Old Silver

Michael Tanner Mystery #3

by Carl Brookins

A misplaced letter, a brass engine plate and an unplanned murder launch Tanner and Mary Whitney into their third adventure. Old Silver takes place on and under the icy waters of Lake Superior, in the corporate halls of Duluth, and in the brawling streets of Chicago, at the dawn of the Twentieth Century.

Genres: Mystery

259 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 2005

About the author

Before I became a mystery writer and reviewer, I was a television program producer, a counselor and faculty member at Metropolitan State University in Saint Paul and a mystery fiction reviewer for the Saint Paul Pioneer Press and Mystery Scene Magazine. I'm an avid recreational sailor (hence my sailing series and a member of Sisters in Crime, and Private Eye Writers of America, as well as MWA. You can frequently find me touring bookstores and libraries with my companions-in-crime, The Minnesota Crime Wave. You can also catch me on tv! Just check out the Minnesota Crime Wave website, www.MinnesotaCrimeWave.org.

I live with my wife Jean, a retired publisher and editor, in Roseville, Minnesota.

Reviews

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely amazing - couldn't put the book down; read it with same day. Wonderful history - fascinating story! Yep, we BOTH read it!

[Beverly Rowe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Michael Tanner and Mary Whitney are vacationing in Lake Superior in Northern Wisconsin, when Mary surfaces from a dive with a brass plate from a ship called the Amador. This artifact from the 100 year old shipwreck whets their appetite for more. They get more than they bargained for in dark secrets and danger.
An employee of the Minnesota Historical Society, Ethel Jandrice is murdered after she filches an ancient letter about the cargo of the Amador to show her boyfriend, who is a descendent of the ship's owners. Michael and Mary are sure that the two events are related, and take off on a journey packed with suspense and excitement to investigate Ethel's murder. They discover that Ethel's boyfriend, Tommy Callender has also been murdered. They uncover old crimes and stumble upon new crimes, and meet and match wits with intriguing members of the Mayhew and deVole families. Michael narrowly escapes with his life when a semi-tractor knocks him off the road. Was it intentional? Was it connected to their investigation of the Amador?

Brookins masterfully builds the suspense to a white knuckle level with his smooth prose and exciting scenes of sailing, scuba diving, wild storms, political intrigue, and murder. The history of the Lake Superior area is authoritative, and woven into the plot with great skill.

I enjoyed the ongoing romance between Michael Tanner and Mary Whitney and the wonderful sailing scenes that Brookins writes with such expertise. The cast of compelling characters, both heroes and villains, and a plot that keeps you guessing is a Brookins' trademark.

[Carl Brookins]

Once again in northern Wisconsin, Tanner and Mary Whitney are vacationing in the Apostle Islands when Mary makes an important and ominous discovery. An artifact linked to a mysterious lake freighter is discovered miles from where the ship sank in a horrific storm in 1915. The ship and its mysterious cargo have never been found. When the artifact is stolen and Mary and Tanner are threatened, they set out on a perilous journey that takes them from historic Chicago to modern Duluth, Minnesota, to find and bring to justice those who are out to kill the couple. In the process, a major political campaign in Illinois is disrupted.

[Karen Syed · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brookins has a flair for taking readers into the thick of things. The old deceptions, bad blood, and fresh wounds of "Old Silver" make for an outstanding romp of an adventure. The unique story blends well with the dark intrigue and lets the reader experience the best of both. Who doesn't wonder at the thought of lost treasure and dream of one day finding it? Exceptional characters pull you along through the story, right to the very end!