Sup with the Devil

Abigail Adams #3

by Barbara Hamilton

Murder in Colonial America...1774: Spring brings uncertainty to Boston as the entire city awaits the Crown’s response to the infamous Tea Party. Urged on by the Sons of Liberty—and Abigail’s husband, John—militias form and arm themselves. But when a Harvard Loyalist is murdered, the only side Abigail finds herself on is the side of justice…  After an attempt on the life of her scholarly young nephew Horace, Abigail travels to Harvard to investigate. A mysterious woman had hired Horace to translate some Arabic, only to leave him disoriented and frightened—and at the mercy of her henchmen. But Horace survived—with a tale of pirate treasure… While Abigail and Horace try to unravel the strange circumstances, one of his fellow students—a young man loyal to the King—is murdered. And though the Sons of Liberty are desperate to find the rumored gold, Abigail is more interested in the truth. For the Devil’s treasure comes with a curse that could bring down anyone, regardless of where their allegiance lies…

Genres: Mystery, Historical Fiction, Historical, Historical Mystery, Fiction, Cozy Mystery, Cozy

338 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 4, 2011

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Pseudonym of Barbara Hambly.

Reviews

[Beverly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this one best of all the Abigail Adam's mysteries and I am so sad to discover it is the last!!

There are two things that made this book stand out from the others for me.
First of all, was the deep distress that Abigail wrestled with in discovering that by "neglecting her womanly duties of wife and mother to engage in men's work" she had placed those she loved in grave danger. I loved the internal dialogue that she engaged in as the voice of her pastor's wife mother chastised and her own conscience answered with truth about who she was and that she had smaller battles of justice to fight with her insight and understanding while the men about her rallied to do battle for the rights of the colonies.
Secondly, I loved how the unfolding of this story revealed that when we become obsessed by a passion ~ whether in loyalty to a cause, greed, lust or longing for power and position ~ then we have "supped with the devil" and we become blind to true justice, willing to do ANYTHING for the cause. Even the most unsuspecting are vulnerable to this human weakness, and thereby much evil is done in the name of a "cause".
Well written mystery, intermingled with legend, science and social history. I am sad to see this series end!

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

A few weeks have passed since the Boston Tea Party, and Abigail Adams and the rest of the residents of Boston are nervously waiting to see how the King will react. Abigail determines it is still safe for her to visit her nephew Horace, a student at Harvard University, but finds the young man ill. Abigail is concerned when it becomes apparent Horace is a victim of poisoning, and then a greater tragedy occurs; Horace’s friend, George Fairfield, is murdered.

George’s servant Diomede is the convenient suspect, but Abigail believes in Diomede’s innocence, and won‘t give up until she finds the truth about the murder. She thinks George’s murder may either related to his loyalist beliefs or to a mysterious woman who had asked her nephew to translate an Arabic letter referring to a hidden treasure. With the help of Horace and other friends, Abigail is determined to prevent an innocent man from being put to death for a crime he didn’t commit.

I don’t know a lot about the real Abigail Adams, but the fictional version is delightful. She is intelligent and knows how to convince others to take her opinions seriously, in spite of the limitations she faces as a woman in the 18th century. She is persistent, kind, fair, and has insights into the behavior of others that are right on target. All of these qualities make her a great amateur sleuth and a wonderful heroine.

The book is extremely well-written and extensively researched. At its best, the book’s narrative makes the Revolutionary War era come alive. Abigail, a devoted wife and mother trying to balance a desire to contribute to society with her family obligations is relevant to today’s reader. Her fear of war is conveyed realistically and can be applied to events going on in today’s world. While Abigail is the main character, the appearances in the book by her husband John, John’s cousin Samuel Adams, as well as Paul Revere and young “Johnny” Quincy Adams add to the book’s appeal.

The plot of the book is interesting. I also like the peek into life at Harvard University in 1774 that are described when Abigail visits Horace. Horace is a likeable side-kick for Abigail’s investigation, and I enjoy his intelligence, enthusiasm, and his dry wit. However, his penchant for speaking in Latin, which I’m sure is realistic for the times, grows tiresome for the modern reader. In fact, there is a time that even Abigail grows weary of this habit when she is trying to get important information from Horace and he responds with a Latin phrase:

“’Twas entirely by accident…Res hominum fragiles alit et regit---”

“Yes, yes, I know the fragile affairs of men are guided by chance,” said Abigail impatiently. “Where did you see him?”

The Latin phrases, especially when they’re not translated or the meaning isn’t apparent from the context of the rest of the passage, interfere with the flow of the story. Also, some of the historical details, while important, slow the pace of the book making some portions drag. However, just when the story begins to get a bit dull, a dramatic event occurs which grabs the reader’s attention and gets the book back on track. In addition to the murder investigation and search for the treasure, the book debates complex issues such as the rights of individuals vs. a greater cause. A thought-provoking quote from the book relates to Samuel Adams’s interest in the possibility of a hidden treasure and what that could mean to the Sons of Liberty in their fight for freedom. It reminds Abigail of words spoken earlier in the book by another character, “…greed in a good cause was still greed.”

One thing that is missing is an introduction or an afterward by the author. It is obvious Barbara Hamilton is extremely knowledgeable about Abigail Adams and the Revolutionary War. If she had shared a few facts to provide background and insights into the fictional events of the story, it would have provided an excellent supplement to the story.

Anyone who enjoys reading about Colonial times in America or likes the style of Stephanie Barron writing about a real-life historical figure as a fictional amateur detective will appreciate "Sup With the Devil." The book may even encourage some to follow up with some additional reading on Abigail Adams and her actual contributions to American history.

This review was originally written for The Season E-Zine. The book was provided to me in exchange for an honest review.

[Avid Series Reader · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sup with the Devil by Barbara Hamilton is the third and final book of the Abigail Adams historical mystery series set in 1774 Boston and Cambridge, Massachusetts. Bostonians are tensely awaiting the King's response to the Boston Tea Party; daily asking one another if ships have been sighted yet. Patriotic and Loyalists alike are forming militia.

Abigail receives a letter from cousin Horace who's studying at Harvard. He's so fearful for his life, she travels to visit him and learn the circumstances. During her visit, classmate George Fairfield is murdered. His slave Diomede is blamed. The more Abigail learns about George's recent activities, the more she is certain of Dio's innocence. The slave has no rights; his word is not considered against popular opinion. Abigail determines to find evidence to identify the true killer.

Her cousin Horace had recently been asked to translate books in Arabic, and was probably poisoned that day. Dozens of books that once belonged to a pirate are now believed to hold clues to treasure. Students at Harvard (when not torturing underclassmen with nonsense errands) square off over politics as well as a pretty heiress. Everyone wants to find treasure, from the Governor and his henchmen to Sam and the Sons of Liberty.

Abigail is torn between a quest for justice vs. caring for her family. Traveling around the state to learn the pirate's history from his family keeps her away from home, which bothers her conscience she's shirking everyday tasks. Then suddenly...criminals attack her home and family.

Abigail sees clearly how violence (on either side) begets more violence. She sees how wishful thinking of gold clouds reason. In the end, she makes a decision based not on revenge, but honor.

What a shame the series is over. It has fascinating details of everyday life in the colonies, with revolution not far off.

[Erin (PT) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have to caveat my 3 star rating with the fact that I have fairly high expectations from Hambly/Hamilton and so what would probably be a 4 star book from almost any other author is rated just a little lower because of those expectations.

That's not to say Sup With The Devil wasn't an enjoyable read. It absolutely is. And, though I harbored suspicions about the central's mystery's culprits and motivations, I was still kept guessing through the end and not all my suspicions were borne out, which is something I enjoy. There's a satisfaction in being able to solve the mystery ahead of the detectives, but I get even greater enjoyment from a story that keeps me guessing and this story did.

The biggest negative for me was probably a lack of the historical detail that I've come to expect from the series. Though the politics leading up to the American Revolution figure large, as the backdrop against which the stories play out, but--despite the interesting look into pre-Revolution university--I missed a lot of the day to day glimpses of Colonial life that characterized the previous books. As well, the huge cast of characters and the back and forth of the action made it feel more disjointed and harder to follow than Hamilton/Hambly's other books. To be clear, it wasn't so difficult that I couldn't grasp the book or what was going on, but it definitely required some concentration to keep everyone straight and what was going on in the fore and background.

So, overall, while I enjoyed the book and will happily continue reading the series as long as Hamilton continues to write them, it does feel like she attempted too much and was only mostly successful in the end result.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this look at colonial America and the early days of Harvard.

There was a lot less contact with the British in this one, and the threat of the King's reaction to the tea dumping earlier hangs over them all.

I am sorry that there are no more books in this series to see the consequences up close and personal.

This author does a terrific job of showing the day to day life.

I bought a copy of this because my library system does not have it and I know my reading group will want to read it.

[Dennis Fischman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve read a bit of nonfiction about Abigail Adams, and while this book stretches what we know about her character and her relationship with John, everything here is plausible. The local scenery and the politics, too, fit the history and illustrate it in a delightful way.

I agree with the reviews that say there are a lot of characters in this book, with some of them seemingly there only to draw your suspicion away from the others. The shootout at the end doesn’t seem to fit the historical mystery genre. It seems borrowed from a Quentin Tarantino movie.

Still, I more than enjoyed this book and wish there would be more Abigail Adams mystery novels—only it’s hard to imagine how she could have done any detecting once the British sent General Gage to govern Massachusetts.

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the third book in the Abigail Adams mystery series. Abigail must help in a puzzling case involving her nephew, who narrowly escapes an attack after translating a document in Arabic for a gentlewoman. It seems that the culprits are looking for the possibility of treasure from pirates and Horace may have been poisoned as well to keep him quiet. When a young man at school with her nephew, and a Loyalist, named George is murdered, Abigail feels she has no choice but to get involved to help his servant who has been accused of the murder. The clues lead them on a wild chase to find the truth about the treasure and its seekers.

[John Carter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Big disappointment: our favorite redcoat, Lt. Coldstone, is never seen.

Apart from that, a great read, with a don’t-bother-me-I-can’t-stop-now ending. (I mean, really? Dinner? Can’t you see I’m reading?) And a lot of insight into the ways (very different though they were) that both slaves and women were seen as existing primarily to serve white men.

It would appear that Hambly/Hamilton has no more Abigail Adams mysteries planned. It’s been ten years since Sup with the Devil was published; besides which it sound very much like the Revolution begins about three pages past the end of the book, at which point I suspect Abigail is far too busy to be going about detecting.

[Crystal · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to love this book so much because I’m a history buff, but I really couldn’t get into the story and I didn’t care too much for the characters (except Abigail Adams, she is awesome). There were some plot twists that I really got into but other than that, the story lost me. I’m being generous with my rating; this could probably be a 2.5, sadly. I will note I saw this was the final book in the series and I have not read the others.

[Ann Boytim · Rating 3 out of 5]

Abigail Adams travels to Harvard to investigate an attempt on the life of her nephew Horace. Horace was hired by a mysterious woman to translate some Arabic. A fellow student is murdered and books are missing. Horace confides in Abigail and they set out to find some answers.

[Karla Huebner]

This was a historical mystery in which Abigail Adams sleuths during the tense period leading up to the American Revolution. On the whole I found it enjoyable, but the shoot-out ending seemed rather unlikely.

[Kaye · Rating 4 out of 5]

Abigail Adams makes a terrific heroine. She's smart, curious, and courageous. I do hope Ms Hamilton will write further adventures for this historical fiction series.

[TJ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun quick read. Though in this book the author uses a lot of words I’ve never seen before. That was a tad annoying

[Briansmom · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun little romp through Boston and Cambridge, 1774, with super sleuth Abigail Adams.

[Bonnie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I only wish there were more in the series.

[Bernie Flinchbaugh · Rating 4 out of 5]

enjoyed the historical mystery

[Kyle · Rating 3 out of 5]

So, it's a historical mystery set in 1774 Boston (well, mostly in Cambridge, actually), with future First Lady Abigail Adams as the detective. It's the third book in the series, but I have not read the previous two. The mystery was, to be honest, a little on the goofy side. Pirate treasure, secret marriages, etc. And I think it is kind of difficult to set a mystery this far back, because I'm just not convinced ordinary people thought about evidence the way we do today (the book does make some nods in that direction, but still I felt dubious sometimes).

What I really liked about the book was the sense of life in Colonial Times™. I lived in the Boston area for most of my life, and it was interesting to see the characters navigate the city in a time when there were only a few bridges between Boston and Cambridge (and you had to take a ferry to Charlestown), before the Back Bay existed! And also, of course, there's no faster-than-horse communication, travel is sloooow, and there's no artificial illumination to speak of (this last I thought was particularly interesting - imagine coming home to a burgled house and trying to figure out if the burglars are gone without being able to turn on the lights, searching the closets and corners with only small lanterns and candles - creepy!).

The only problem I had with the setting was that sometimes it felt like the author said, "Look, I've done the research, I found out this fact, and I'm going to jam it into the story, whether I can do it gracefully or not!" But that is hardly unique to this author. (Connie Willis I'm looking at you!) And on the other hand, I do enjoy that little twinge of recognition when someone alludes to the Arminian Controversy, which I had just been reading about in my attempt to understand why there are two First Churches in Cambridge (about a quarter mile apart).

So: I will probably read other books in this series. Not just because my (illustrious? ish?) relative* Gov. Thos. Hutchinson has a recurring role in them.



*Possibly ancestor? I'm not sure - we're both descended from Anne Hutchinson, who gets a brief name-check.

[Debbie · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Sup with the Devil" is a historical mystery set in (and around) Boston in the spring of 1774. This book is the third in a series. You don't need to read the previous novels to understand this one, and this novel didn't spoil the previous mysteries.

My enjoyment of the previous two Abigail Adam's mysteries was mainly due to the nicely portrayed political tension--and yet personal respect--between Abigail and Lt. Coldstone as they worked to solve the mystery. But there is no Lt. Coldstone in this book. I also previously liked how Abigail was a part of everything and yet could view people as being real people instead of simply "us" and "them." Yet in this book, Abigail has gone from sympathy toward slaves to very anti-slavery with no explanation beyond the anti-slavery theme of the book. I was also surprised at Abigail's sudden change from troubled by Sam Adam's actions to practically vilifying him (and for fictional actions, too). I found this sudden change confusing.

The author also frequently combined two sentences into one in a disjointed way, which made Abigail come across as scatterbrained or distracted. There were sentences like, "Her mind returned to Johnny as she made ready for bed ("Now I've a clean hairbrush that I keep for those who're taken by circumstances unexpectedly...[and more chatter, presumably from the innkeeper])." or "While waiting for Mr. Metcalfe's reply--he had assured John of the occasion of their last meeting that any help I can be, to you or any of yours--Abigail walked from the Golden Stair to the town jail, only to be told by Sheriff Congreve that Diomede, still half-stupefied, had slipped back into a heavy sleep."

However, as in the previous books, the vivid historical details about the everyday life and politics were skillfully woven into the story. The characters reacted realistically to the situations, and I always understood their motives. The mystery was an interesting clue-based puzzle. Whodunit was guessable, and I was absolutely certain who it was long before Abigail even considered the option.

There was no sex. There was a very minor amount of explicit bad language.

[Tamora Pierce · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the third book with Abigail Adams as a detective hero. The Boston Tea Party concluded the last book; now all of the colonies breathlessly await the king's response. In the meantime Abigail has gone to visit her hypochondriac nephew at Harvard on the receipt of a letter hinting at danger to himself. While she's there she meets a number of interesting students and teachers, including an older Southern loyalist and slave owner, George Fairfield, who has taken her nephew under his wing. While staying overnight as she tries to work out her nephew's problem, Abigail is pulled into another problem when George is found murdered and his gentle slave is accused.

She knows as well as anyone what the slave's probable fate will be when the dead man's father and the slave's owner arrives at Harvard. Interestingly, the dead man's room has been searched, apparently for the same books that the woman who lured Abigail's nephew to an isolated house was interested in. These events lead Abigail, her nephew, the dead man's base-born wife, and a wide assortment of other characters, famous, infamous, ordinary, and strange, down a twisted trail through pre-colonial and pirate history, rumors of pirate treasure and clues written in Arabic in books willed to the university, suspicious motives on the part of the Royal Governor and the Sons of Liberty, a bawdy house and the homes of the super-religious. It isn't just the slave's life that hangs in the balance, but eventually that of the Adams children and Abigail herself.

Once again Hamilton (a pseudonym for fantasy, mystery, and historical writer Barbara Hambly) paints a vivid portrait of a dangerous time, making some of our most famous citizens vividly real and human, as well as giving us a living picture of Boston and Massachusetts in 1775.

[Text Addict · Rating 4 out of 5]

In Hamilton's third Abigail Adams mystery, the heroine continues to stretch the bonds of "appropriate" 18th-century female behavior. The story revolves around the murder of a Harvard student (with whom a cousin of hers has a close relationship) - and figuring out why he was murdered was only the first step. Abigail becomes involved primarily because the dead youth's African servant (that is, slave) is immediately accused of the murder, and she doesn't believe it.

But she spends more time than usual tracking down leads and not getting conclusive answers, which is a bit frustrating. On the other hand, Hamilton continues to weave in a lot of the historical events that are going on, especially the distance between the cousins John and Samuel Adams' approach to the conflict with the Crown (hint: Sam feels that people getting hurt is inevitable). Abigail's worries about whether her pursuit of justice is at all consistent with her duties as a wife and mother are stronger this time, partly because she winds up spending quite a few days away from home and partly because of - well, spoiler. But her intelligence and generosity of spirit (and that of her husband John) are also on display.

I feel that Hamilton went a bit far out of her way to bring in an additional issue that contemporary readers could empathize with; maybe a little bit too far, although she makes a credible argument. The ethical dilemma it presents is serious, though, and I like the resolution presented. It was also interesting to see people thinking and talking extensively about events and people from their own past.

All in all another good outing for this series, which I hope will continue - especially since at the very end, General Thomas Gage turns up appointed Governor and ready (though he doesn't know it yet) to help propel the colonies into open revolt.

[May · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is book #3 in a historical mystery series with Abigail Adams as the protagonist. I have enjoyed this series immensely so far, and this book is no exception. A student at Harvard College has been murdered, and his slave is accused of the deed. Abigail is convinced of the slave's innocence and sets out to find the real killer.
Integrated into the mystery is the increasing tension between the British and the patriots stemming from the dumping of tea in Boston Harbor. Characters such as Sam Adams and Paul Revere dot the story as well as Abigail's husband, of course. Given the fact that I think the best thing John Adams ever did in his entire life is to marry Abigail, he is drawn fairly, although probably in a more positive light than I would be inclined to do (I am not a fan). That being said, I enjoy the author's depiction of Abigail immensely and have no problem with her depiction of Abigail's husband, as the book is told from Abigail's point of view, and no one doubts the couple's love for each other.
I also very much liked the book's portrayal of the philosophical dilemma regarding the impending war and what methods are justified morally to win the war. It is a topic that is still relevant and is eloquently discussed in the story without being heavy-handed.
The mystery is reasonably interesting, and the historic backdrop is well-drawn, accurately depicted, and well integrated into the story.
I started out as a fan of the author's fantasy books (writing as Barbara Hambly), but this historical mystery series is a strong addition to her work. I highly recommend them!

[Sylvia Kelso · Rating 5 out of 5]

The third and so far the last of the Abigail Adams books lived up to its successors. Great setting, strong story line, sympathetic or otherwise characters, (largely) unexpected and complex, sympathy-eliciting villain, Abigail and the ongoing cast well depicted once again. The final premise of the old pirate's "treasure" did seem a LITTLE anachronistic, though ample historical evidence was supplied to indicate the concept was already around even in the 18th Century.
The only irritating element was the repeated use of huge parentheses shoved into the opening sentence of paragraphs to explain or further illustrate something about the subject of the sentence, in the process wholly dislocating the sense. These intrusions turn up more and more frequently through the three AA books, and they do make me wish to grab a blue editorial pen and re-organise the entire sentence, grrr.

Nevertheless, I read all three books over a few days, and now only wish we cd. have another that goes on into the actual Revolution. Having been poised on its brink for 3 whole books, I'd like to see what happens when it actually begins.

[Cissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I do love this series. Not only is Abigail Adams ("Consider the ladies...") the main character, but it sheds a light on pre-Revolutionary Boston, and the various sets of interests and beliefs that led to the Revolutionary War.

Not that Abigail- and her husband John- are not the dedicated patriots that his cousin Sam Adams is.

In these books Abigail probably does act with more autonomy and support than would likely have been allowed, no matter how supportive her husband... but it works anyway.

I especially liked the conflicts that people in Colonial times were facing as to whether to join up with the "patriots' or the Tories. It was a lot more complicated than the history books say.

The characters were well-drawn and complex. The plot was nicely twisty. Abigail was a great protag! Still- for me, the best part of this book was enriching the context in which the Revolution happened.

While it might help to have read the previous 2 books, this one works fine on its own.

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Abigail Adams, master sleuth? In this colonial cozy, the future first lady must discover the truth behind the death of likable young man with unpopular political views. Aided by a young widow, a Native American chemist, and her cousin, the foremost authority on Arabic literature in the colonies Adams must track down a murderer and a pirate's treasure all before war breaks out in Boston. I'm not sure how historically accurate the whole thing is, but it was a pleasant enough summer read. I did find the portrayal of Fairfield and, in the end, Pugh (his timely rescue of the heroes, for example) as really nice guys who just happened to keep slaves as well as Diomede's undying devotion to his master left me with a bad taste in my mouth. The ending also seemed extremely fanciful and more than a tad improbable.

[Elizabeth Hunter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Perhaps because of the more reserved New England temperament, I find this series less engaging than the Benjamin January books (written under Hambly), but her meticulous research and attention to the personal aspects of history are always interesting. Abigail Adams is a marvelous character and watching her manage the men around her while struggling with the limitations placed upon her is thought-provoking and satisfying. The treasure-hunt aspect of this story got somewhat tedious at times and keeping the various callow Harvard students straight wasn't always simple, but Hamilton does a fine job of pulling all the threads together.

[Robin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like the combination of history and mystery -- and Abigail Adams is one historical figure I could see as having the smarts to be a detective! It's also interesting seeing a detective who has to juggle the responsibilities of a Colonial homemaker and mother of four with the needs of her investigation. At times I got a little confused - there's an art to keeping a mystery with large cast of characters going without losing a reader. But I liked this, just as I did the first in the series, so I'd happily read another. After all, this just takes us up through spring 1774 - so while the Boston Massacre and the Boston Tea Party have taken place, I'm still waiting for Lexington and Concord...

[Calista · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ms Hamilton kept me guessing right up to the end. Her portrayals of such well know figures of history as John and Sam Adams, Governor Hutchinson and Paul Revere are fully fleshed and realistic to the times. What I appreciate most is how accurately she writes of the times and the lives of our ancestors. Life is hard and unyielding but people still love and laugh and think. I particularly like Abigail and her determination to be true to herself and her husband and his acceptance of that.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this story. The time period is one I am not overly familiar with. To have founding fathers sprinkled throughout with fatherly concerns is a reminder history was made by people just like us.
The mystery itself was well thought out. It took most of the book to figure out who done it. I can only hope Mrs. Adams was as plucky as this series suggests. I will certainly pick up more of this series.

[Bobbie N · Rating 3 out of 5]

In this third of the series, set against the background of the colonists awaiting the King's retribution following the Boston Tea Party, Abigail receives a letter from her nephew, a Harvard scholar, asking her to investigate a strange situation: he had been hired by a mysterious woman to translate some documents written in Arabic, after which he found himself lost and disoriented, and suspected he had been poisoned.

[Diane S ☔ · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of my favorites of the newer series, this third one finds Abigail Adams trying to solve the murder of a student at Harvard College. Love Hamilton's descriptions of daily life in Colonial America, domestic and political, the characters prominent at that time such as The Sons of Liberty and Paul Revere.Very well done historical mysteries.