only male heir is Reggie, the young son of his daughter Davonte, who is the product of Arthur’s relationship with a former slave. The crew of the Morning Star must safely return Reggie to London to fight for his inheritance—but all is not smooth sailing as Adriana conspires with Lord Frederick, a member of the Joshua board who doesn’t want a commoner in charge of the shipyards (“With this new male heir in the equation, we have a real problem to deal with”). Hendrickson has assembled all the essentials for a seafaring yarn—adventure, romance, pirates, and even ninjas—delivering an entertaining, spirited chase around the Caribbean. He begins with appealing characters, especially the couple at the heart of this narrative, and the wise teacher Zhang (Brandy’s martial arts instructor). Hendrickson has also created detestable villains, such as Lord Frederick and the Empress (Zhang’s vengeful niece), who let petty grievances guide their actions. Readers will be intrigued by the story’s reminders of how much longer it took to travel long distances—and how communications were so much slower—during the era depicted. The most enjoyable sections feature pairings of characters racing to the climactic battles. The novel’s epilogue suggests that this is the final volume in this series; if so, that’s a shame, as the author has perfected a winning formula with this extended Morning Star family.
This romping escapade succeeds on the backs of its well-developed characters.Pub Date: Dec. 31, 2024
ISBN: 9798985442588
Page Count: 278
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: Nov. 30, 2024
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
An affecting portrait of a prickly woman.
A lifetime’s worth of letters combine to portray a singular character.
Sybil Van Antwerp, a cantankerous but exceedingly well-mannered septuagenarian, is the titular correspondent in Evans’ debut novel. Sybil has retired from a beloved job as chief clerk to a judge with whom she had previously been in private legal practice. She is the divorced mother of two living adult children and one who died when he was 8. She is a reader of novels, a gardener, and a keen observer of human nature. But the most distinguishing thing about Sybil is her lifelong practice of letter writing. As advancing vision problems threaten Sybil’s carefully constructed way of life—in which letters take the place of personal contact and engagement—she must reckon with unaddressed issues from her past that threaten the house of cards (letters, really) she has built around herself. Sybil’s relationships are gradually revealed in the series of letters sent to and received from, among others, her brother, sister-in-law, children, former work associates, and, intriguingly, literary icons including Joan Didion and Larry McMurtry. Perhaps most affecting is the series of missives Sybil writes but never mails to a shadowy figure from her past. Thoughtful musings on the value and immortal quality of letters and the written word populate one of Sybil’s notes to a young correspondent while other messages are laugh-out-loud funny, tinged with her characteristic blunt tartness. Evans has created a brusque and quirky yet endearing main character with no shortage of opinions and advice for others but who fails to excavate the knotty difficulties of her own life. As Sybil grows into a delayed self-awareness, her letters serve as a chronicle of fitful growth.
An affecting portrait of a prickly woman.Pub Date: May 6, 2025
ISBN: 9780593798430
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Crown
Review Posted Online: Feb. 15, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2025
Great crime fiction.
An apparent suicide threatens to destroy an Irish farm town in the final volume of French’s Cal Hooper trilogy.
In the fictional western Ireland townland of Ardnakelty, “there’s a girl going after missing.” Soon young Rachel Holohan is found dead in the river. Shortly before, she had stopped at Lena Dunne’s home, and nothing had seemed amiss. The medical examiner determines she’d swallowed antifreeze, and he presumes she then fell from a bridge into the water. The medical examiner and the town agree she’d died by suicide. But there is far more to the plot: 16-year-old Trey Reddy thinks Tommy Moynihan murdered Rachel. Moynihan doles out favors and punishments to the local townsfolk, who know it’s best not to cross him. Now rumors spread that Moynihan wants land and has a secret plan to forcibly buy up parcels from the locals. A factory will be built, or a great big data center, or who knows what. If Tommy’s son, Eugene, can get elected to the local council, then compulsory purchase orders for land will follow, and the farms will disappear. Eugene, who’d been romantically involved with Rachel, is wonderfully described as “on the weedy edge of good-looking” and just fine as long as you “don’t have high expectations in the way of chins.” Lena is engaged to the American Cal Hooper, an ex-cop turned woodworker. They are “more or less raising” Trey, and these three core characters are drawn into the mystery of Rachel’s death and may have to face the looming clouds of civilizational change for Ardnakelty. Lena is chastised for “asking your wee questions all round the townland,” and Trey wants to quit school, against Cal’s advice. Finally, the story’s best line: “You can’t go killing people just because they deserve it.”
Great crime fiction.Pub Date: March 31, 2026
ISBN: 9780593493465
Page Count: 496
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: Dec. 26, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2026
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