Can the Black Sheep of the Family be its Guardian Angel?
Cole Sage inherits a house and small farm in Oklahoma. A dusty old trunk opens up the world of the grandfather Cole never knew.
Shrouded in mystery, what was the secret he took to his grave? Who was this man? Why was he so hated by Cole's mother?
From pre-World War I America to the late fifties, Cole learns of a man tormented by alcohol, racism, the Dust Bowl, the Great Depression, and a gambling addiction.
The last volume of George Sage's journals unlocks a secret hidden away for fifty years that will change Cole Sage forever. As he rebuilds the old farm, Cole discovers love and pride in the man his parents tried to erase.
Join Cole on his journey through three generations of the Sage family, their strengths, faults, faith, and redemption.
If you are a fan of STEINBECK, FAULKNER, and JOHN JAKES, read Micheal Maxwell's Masterpiece today.
Micheal Maxwell has traveled the globe on the lookout for strange sights, sounds, and people. His adventures have taken him from the Jungles of Ecuador and the Philippines to the top of the Eiffel Tower and the Golden Gate Bridge, and from the cave dwellings of Native Americans to The Kehlsteinhaus, Hitler’s Eagles Nest! He’s always looking for a story to tell and interesting people to meet.
Micheal Maxwell was taught the beauty and majesty of the English language by Bob Dylan, Robertson Davies, Charles Dickens, and Leonard Cohen.
Mr. Maxwell has traveled the globe, dined with politicians, rock stars, and beggars. He has rubbed shoulders with priests and murderers, surgeons and drug dealers, each one giving him a part of themselves that will live again in the pages of his books.
Micheal Maxwell has found a niche in the mystery, suspense, genre with The Cole Sage Series that gives readers an everyman hero, short on vices, long on compassion, and a sense of fair play, and the willingness to risk everything to right wrongs. The Cole Sage Series departs from the usual, heavily sexual, profanity-laced norm and gives readers character-driven stories, with twists, turns, and page-turning plot lines.
Micheal Maxwell writes from a life of love, music, film, and literature. Along with his lovely wife and travel partner, Janet, he lives in a small town in the Sierra Nevada Mountains of California.
For writing such a wonderful story on how the past is part of the present. The story is an inspiration and reflects how much this country has changed because people have traded their "roots" for disposable commodities. I have been reading novels for almost seven decades and I cannot describe the tears this story brought.
What an absolutely wonderful story. Talk about deep character development. Very emotional, tragic, and lovely all at the same time. This the 4th in the Cole Sage series and totally unexpected. Can't think of a book I have so thoroughly enjoyed more. Not the adventure or mystery of previous books. It is the story of family in good times and difficult times. It is the discovery of generations of Cole's ancestors and family he never knew existed. Cole learns so much about family and life. I am so sad that I have finished the book. But I know there are more books in the series I know I will love. A heartfelt thank you to the author for this wonderful story.
Start with the first volume and enjoy all of the books! Yes there is mystery and intrigue but best of all the humanity of the characters. Cole Sage has grown on me and I feel that he is a friend. I will miss him. I hope Michael Maxwell will write some more of the Cole Sage sagas.
I just loved this book from start to finish. A brilliant idea for the theme and so different from the preceding episodes in Cole Sage's life. Please have a read you will not be disappointed.
An apt title for this fascinating, engaging, well-written heart wrenching ,heart-warming, tear-jerking and satisfying 4th book in the Cole Sage Mystery series by Micheal Maxwell, that just keeps getting better and better.
A thought-provoking memoir of sorts, the dust of the title comes both from the dustbowl of Oklahoma where the story is set, but also in the dusty old farmhouse California-based journalist Cole Sage inherits from long-lost cousin, Orvin. Even more dust is involved when Cole starts to renovate the house; he has to live in it for a full month to avoid paying inheritance tax, so he decides to investigate whether anything's worth saving. When he finds a dusty old trunk full of papers he begins to learn why his parents disowned his Grandpa George - while also condemning the shame they felt for their own parent, who lived a life of extreme hardship during the Great Depression, making some poor life choices, that were exacerbated by the racial and social prejudices of the time.
A sensitively-written, touching tale, that will make you examine your own family, how your past can change your future and broaden your own horizons. Although it's a standalone, Cole Dust is one of a great series that develops Cole Sage's story a little more with each adventure...why not try them all?
An unexpected three-hankie, unvarnished yet wonderful family odyssey spanning a heretofore hidden life of lifelong love and yearning in an era of stiff upper lips and making do, between unimaginable losses, disease, world wars and personal demons.
This was my favorite Cole Sage book yet. The premise of the book is that Cole inherits property from a distant relative. In inheriting this property he finds a trunk full of notebooks written by his grandfather. They tell the story of his life, the good, the bad and the ugly. You see how triumph and tragedy shapes a person's life. In reading the journals Cole finds out a lot about himself. We find out a lot about Cole too. A great adventure full of happiness and sorrow both. I did notice some typos but another reviewer commented these are being fixed. Please don't let this distract you or turn you off this book. You would miss a great read!! This is a great stand alone but I do recommend you read the books in order. I think you will enjoy this book more if you read the others first. Little by little you learn about Cole, the kind of person he is and why he does the things he does. It is great to see Cole develop more and more with each novel. A great book I would recommend to others!
This was my favorite Cole Sage book yet. The premise of the book is that Cole inherits property from a distant relative. In inheriting this property he finds a trunk full of notebooks written by his grandfather. They tell the story of his life, the good, the bad and the ugly. You see how triumph and tragedy shapes a person's life. In reading the journals Cole finds out a lot about himself. We find out a lot about Cole too. A great adventure full of happiness and sorrow both. I did notice some typos but another reviewer commented these are being fixed. Please don't let this distract you or turn you off this book. You would miss a great read!! This is a great stand alone but I do recommend you read the books in order. I think you will enjoy this book more if you read the others first. Little by little you learn about Cole, the kind of person he is and why he does the things he does. It is great to see Cole develop more and more with each novel. A great book I would recommend to others!
Cole Dust: a Cole Sage mystery #4 by Michael Maxwell
By far the best of Cole Sage's tales to date. Can you imagine a situation where the past comes to life and becomes the present? Well, neither did Cole when he calls a lawyer in Oklahoma after receiving documents that had followed him place to place for quite a while. The reason, Cole is sold surviving heir to property left after his grandfather's death. Reader's make sure you've got Kleenex tissues handy. This tale will test your faith, your beliefs, and give your tearducts a workout. In addition, you'll find that you can examine your own personal life experiences and maybe even draw some comparison to what Cole goes through. Thanks for another great read.
Cole Dust sat in my Kindle library for a while because I noticed after buying it that it was number four in a series. But I finally decided to read it anyway, and I am so glad I did. Cole Dust introduced me to an author who knows how to spin a tale of mystery, of love, of consequences of our choices, without use of profanity or foul language. What a refreshing change from the mainstream! As an editor, I always find a few errors in the books I read, but in Cole Dust they were minimal and did not detract from my enjoyment of the book. Congratulations to Michael Maxwell for a job well done. I have now read number one in the series, and have just started number two.
Cole Dust is a great read - what does one do when they find the journals of a relative they only knew from photographs and vague memories? A heartfelt story of time and the tribulations od a man who let love slip away, lived on the wild side, and survived the dust bowl. Makes one want to discover more about their relatives.
The fourth book of the series, Cole Dust exceeded my expectations and changed the tempo entirely. What had been Cole Sage's life, intermingled with mysteries, became something I rarely enjoy, a book about an individual's past family. I am grateful it came along in the series. It is, so far, the best of the lot.
Maxwell, with incredible efficiency, laces together decades of history in this fourth book in the Cole Sage series. Without lengthy re telling he unites the previous books with the current story and allows the reader glimpses into the changes in a persons mind. Well done
I really enjoyed this book. I'm an avid genealogist and it's unusual to see the mystery combined in this way. I like this series and I'm glad I stumbled onto the author. A goo and interesting read,
This is the first book by this author I have read. Loved the story! I will now go back and read the first books in this series to learn more of Cole Sage. Great, great story.
As someone Johansson working on their family tree for years this was a great read! It would be something to find information like these in real life. I just stumbled on this book and already have another one to read.
This was a very intriguing books I enjoyed reading the notebooks with my Cole I couldn't wait for him to start another one. So glad he gave house to Lottie. Beanie was real fun
I️ really enjoyed the way the historical background of Cole’s grandfather was revealed. And Cole’s first person adventure in discovery it and his family. Loved the ending.
Mr. Maxwell wove a very believable, touching story which was immensely enjoyable. The characters, setting and story grabbed me and kept me reading well into the night. I highly recommend!
I loved this book. The family history, current time events, just all of it. If you want a read to help you forget about all the bad in the World, ths is it!
Love the way the story line went throughout so many generations and brought them all together Isn't family history so interesting even when times are hard.
I like stories where the characters are well developed and fleshed out. This story does not fit that category. The only character I could relate to was the neighbor, Ernie. Kappas. He is a middle age man working at the local sewer treatment plant. He has his own ideas of life, religion, and racism. He was a true character. The rest of them including the star, Cole Sage, were flat, neurotic and transparent. Instead the of them being developed with the story, they were developed in each chapter, changing traits to fit the current dialogue the author was promoting.
Bottom line of the story, Cole inherits a ranch in Alvin, Ok. In order to keep it and not forfeit it to the state, he must inhabit it for a minimum of thirty consecutive days. He cancels his much-anticipated Canadian Venture and travel to dusty, rural, hick-town, Oklahoma. Upon his arrival, the house is in serious disrepair. Introduce, Ernie Kappas. He helps Cole clear the lot of tumbleweeds and plows under decades of scrub grass and weeds to make the place more hospitable. Cole goes to cleaning up the inside. During the airing out of the house, he comes across an old trunk in the attic. Inside it he finds the unfinished diary of his grandfather. It’s important to note that Cole is a newspaper man and looking into stories is his business. You’d have never guessed it as he uncovers the truth of his family and extended family. Half the time he’s whining about prying into his families past and he just doesn’t feel right about it. Give me a break. As a novice historian, I’d be all over this treasure trove. Okay, so what does he find out? 1) Alvin, Ok. Is home to a contingent of the KKK. 2) His grandfather is in love with a black girl, but is tricked into marrying a white girl, who he hates. 3) Lynchings occurred in the town. 4) The local Sherriff and childhood nemesis, burns down the house his mistress lives in killing her; her children survive. 5) One dies of illness, the other is given away for a better life. 6) The inevitable family reunion takes place.
Not a bad story line, just bad execution. Example, he goes to Topeka to meet his cousin. The trip takes six to seven hours. On the way back, it only take about four hours. How is that possible? This might seem ticky-tack, but when an author is going to sue real places, one must stay true to the timeline. My problem is that this is not the way the story was advertised. How is this a tribute to those who survived the “Dust Bowl?” I found no correlation other than the fictitious town the story takes place. It’s obvious the author is a liberal. Fine. But what in the world did the mention of Rush Limbaugh being on the radio have to do with the price of tea in China? Exactly. Nothing! If it would have moved the story along, then all’s fair. Sadly, it added nothing to chapter twenty-four. And finally, remember, Ernie Kappas. He is a self-proclaimed bigot. In the end he falls in love with Cole’s black cousin. I have no problem with this, but it is so rushed, it loses any type of believability.
Plenty of grammatical errors to have your eyes rolling.
If you’re looking for a feel-good book, you’ll enjoy it. If you’re wanting a story with bite and meat, take a pass.
Wonderful story. Not your usual mystery. Cole gets a call from a lawyer in Oklahoma telling him that he has inherited a farm on 5 acres, some other property from his cousin in Orvin, Oklahoma. Cole didn’t know he had a cousin in Oklahoma. The kicker is that he must go to Oklahoma and live on the property for 30 days before he can sell it. So, Cole sets out with little to no knowledge about his cousin or any relatives. He thinks he is the end of the line and only his daughter Erin and granddaughter Jenny will be left and they won’t want to live in Oklahoma. In his mind he will sell the property just as soon as he can. So, he arrives in Oklahoma, rents a car, and drives to a small town near Lawton in southwest Oklahoma to spend his 30 days. He finds a house in good shape but lots of dust inside, broken windows, the well not working and the land dry and covered with tumbleweeds. He sees that a good cleaning and painting will work wonders. He has a helpful neighbor, Ernie, who has the tractor and equipment to help him. As he is cleaning the inside, he makes it to the attic where he finds a trunk full of notebooks. Upon review, the notebooks are in chronological order starting early in the life of a young boy who turns out to be Cole’s grandfather. A man he has always wondered about but knew nothing about him except that no one talked about him. Cole begins to read in order these journals and finds out that his grandfather was a character with a drinking problem, he became an alcoholic and was in and out of hospitals to dry him out but through it all, he managed to marry, raise 5 kids, one boy who is Cole’s father George and who lives in California so Cole finds out how is father came to California. Of course, everyone is now dead but as he reads, he finds that his grandfather had two children with his first love but whom he could not marry because she was half Indian and half Negro. He always loved her. Her name was Mattie. The journals tell about what happened to Mattie and the two girls fathered by George Sage, the grandfather. One could still be living. Cole puts his newspaper assistant to work on finding her. She was given up by George because George’s wife, Alma, would not allow her to join her family. The family who raised her moved away but Cole tracked her down and went to visit. Anyway, this is a wonderful book with lots of unhappiness but in the end all ends up nicely. I love the writing of Mr. Maxwell. He makes the characters live and breathe. You can actually see the beauty of Mattie and the ugliness of Alma. But, through it all you can see George struggle to support his family even though he doesn’t love Alma. He loves his children. Great story. I enjoyed it more than some because I was born and raised in Tulsa and can imagine the dust and philosophy detailed. Get the book and read all of the Cole Sage saga, you’ll be happy you did. Now to book #5.