A Marked Man by Barbara Hamilton

A Marked Man by Barbara Hamilton ISBN-13: 9780425251638 Mass Market Paperback: 336 pages Publisher: Berkley Prime Crime Released: October 2, 2012

Source: Review copy from the publisher.

Book Description, Modified from Back Cover:
1774: Ten weeks after the Boston Tea Party. Abigail Adams, wife of attorney John Adams, who is deeply involved with the Sons of Liberty—a secret organization opposing the Crown. The arrest of one of the Sons comes as a shock to both of them because it isn’t for treason, it’s for murder...

The accused is young Henry Knox; the victim is a royal representative to the colonial court. Did the murder indeed arise from the competition between the two for the affections of the daughter of a prominent Loyalist, or was it politically motivated?

Abigail and John believe Knox to be innocent, despite the strong evidence against him. Since John is currently working on another urgent case, Abigail begins the investigation. But as she pursues the truth, the killer pursues her—threatening not only Abigail but her vulnerable family...


My Review:
A Marked Man is a historical mystery set in 1774 in Boston. This book is the second in a series. You don't need to read the previous novel to understand this one, and this novel didn't spoil the previous mystery.

Vivid historical details about the everyday life and politics were skillfully woven into the story. The characters were people of the time period (as in, their ideas and ideals were accurate to the time), and they accurately portrayed the time without being cliche personalities. The characters reacted realistically to the situations, and I always understood why they were acting the way they were. I found the characters very engaging and interesting.

The mystery was an interesting clue-based puzzle. It was nice that Abigail was supposed to be investigating the murder and that she had a mutually-respectful working relationship with the official investigator. Whodunit was guessable but not immediately obvious. I realized where the clues were pointing at about the same time Abigail did.

There was no sex (though rape was referred to in conversation). There was a minor amount of explicit bad language. Overall, I really enjoyed the characters (and the mystery and the history) of this novel and would highly recommend it.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.


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