Without Redemption

Darmon Mysteries #6

by Thomas Thorpe

In the spring of 1846, William and Elizabeth Darmon receive a mysterious letter from a soldier dying on a Punjab battlefield. Soon after, a Sikh refugee arrives at London dock pursued by a Russian agent who kills the warrior and kidnaps Elizabeth. William trails them to India and confronts the predator high on Rakaposhi Mountain. Then the unthinkable Cossacks invade over the Himalayas to join a rebel leader in Jammu. Within the war-torn province, the Darmons make their way back and find a letter from Tsar Nicholas alluding to a Russo-American agreement to eliminate British presence in North America by the sale of Northwest territories. Using the proceeds, the Emperor plans an invasion of the Crimea. The Darmons race across the Taklamakan desert, Afghanistan, and Persia under pursuit of Cossacks and Khiva warriors in an attempt to warn Abd al-Majid, Sultan of the Ottoman Empire.

212 pages, Paperback

First published October 21, 2008

About the author

Thomas Thorpe was the Project Manager of NASAs highly successful Mars Global Surveyor Mission a spacecraft that orbited Mars for nine years, returning two hundred thousand images of the planet and relaying pictures from the Mars Rovers. Mr. Thorpe has published six historical mystery thrillers of the Darmon Mystery series about a couple from Kent that solves international crimes during the 1830s. These novels include: Message of the Pendant, The Forth Contention, The Patriote Peril, Fair Wind to Bahia, Desperate Crossing and Without Redemption. "

Reviews

[Mystee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, as those of you that follow my blog know, I've been on a Russian literature and history kick. Well, this sort of stays within a few of those lines. This one takes you through parts of the Russian invasion of India.

It's based in the 1850's about William and Elizabeth. She's lost a ring in Russia. This book captures many struggles through them. You'll laugh, get frustrated and angry.

Elizabeth gets kidnapped and, of course, William goes searching for her. The author walks you through what leads up to the kidnapping, the search and their reunion.

This book is greatly descriptive, down to styles of dress for the time period. The time periods and their own issues of the time were also well in place.

This book will give you a little background of some wonderful history as well as keep you in suspense. A great replacement for those Saturday night repeat television shows.




RATING: ♥♥♥♥

Pages: 211
Softcover

Review copy of this book provided by the author/publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review. In no way did the provision of the book affect the outcome of my review.

[Cindy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found this book to be difficult to follow at times, with a plethora of Indian names and rather puzzling or unclear associations. While the protagonists ventured across India in search of a ring, they seemed to never have difficulty acquiring money or necessities of life despite being in rather primitive circumstances. It was just a bit far-fetched all the way around for my taste.