What do you think?
Rate this book
The Second Vendetta
Not again.
It’s taken Andy Maxwell two years—1908-1910—to help his family recover from the vendetta that nearly killed his mother, burned their Sierra Nevada ranch house, and exhumed some long-buried family secrets—including the fact that his father was black. At last, Andy thinks, he can return to University of California and pursue his history doctorate in peace.
Not so.
First of all, it turns out they don’t want a miscegenated mongrel in the Ph.D. program. Just when he’s enlisted the eminent San Francisco journalist, Ambrose Bierce, to help him attack that problem, it turns out that marauder who started all the trouble in the first place didn’t stay Shanghaied. Michael Yellow Squirrel is back for another try at eliminating every last Maxwell on earth. So much for school.
And then there’s the election.
Reform gubernatorial candidate Hiram Johnson wants him to run for the California legislature and help foil the railroad barons.
And then there are the women.
The debutante beauty and the Arapaho princess.
So, how is Andy Maxwell, going to deal with all these quandaries? The Second Vendetta answers that question and many more with a tale-telling style that pulls readers into the book and doesn’t let them go till they’ve turned the last page, wishing there were more yet to turn.
It’s taken Andy Maxwell two years—1908-1910—to help his family recover from the vendetta that nearly killed his mother, burned their Sierra Nevada ranch house, and exhumed some long-buried family secrets—including the fact that his father was black. At last, Andy thinks, he can return to University of California and pursue his history doctorate in peace.
Not so.
First of all, it turns out they don’t want a miscegenated mongrel in the Ph.D. program. Just when he’s enlisted the eminent San Francisco journalist, Ambrose Bierce, to help him attack that problem, it turns out that marauder who started all the trouble in the first place didn’t stay Shanghaied. Michael Yellow Squirrel is back for another try at eliminating every last Maxwell on earth. So much for school.
And then there’s the election.
Reform gubernatorial candidate Hiram Johnson wants him to run for the California legislature and help foil the railroad barons.
And then there are the women.
The debutante beauty and the Arapaho princess.
So, how is Andy Maxwell, going to deal with all these quandaries? The Second Vendetta answers that question and many more with a tale-telling style that pulls readers into the book and doesn’t let them go till they’ve turned the last page, wishing there were more yet to turn.
293 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 30, 2012
2 people are currently reading
12 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
January 4, 2013
Such an engaging book - the characters are interesting and the reader moves right into California in the early 20th century. The action is gripping - a good fast read.
October 31, 2012
I want you to know that I really liked this book. I’d go so far as to say that I loved this book. THE SECOND VENDETTA by Carl Brush reminded me of the best of Saturday afternoon matinees, with a sweeping plot, a richness of characters, gunfights, horseback, heroes and heroines, love interests, and murder, all wrapped up a setting from the early 1900s that was vividly painted and exquisitely detailed. Throw in frontier life, romance, politics, a serious case of bad blood, and the book quickly became a story that I was reluctant to put down.
Carl Brush did an extensive amount of research for this book, from clothing to hairstyles to language, even to time-appropriate names for the characters. His setting encompassed a swath of California from San Francisco to Sacramento and up what is now highway 88 to Hope Valley and Markleeville. He read up on his California history, including racial tensions, state politics, the women’s movement, the role of the massive cattle ranches that used to dominate the landscape, the Southern Pacific railway, the Native Americans, and the university system in California. And Carl Brush created passionate, nuanced characters that encompassed all these parts of society. In addition, some of the characters he wove into the story were real, actual people, including writer Ambrose Bierce, journalist Delilah Beasley, publisher Joseph Francis, and California governor Hiram Johnson.
I found it hard to believe that this was Carl Brush’s first novel. I’ve heard that Carl is working on a prequel to THE SECOND VENDETTA, titled THE MAXWELL VENDETTA. Can’t wait to read it!
Carl Brush did an extensive amount of research for this book, from clothing to hairstyles to language, even to time-appropriate names for the characters. His setting encompassed a swath of California from San Francisco to Sacramento and up what is now highway 88 to Hope Valley and Markleeville. He read up on his California history, including racial tensions, state politics, the women’s movement, the role of the massive cattle ranches that used to dominate the landscape, the Southern Pacific railway, the Native Americans, and the university system in California. And Carl Brush created passionate, nuanced characters that encompassed all these parts of society. In addition, some of the characters he wove into the story were real, actual people, including writer Ambrose Bierce, journalist Delilah Beasley, publisher Joseph Francis, and California governor Hiram Johnson.
I found it hard to believe that this was Carl Brush’s first novel. I’ve heard that Carl is working on a prequel to THE SECOND VENDETTA, titled THE MAXWELL VENDETTA. Can’t wait to read it!
June 15, 2013
In The Second Vendetta Carl R. Brush delivers a villainous villain, a courageous hero, independent heroines, and an intriguing supporting cast in an historical San Francisco area setting. This page-turner leads us from the prejudices of early 20th century University of California in Berkeley to the politics of the ranchers in the area, highlighted by the dominance of railroad companies.
Brush weaves historical events and people with suspense and a touch of romance to tell his story. Partially because I lived and worked in the San Francisco area for more than 25 years, I especially enjoyed the historical description of an area I know so well. I hasten to say, however, that readers do not need this familiarity to enjoy this well-told story.
The author developed characters with backstory and dialogue that engaged me. The villain creates the right amount of havoc and concern to coalesce the story around him. Also, I appreciated heroines who exhibited independence and problem-solving skills. The hero performs like a hero – he perseveres despite the bigotry of his university and the attacks of the villain.
I recommend The Second Vendetta to readers looking for a spell-binding story with characters to care about in an historical setting. I look forward to other stories from Mr. Brush.
Brush weaves historical events and people with suspense and a touch of romance to tell his story. Partially because I lived and worked in the San Francisco area for more than 25 years, I especially enjoyed the historical description of an area I know so well. I hasten to say, however, that readers do not need this familiarity to enjoy this well-told story.
The author developed characters with backstory and dialogue that engaged me. The villain creates the right amount of havoc and concern to coalesce the story around him. Also, I appreciated heroines who exhibited independence and problem-solving skills. The hero performs like a hero – he perseveres despite the bigotry of his university and the attacks of the villain.
I recommend The Second Vendetta to readers looking for a spell-binding story with characters to care about in an historical setting. I look forward to other stories from Mr. Brush.
November 30, 2012
San Francisco 1910; racial prejudice and hypocrisy bubbles beneath the surface of an America emerging from its Wild West past. A hide-bound university turns away a brilliant mind when the young man is found to have negro blood running though his veins. Meanwhile, out in the countryside, travelling bible-spouting preachers become potential rapists and drunken Indian killers. The new America struggles to discover its identity while the West hangs desperately on to the old ways. This is the richly described backdrop to this tumultuous family saga of revenge and bloody vendetta. Two young people are caught between the two different worlds. Andy Maxwell is attempting to be part of the new world order whilst his relucctant sweetheart, Many Clouds, seeks to remain true to her fast disappearing Native American culture. And all the time the vengeful Michael Yellow Squirrel is plotting a blood-soaked revenge on the Maxwell clan. The politics of the time, the cynical land-grab of the railroads and the underhanded involvement of local politicians are all skilfully woven into the plot to give the reader an insight into those turbulent times.
November 5, 2013
Good historical fiction story which will not disappoint. It was well researched and moved along nicely for an easy read. This is a complex story with a diverse set of characters who reflect the roots of America's unique culture founded on our many ethnic differences. I liked the way that this story exposed the intersection of these differences through the life of the main character, Andy Maxwell. The author uses vivid descriptions that touch on a bit of the eccentric like in the scenes set at "The Sketch Club." There is also a healthy dose of reality that comes through the fiction as the reader is exposed to some of the violence of the times (namely the brutal treatment of minorities/women)and the injustices that plagued society (corruption in the legal and academic arenas). I will be curious to see what happens next to our dear friend Andy.
November 9, 2012
All right, so I'm reviewing my own book, but I had to add it to the Goodreads library myself, so why not? Kidding. I did have to add the book to Goodreads myself, but I'm not quite so presumptuous as to do a self-review. It might be more critical than yours.
You can find some reviews and buy the book itself on amazon http://amzn.to/PXmxt8 for only $3.99. Paperback will be out soon, and the prequel, The Maxwell Vendetta, will be out in 2013.
You can find some reviews and buy the book itself on amazon http://amzn.to/PXmxt8 for only $3.99. Paperback will be out soon, and the prequel, The Maxwell Vendetta, will be out in 2013.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews