Frank H. (perryfran) reviewed on 8/17/2016 + 1271 more book reviews

This is the first novel in a series of mysteries featuring Mark Twain written by Peter Heck. I enjoyed this one quite a bit. The story is told from the perspective of Twain's new secretary, Wentworth Cabot, and tells how Twain is pressed for money to pay his massive debt so must make a trip down the Mississippi in a river boat giving lectures along the way. But before he heads out on this journey, someone is murdered in New York with Twain's name and address in his coat pocket. A New York cop is sent along with Twain for protection and to try to solve the murder. As the story progresses, it seems that someone is trying to find a hidden treasure of gold that Twain described in his book Life on the Mississippi and once on board the riverboat, another murder occurs. Twain is out to solve who committed these crimes along with his secretary Cabot. There are a lot of red herrings thrown into the mix which made for a pretty good mystery story. I also enjoyed Heck's descriptions of Twain, his dialog, and the journey down the mighty Mississippi. Made me want to take a riverboat down the river if that's still possible these days! It also made me want to read Life on the Mississippi, one of Twain's works that I've yet to get to. I'll also be on the lookout for other novels in this series.

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