“De Castrique’s stellar third mystery...[is a] marvelous blend of history and mystery seasoned with information about Carl Sandburg’s life and times...[A] strong regional mystery.” Publishers Weekly (starred review)
Description
It was only a simple, routine assignment for private investigator Sam Blackman and his partner, Nakayla Robertson: follow a history professor, who is suing a spinal surgeon for malpractice, and catch her in physical activities that undercut her claim.
When the professor, Janice Wainwright, visits Connemara, the home of the poet Carl Sandburg, in Flat Rock, North Carolina, and climbs the arduous trail to the top of Glassy Mountain, Sam believes he has the evidence he needs to wrap up the case—until he finds the woman semiconscious and bleeding on the mountain’s granite outcrop. Her final words were “It’s the Sandburg verses. The Sandburg verses.”
As the first person to discover the dying woman, Sam becomes the prime suspect. Now the case is personal. An autopsy reveals painkillers in her blood and solid proof of the surgeon’s errors, and Sam is left with haunting questions: Why did this suffering woman endure the climb to the mountaintop? Did she stumble and fall or did someone cause her death?
Then a break-in at the Wainwright farmhouse and the theft of Sandburg volumes convince Sam that someone is seeking information worth killing for. But what did Pulitzer Prize winner Sandburg have in his literary collection that could lead to multiple murders? And who will be targeted next?
Sam and Nakayla must navigate a convoluted trail of historical facts and mountain legends to arrive at the truth—a truth that Carl Sandburg never knew he possessed—and a treasure to be had for a song.
Praise
“De Castrique’s stellar third mystery...[is a] marvelous blend of history and mystery seasoned with information about Carl Sandburg’s life and times...[A] strong regional mystery.” Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“Folk songs, Sandburg, and Civil War history—what a winning combination! Easy banter and humor with a free-spirited ensemble cast make this mystery a pleasant escape.” Library Journal
Details
| Language | English |
|---|---|
| Release Day | Oct 3, 2011 |
| Release Date | October 4, 2011 |
| Number in Series | 3 |
| Series Display String | The Sam Blackman Mysteries |
| Release Date Machine | 1317686400 |
| Imprint | Blackstone Publishing |
| Provider | Blackstone Publishing |
| Categories | Mystery, Thriller & Suspense, Bestselling Mysteries, Bestselling Mystery |
Author Bio
Mark de Castrique is the author of the Washington, DC, political thriller, The 13th Target, and author of the critically acclaimed Barry Clayton and Sam Blackman mystery series, both set in the mountains of his native North Carolina, and as well as mysteries for young adults. He is a veteran of the television and film production industry and serves as an adjunct professor at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.
Narrator Bio
William Dufris attended the University of Southern Maine in Portland-Gorham before pursuing a career in voice work in London and then the United States. He has won more than twenty AudioFile Earphones Awards, was voted one of the Best Voices at the End of the Century by AudioFile magazine, and won the prestigious Audie Award in 2012 for best nonfiction narration. He lives with his family in Maine.
Overview
It was only a simple, routine assignment for private investigator Sam Blackman and his partner, Nakayla Robertson: follow a history professor, who is suing a spinal surgeon for malpractice, and catch her in physical activities that undercut her claim.
When the professor, Janice Wainwright, visits Connemara, the home of the poet Carl Sandburg, in Flat Rock, North Carolina, and climbs the arduous trail to the top of Glassy Mountain, Sam believes he has the evidence he needs to wrap up the case—until he finds the woman semiconscious and bleeding on the mountain’s granite outcrop. Her final words were “It’s the Sandburg verses. The Sandburg verses.”
As the first person to discover the dying woman, Sam becomes the prime suspect. Now the case is personal. An autopsy reveals painkillers in her blood and solid proof of the surgeon’s errors, and Sam is left with haunting questions: Why did this suffering woman endure the climb to the mountaintop? Did she stumble and fall or did someone cause her death?
Then a break-in at the Wainwright farmhouse and the theft of Sandburg volumes convince Sam that someone is seeking information worth killing for. But what did Pulitzer Prize winner Sandburg have in his literary collection that could lead to multiple murders? And who will be targeted next?
Sam and Nakayla must navigate a convoluted trail of historical facts and mountain legends to arrive at the truth—a truth that Carl Sandburg never knew he possessed—and a treasure to be had for a song.
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