Terry Roberts

I am a poor wayfarin’ stranger
Traveling through this world of woe
And there’s no sickness, no toil, nor danger
In that bright land to which I go

The Civil War has ended and Jacob Ballard, former union soldier now working for he War Department, has been sent to North Carolina ostensibly to examine the claims of North Carolinians who had been injured while fighting for the north and to decide the amount of pensions they are entitled to. But, while this is his stated purpose, he is there show more for a much darker reason. Someone is killing Union veterans and Zebulon Vance, governor of North Carolina and Jake’s uncle, has asked him to investigate and apprehend the murderer.

Based on true events, author Terry Roberts has created a fascinating and compelling historical mystery in That Bright Land, portraying beautifully the aftermath of the Civil War. It is a stunning portrayal of the anger and anguish that continued to set brother against brother even after the end of the conflict and the inflamed passions that can be seen even today. His depiction of the beautiful Appalachian scenery and the culture and mores of the area during this period as well as the complex characters give the story a real sense of place and time while producing an even greater sense of poignancy. This is a tale set in a very bleak period of American history but Roberts adds some lightness with a romance and even a bit of humour but, even here, Roberts stays true to the era.In the end, though, while Roberts has shone a light on an important but dark part of American history, That Bright Land is a story about love, loss, forgiveness, hope, and redemption.

Thanks to Edelweiss and Turner Publishing Company for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review show less

The American South in the 1920's was an interesting region. With religious folk preaching against the sins of drinking alcohol, and prohibition making it a prominent job option for those looking to make some money, here comes Jedidiah Robbins on his gospel train. With his team selling bibles, (and bottles out the back), he is a man full of contradiction. He is what made this book so compulsively readable.

Jed and his group tour mostly in Appalachia and find themselves in trouble there from show more time to time. With local lawman trying to keep law and order, with the KKK, (unhappy with the colorful nature of Jed's team), and the additional appearance of H.L. Mencken trying to unveil a scam, it seems there is never a dull moment.

I myself am not a religious type and I usually do not appreciate novels that attempt to preach at me, however stealthily that attempt may be. I do think some of that was going on here. It was my fascination with Jed Robbins that kept me going. I admit there were a few other characters that interested me as well-oddly enough-one of them was God himself.

I think if Jed were a through and through man of the cloth this book would have been boring. But Jed was a man of the world, and even if it wasn't he himself that was distributing that bootleg liquor, it was his team doing so, and it was with his full knowledge. They did some other things that many would deem ungodly as well. Yet somehow Jed walked the walk of a true believer and he was sometimes so sweet and kind, he brought a tear to my eye.

A quick note about the writing-Terry Roberts has a deft hand with language and that's another reason this book was so difficult to put down. I have several highlighted passages that I thought were just beautiful, but I can't quote them here until the book is released. (August 21, 2018, people! Mark your calendars!) A few times I just had to marvel over sentences that flowed like a mountain stream through my mind and emptied into the river of my heart. I may not be a religious person, but I am a spiritual person and the language here touched my spirit.

THE HOLY GHOST SPEAKEASY AND REVIVAL is worthy of your time. Even if you're not religious, even if historical fiction isn't your true thing, (I'm not and it isn't, but the title sucked me in), this is a wonderfully written book that will lead you down through the paths of Appalachia into an America that is long gone, but fondly remembered here.

Highly recommended!

*Thanks to Edelweiss and Turner Publishing for the e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest feedback. This is it.* show less

This historical novel is set entirely on New York Harbor’s Ellis Island. Stephen Robbins, who is adept at finding things and people, has been hired to find an Irish woman , Ciara McManaway,
who arrived on Ellis Island as one among thousands of people who need to get past the guardians who decide who gets to stay and who must return to their native countries. Ciara arrived at Ellis Island, was assigned to an isolation ward because she was pregnant, and then vanished. Stephen methodically show more begins to peel back the layers of secrets about what happened to Ciara and dozens of others. After Stephen meets Lucy Paul, a nurse working undercover, the two investigators pool their resources to uncover the insidious and murderous events occurring on Ellis Island.

This is a well-written and fast-paced book that captures the nuances of life on the island in a time when racism was rampant and out in the open. Robert’s has created two strong characters in Stephen and Lucy, both are flawed and intelligent both are able to accept the other at face value in order to solve the mystery of Ellis Island. Even the secondary characters are well-drawn and truly evil.

If you like your mysteries to keep you up reading into the wee hours of the morning and with maze-like twists and turns, then this is definitely the book for you. If you like your historicals to be set in familiar places and to learn something you didn’t know about those places, then this book is for you. If you like your historical mysteries to have some humor and a bit of romance, then try this book. Terry Roberts’ book should be at the top of your to-be-read list because historical mysteries don’t get any better than this.

My thanks to Turner Publishing and Edelweiss for an eARC. show less

I really liked this book. It was just a random pick from the library shelf-I had heard nothing about it or the author but I was totally absorbed by it. Josephine, who chooses the name Jo as she enters her new life, comes from the country in North Carolina and decides to move to the city of Asheville. She is hired to work at a bank where it is discovered that she is a genius at math and where she is promoted to make reports and calculations. She is also drawn to the Sky Club, a speakeasy, and show more becomes very involved with a man from there. As this is set in the Depression, alcohol is illegal and banks are failing, which become issues that figure highly in Jo's life. None of this may sound exciting but Robert's writing is clear and immersive and he explores several themes in this book. I am now looking for his other titles! show less