Soul Catcher by Michael C. White is the story of Augustus Cain, a down on his luck gambler, wounded Mexican-American War veteran and well known fugitive slave catcher. After losing badly to a Mr. Eberly, a wealthy Virginian landowner, Cain finds himself on the road to tracking down two runaway slaves, Henry and Rosetta. He is joined by three of Eberly’s men and their journey leads them north to New York and eventually Boston to capture the runaways.

It is on the dangerous return journey that Cain begins to question why he is bringing these people back to a life of harsh captivity. As the journey becomes his means of redemption, the reader is also given a vivid picture of the American nation on the brink of the upcoming Civil War. Some interesting people cross their paths, including the famous abolitionist John Brown, along with various con-men, patrollers and wise women both black and white. Cain is a flawed antihero but even though he exists in a laudanum haze, he is a deep thinker and Rosetta becomes someone that we want to see succeed in her quest for freedom.

Soul Catcher is beautifully written and comes to life on the pages. The violence and divided loyalties ring true as both well-crafted scenes and a high body count hold the reader’s attention. Although the outcome was somewhat obvious, the getting there was a truly captivating story and the Epilogue brought the story full circle as the conflicted Southerner comes to a moral reckoning. ( )

In someone else's hands this story could have been quite a bust. I wasn't sure I was going to buy it myself at first.

Augustus Cain is a slave catcher. He found from an early age that he had a gift for this work, but as he grew older he no longer wanted to do it. Nevertheless, he was pressured by the threat of the loss of his horse - a horse he valued more than any person he knew - to make one more pursuit. The subjects were an older man and a young woman, from the plantation of a rich man who was willing to pay well, especially for the return of the woman, Rosetta.

Part of the deal was that Cain had to be accompanied by three persons chosen by the evil plantation owner. Two were brothers, apparently along to assist as muscle, and the third was a cruel little man who dressed all in black, who was called "the preacher". Cain wasn't excited about having any of them along but particularly took against the preacher. So life on the road was not pleasant.

It was a long journey, frought with danger from abolitionists and others, and Rosetta was no quiet submissive slave. One can imagine some kind of relationship growing between them and that is where I figured this was headed. It's more a journey of conscience, though. And who ever knows how far that will get you?

Decently read by Wiliam Dufris. I didn't always like the sound of Cain's voice as created by Dufris but it seemed believable. In fact, the story itself seemed possible, if not exactly probable. ( )

A very well developed and plotted story with characters you care about. Set before the beginning of the Civil War, Soul Catcher tells the story of Cain, a slave catcher who takes the job of returning three slaves, including the woman Rosetta, the relationship and bond that developed between the two, and the struggle Cain has to do what is right. ( )

I read this for our library's book club and although the subject matter was disturbing, it seemed honestly portrayed. About 3/4 of the way through I was denouncing it for being predictable, but its ending did not disappoint. Extremely well written and definitely a "good read." ( )

The title character is a slave catcher in pre-Civil War America. At times the book moves rather slowly, but it's more than just an adventure; it's the story of a man's evolution. There are other carefully delineated characters, but Cain's perspective is the one we follow and grow to understand. ( )