This is my second Sigmund Brouwer novel. I read "Thief of Glory" last year and was spellbound. Saffire didn't have quite the punch as the first book in my opinion, but it's still a great read. Mr. Brouwer is masterful at creating page-turners that leave you dying to know something- details of a character's past for instance. He is a wonderful writer and I enjoyed this story with it's many mysteries to unravel. It's fun to see if I can unravel something before the author finally reveals it.
Here's a bit from the book:
For President Teddy Roosevelt, controlling the east-west passage between two oceans mattered so much that he orchestrated a revolution to control it. His command was to ‘let the dirt fly’ and for years, the American Zone of the Panama Canal mesmerized the world, working in uneasy co-existence with the Panamanian aristocrats.
It’s in this buffered Zone where, in 1909, James Holt begins to protect a defenseless girl named Saffire, expecting a short and simple search for her mother. Instead it draws him away from safety, into a land haunted by a history of pirates, gold runners, and plantation owners, all leaving behind ghosts of their interwoven desires sins and ambitions, ghosts that create the web of deceit and intrigue of a new generation of revolutionary politics. It will also bring him together with a woman who will change his course—or bring an end to it.
The story setting is historical and factual. Some of the characters are real. This made it all the better for me. The romantic part of the storyline didn't draw me in, but the main character, James Holt became as real as a character ever could. The development of this guy was deep and rich. I was fully engaged in the life of this "Americano Cowboy". But I wish more time were spent developing the other characters- it's a nice thing to be lost in a story and emotionally involved. I was for sure with James Holt, but I would have liked to get to know Saffire better. Mr. Miskimon, a character based on a real man, was fascinating. I found the back-and-forth banter and relationship between these two main characters to be wonderful fun. I find Sigmund B.'s stories to be deliciously good for an escape from my daily world. His insight into people and their machinations and motivations make for solid characters. I' waiting for the next one!
*I received an advance uncorrected proof copy of this title for free in order to review it for the publisher.
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