The Blooding
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- $16.99
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- $16.99
Publisher Description
1812: Matthew Hawkwood, soldier turned spy, is stranded behind enemy lines, in America, a country at war with Britain.Heading for the safety of the Canadian border, Hawkwood’s route takes him to Albany, where the chance sighting of a former comrade-in-arms—Major Douglas Lawrence—within a consignment of British prisoners stymies to his plans. For as the two men make their escape they uncover an American plot to invade Canada. If it is successful, the entire continent will be lost. The British authorities must be warned.Pursued by a relentless enemy, Hawkwood and Lawrence set off across the snow-bound Adirondack Mountains; the land the Iroquois call ‘The Hunting Grounds’. But they are not alone.Buried deep in Hawkwood’s past is an old alliance – one that could save both their lives and help turn the tide of war…
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Matthew Hawkwood's heartbreaking past meets his hair-raising present in McGee's splendid fifth Regency thriller (after 2014's Rebellion). In 1812, chance takes Hawkwood, a former Bow Street Runner, to northeastern America, a dangerous place for a British operative given the fledgling nation's war with England. After he frees his friend, fellow British agent Maj. Douglas Lawrence, from a military prison near Albany, N.Y., the pair seek Canada's safety. They narrowly escape encounters with American soldiers, Oneida warriors, and other perils only to discover evidence of an American plan to invade Canada. Its success would mean disaster for the Crown, so Hawkwood and Lawrence must warn British authorities in time. Alternating segments depict Hawkwood's traumatic childhood in New York's Mohawk Valley, where the 12-year-old formed a transformative bond with the Mohawk chief Tewanias. Freshly illuminating Hawkwood's character, these boyhood glimpses are moving. Balancing moments of poignancy with swashbuckling action, historical interest, powerful suspense, and wry wit, McGee delivers all the delights of a classic adventure story.