House of the Patriarch - (Benjamin January Historical Mystery) by Barbara Hambly (Paperback)

About the Book

1840. When Eve Russell vanishes into thin air, her frantic parents call on free man of color Benjamin January for help. Did the teenager run away - or was she kidnapped? The answer lies in distant New York, a hotbed of new religions, of human circuses . and of dangerous slave traders. If January uncovers the truth, will he ever get home to tell it?

Book Synopsis

No one can talk to the dead . . . can they? Free man of color Benjamin January gets caught up in a strange, spiritual world that might lead to his own demise, as he hunts for a missing teenager in this gripping, atmospheric historical mystery.

New Orleans, 1840. Freshly home from a dangerous journey, that last thing Benjamin January wants to do is leave his wife and young sons again. But when old friends Henri and Chloe Viellard ask for his help tracking down a missing girl in distant New York, he can't say no.

Three weeks ago, seventeen-year-old Eve Russell boarded a steam-boat - and never got off it. Mrs Russell is adamant Eve's been kidnapped, but how could someone remove a teenager from a crowded deck in broad daylight? And why would anyone target Eve?

The answer lies in New York, a hotbed of new religions and beliefs, of human circuses and freak shows . . . and of blackbirders, who'll use any opportunity to kidnap a free man of color and sell him into slavery. January's determined to uncover the truth, but will he ever be able to return to New Orleans to share it?

Review Quotes

"Outstanding ... Hambly's masterful historical detail, scrupulous character portrayal, and psychological analysis of human frailties contribute handsomely to her storytelling. This long-running series shows no signs of losing steam" - Publishers Weekly Starred Review

"In Hambly's expert hands, New York is a dark, threatening place, in many ways a foreign land to January ... Hambly lays bare the dark underbelly of American society in the mid-nineteenth century. A fine entry in an impressive series" - Booklist

A fascinating, sadly timely tale of the hero's struggles with his rage over the treatment of Black people-- "Kirkus Reviews"

A riveting exploration of a little-known period of Texas history intensified by gut-wrenching depictions of people's enduring inhumanity-- "Kirkus Reviews on Lady of Perdition"

A stark and occasionally brutal story, and Hambly tells it superbly, in prose that is vivid and empathetic. For fans of this fine series, this is a must-read-- "Booklist Starred Review of Lady of Perdition"

An atmospheric, beautifully written mystery-- "Kirkus Reviews on Cold Bayou"

Deeply researched . . . Hambly's well-wrought denunciation of slavery and her skillful defense of women's rights resound from January's times to our own-- "Publishers Weekly on Lady of Perdition"

About the Author

Barbara Hambly, though a native of Southern California, lived in New Orleans for many years while married to the late science fiction writer George Alec Effinger. Hambly holds a degree in medieval history from the University of California and has written novels in numerous genres.