They were works of art. Using a makeshift stamping mill fashioned from a Mexican War cannon, master engraver and Mormon bishop Samuel Woodbury hammered out a treasury for Brigham Young in the wilderness of the Rocky Mountains -- more than 3,000 gold coins.
In 1862, Bishop Woodbury disappeared with Brigham Young's treasury of Deseret while enroute to Salt Lake City. What happened to Brigham's bees?
More than a century later, with the legend of Brigham's Bees long faded into the stuff of campfire tales, someone is killing for the secret of Bishop Woodbury. On a black night in Payson Canyon. Deputy Sheriff Brent Merrell and his k-9 partner, Gadianton, narrowly avoid becoming victims of the mysterious legend.
Armed with a single, battered coin Brent finds hanging from a tree in the canyon, he digs deep into the history of Samuel Woodbury and the mysterious Bishop's legend. Each move puts him closer to the missing treasure and closer to something he isn't sure he wants to know.
Not surprisingly, this book was not about bees. What a fun read, though! The characters were real to me, the story well structured, and the legend believable. I especially liked the police dog, Gad. I cried when he got hurt. Well done. This was a "Good read".
I'm amazed at how much history I learn from historical fictions. Better than any history class I've ever taken. I was a nice change that the mystery was left unsolved. Some stories are just fine left undone.
I read Dark Angel first and loved it, so I had high expectations for this book. I did not know that this was his first novel, but it certainly showed quite quickly. It was still a good book. It entertained and moved along quickly, but lacked the wit, astute observations of life, depth of character and hilarious dialogue that were so charming in his second novel. I'm afraid if I had read this one first, I would not have pursued any of his other works. However, comparing the two books, it is kind of inspiring and encouraging to see his progress as a writer.
Mixed feelings on this. The themes in the book were excellent but I was a little uncomfortable at times. Maybe it means I needed to get the message? Or maybe just relax and laugh with it. Need to think about that (and that may be the best part of the book).
What happened to Brigham Young's "treasury of Deseret." LDS historical fiction that is pure fun! If you are looking for a light-hearted story this is it.