What do you think?
Rate this book
Anne Cartier #2
Black Gold
The setting is Bath, England's most fashionable spa, during the spring season of 1787. Haughty aristocrats, wealthy upstart businessmen, social climbers, adventurers, courtesans, sharpers, addicted gamblers, and a representative sample of the dregs of English society gather for pleasure and profit in this lovely Georgian city...
Anne Cartier, Colonel Paul de Saint-Martin, and Georges Charpentier pursue a wily dangerous fugitive from French justice in this thrilling sequel to Mute Witness. They must deal with Sir Harry Rogers, a rich, powerful, cuckholded slave trader. His wife, Lady Margaret, loves another man. Mary Campbell, the tutor of their deaf son, has died mysteriously. His black slave Lord Jeff, a footman and bare- knuckle boxer, seeks freedom. Passions mount. Tragedy looms near.
Anne Cartier, Colonel Paul de Saint-Martin, and Georges Charpentier pursue a wily dangerous fugitive from French justice in this thrilling sequel to Mute Witness. They must deal with Sir Harry Rogers, a rich, powerful, cuckholded slave trader. His wife, Lady Margaret, loves another man. Mary Campbell, the tutor of their deaf son, has died mysteriously. His black slave Lord Jeff, a footman and bare- knuckle boxer, seeks freedom. Passions mount. Tragedy looms near.
384 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2002
16 people want to read
About the author
Charles O'Brien
29 books18 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
The Columbia University educated historian embarked on his mystery writing career in 1988, six years before he retired from the WIU history department. O'Brien's wife Elvy, an art historian, had moved to Williamstown, VA, after accepting a position with the J. Paul Getty Trust, then at the Clark Art Institute. That began a series of long commutes for O'Brien.
"I wanted to make use of time on board (trains and planes) and in airports. Many of my fellow passengers were reading crime novels. I thought why not exploit my fund of historical settings and write a historical mystery," O'Brien explained. "The idea of 'Mute Witness' blossomed in the air between Albany and Chicago."
When O'Brien retired in 1994 after 22 years of teaching at Western, he began to seriously study the art of writing fiction with colleague Tama Baldwin of the WIU English faculty.
The Columbia University educated historian embarked on his mystery writing career in 1988, six years before he retired from the WIU history department. O'Brien's wife Elvy, an art historian, had moved to Williamstown, VA, after accepting a position with the J. Paul Getty Trust, then at the Clark Art Institute. That began a series of long commutes for O'Brien.
"I wanted to make use of time on board (trains and planes) and in airports. Many of my fellow passengers were reading crime novels. I thought why not exploit my fund of historical settings and write a historical mystery," O'Brien explained. "The idea of 'Mute Witness' blossomed in the air between Albany and Chicago."
When O'Brien retired in 1994 after 22 years of teaching at Western, he began to seriously study the art of writing fiction with colleague Tama Baldwin of the WIU English faculty.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
July 25, 2012
Excellent! O'Brien and Poisoned Pen Press have done it again. O'Brien first came to attention with his fine “Mute Witness.” Now we have a second historical mystery which continues the saga of French Aristocrat, Colonel Paul de Saint-Martin, and the low-born teacher of the deaf, Anne Cartier
From the first page, one can again sense the meticulous research which provides a solid foundation for the author's flights of fiction. These characters are so carefully and precisely drawn, one is never in doubt as to who is speaking. We never hesitate or raise an eyebrow to wonder at an odd voice or an inconsistency.
The story is set in the Eighteenth Century in Bath, England. At that time, Bath was an important and fashionable resort community. It attracted the rich, the famous, the aristocrat. Likewise, it attracted a variety of middle and low-lifes intent on wresting whatever gain they could from unwary visitor and resident alike.
Into this rich stew of characters comes Anne Cartier, a tutor and teacher of the deaf. About to leave England for Paris, Anne is importuned by her former instructor to delay that journey in order to temporarily provide tutoring for the deaf son of an important businessman and former sea captain in Bath. With reluctance, she agrees to a limited period of duty.
From Paris, Anne's love interest whom we met in the previous novel, Paul de Saint Martin, is sent by his employer to Bath on the trail of a particularly evil and slippery man. De Saint Martin is tasked to arrest the man, an Irish citizen, and bring him out of England to France to face trial for a particularly nasty crime. It's not an easy assignment since England and France are not on the best of terms. The target of his search is known to now be in Bath. It is a great coincidence, of course, but such things happen and in the able hands of this author, the coincidence is easy to ignore.
At this time, slavery was a respectable trade in England and the title of the book refers to a huge slave from the Caribbean, a man named Lord Jeff. He belongs to Sir Harry, a canny but brutal businessman, a former sea captain in the slave trade. A good deal of the novel focuses on the training and rivalry between Sir Harry and others in Bath. Gambling attention on the outcome of an upcoming bare-fisted boxing match between Lord Jeff and an English champion rises to a fever pitch. Meanwhile behind-the-scenes detection and maneuvering continues apace. Highwaymen, robbers, thieves and murderers all have their time at center stage, as do the lovers, Saint Martin and Anne Cartier.
The pace is relentless; the characters are richly and fully drawn. This is a complex, finely detailed, well-written historical novel that takes a fresh look at a fascinating time in world history. Black Gold is an excellent and entertaining novel.
From the first page, one can again sense the meticulous research which provides a solid foundation for the author's flights of fiction. These characters are so carefully and precisely drawn, one is never in doubt as to who is speaking. We never hesitate or raise an eyebrow to wonder at an odd voice or an inconsistency.
The story is set in the Eighteenth Century in Bath, England. At that time, Bath was an important and fashionable resort community. It attracted the rich, the famous, the aristocrat. Likewise, it attracted a variety of middle and low-lifes intent on wresting whatever gain they could from unwary visitor and resident alike.
Into this rich stew of characters comes Anne Cartier, a tutor and teacher of the deaf. About to leave England for Paris, Anne is importuned by her former instructor to delay that journey in order to temporarily provide tutoring for the deaf son of an important businessman and former sea captain in Bath. With reluctance, she agrees to a limited period of duty.
From Paris, Anne's love interest whom we met in the previous novel, Paul de Saint Martin, is sent by his employer to Bath on the trail of a particularly evil and slippery man. De Saint Martin is tasked to arrest the man, an Irish citizen, and bring him out of England to France to face trial for a particularly nasty crime. It's not an easy assignment since England and France are not on the best of terms. The target of his search is known to now be in Bath. It is a great coincidence, of course, but such things happen and in the able hands of this author, the coincidence is easy to ignore.
At this time, slavery was a respectable trade in England and the title of the book refers to a huge slave from the Caribbean, a man named Lord Jeff. He belongs to Sir Harry, a canny but brutal businessman, a former sea captain in the slave trade. A good deal of the novel focuses on the training and rivalry between Sir Harry and others in Bath. Gambling attention on the outcome of an upcoming bare-fisted boxing match between Lord Jeff and an English champion rises to a fever pitch. Meanwhile behind-the-scenes detection and maneuvering continues apace. Highwaymen, robbers, thieves and murderers all have their time at center stage, as do the lovers, Saint Martin and Anne Cartier.
The pace is relentless; the characters are richly and fully drawn. This is a complex, finely detailed, well-written historical novel that takes a fresh look at a fascinating time in world history. Black Gold is an excellent and entertaining novel.
November 18, 2017
I haven't read book one of this series, but there were enough unobtrusive retrospective conversations and thoughts that the general background of the main characters' relationships were clear enough. Set in the time of revolutionary France, but taking place in Bath, England, the scene is unusual enough for historical fiction, dealing as it does with prize fighting/boxing and the positions of Black people in English society at the time, along with England's role in the slave trade. The characters, both good and the repulsive, are nicely drawn and the romance does not overpower the plot. The resolution of the mystery is nicely hidden as the plot continues. I found myself quite concerned about the Black footman/pugilist's fate, for he is only of use to his master (who is a slaver) for his ability to win fights--should he survive without permanent injury, nonetheless, his "privileged" role (his ability to win fights nonetheless does not make his master concerned about him personally) will be short as age will catch up with him.
When in England, about 15 years ago, I visited Bristol and went to its City Museum, where there happened to be a temporary display detailing Bristol's connection with the slave trade. There was a book there for people to write their comments in. By far the majority commented that they had not known of Bristol's commercial ventures in the slave trade, or much about the slave trade at all. As an American I found this very interesting because in our history courses there is much about the slave trade and the Civil War, Reconstruction, etc. Since joining the Jane Austen Society of North America, I have read several articles in its journal Persuasions that analyze Austen's Mansfield Park vis-a'-vis the slave trade and slavery in the British West Indies, which forms a substantial portion of the income of the Bertrams.
When in England, about 15 years ago, I visited Bristol and went to its City Museum, where there happened to be a temporary display detailing Bristol's connection with the slave trade. There was a book there for people to write their comments in. By far the majority commented that they had not known of Bristol's commercial ventures in the slave trade, or much about the slave trade at all. As an American I found this very interesting because in our history courses there is much about the slave trade and the Civil War, Reconstruction, etc. Since joining the Jane Austen Society of North America, I have read several articles in its journal Persuasions that analyze Austen's Mansfield Park vis-a'-vis the slave trade and slavery in the British West Indies, which forms a substantial portion of the income of the Bertrams.
June 23, 2010
Very good.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews