What do you think?
Rate this book
A Mystery of the American Revolution #3
Camp Follower
A deadly assignment. A land poisoned by treachery and battle. She plunged in headfirst.
Late in 1780, the publisher of a loyalist magazine in Wilmington, North Carolina offers an amazing assignment to Helen Chiswell, his society page writer. Pose as the widowed, gentlewoman sister of a British officer in the Seventeenth Light Dragoons, travel to the encampment of the British Legion in the Carolina backcountry, and write a feature on Lieutenant Colonel Banastre Tarleton. But Helen's publisher has secret reasons for sending her into danger. And because Helen, a loyalist, has ties to a family the redcoats suspect as patriot spies, she comes under suspicion of a brutal, brilliant British officer. At the bloody Battle of Cowpens, Helen must confront her past to save her life.
Praise for Camp Follower , nominated for the Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Historical Mystery/Suspense Award and the Sir Walter Raleigh Award for
"Adair wrote another superb story." -- Armchair Interviews
"Full of details, a unique historical perspective, an elaborate plot, and outstandingly strong characters, Camp Follower is a historical mystery with something to please everyone." -- No Name Café
"Adair takes her reader on an exciting adventure, filled with historical fact wrapped around an intriguing plot." -- The Midwest Book Review
"The smells, sights, and sounds of the Revolutionary War in the Carolina Back Country have nowhere been better depicted than in this thrilling novel of conflict and suspense. Suzanne Adair is a gifted storyteller, and her latest book deserves a wide audience." -- John Buchanan, author of The Road to Guilford The American Revolution in the Carolinas
Late in 1780, the publisher of a loyalist magazine in Wilmington, North Carolina offers an amazing assignment to Helen Chiswell, his society page writer. Pose as the widowed, gentlewoman sister of a British officer in the Seventeenth Light Dragoons, travel to the encampment of the British Legion in the Carolina backcountry, and write a feature on Lieutenant Colonel Banastre Tarleton. But Helen's publisher has secret reasons for sending her into danger. And because Helen, a loyalist, has ties to a family the redcoats suspect as patriot spies, she comes under suspicion of a brutal, brilliant British officer. At the bloody Battle of Cowpens, Helen must confront her past to save her life.
Praise for Camp Follower , nominated for the Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Historical Mystery/Suspense Award and the Sir Walter Raleigh Award for
"Adair wrote another superb story." -- Armchair Interviews
"Full of details, a unique historical perspective, an elaborate plot, and outstandingly strong characters, Camp Follower is a historical mystery with something to please everyone." -- No Name Café
"Adair takes her reader on an exciting adventure, filled with historical fact wrapped around an intriguing plot." -- The Midwest Book Review
"The smells, sights, and sounds of the Revolutionary War in the Carolina Back Country have nowhere been better depicted than in this thrilling novel of conflict and suspense. Suzanne Adair is a gifted storyteller, and her latest book deserves a wide audience." -- John Buchanan, author of The Road to Guilford The American Revolution in the Carolinas
400 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 30, 2008
37 people are currently reading
246 people want to read
About the author
Suzanne Adair
9 books95 followersAward-winning novelist Suzanne Adair is a Florida native who lives in North Carolina. Her mysteries transport readers to the Southern theater of the American Revolution, where she brings historic towns, battles, and people to life. She fuels her creativity with Revolutionary War reenacting and visits to historic sites. When she’s not writing, she enjoys cooking, dancing, and hiking. In 2018, she was appointed by North Carolina’s Daughters of the American Revolution to a state-wide committee formed by the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources to help share information about and coordinate events of America's upcoming Semiquincentennial. She was also awarded a Professional Development Grant from the United Arts Council of Raleigh and Wake County.
Check her web site and blog for more information. Or hop over to her Facebook and Twitter pages to say “hi.”
Books by Suzanne Adair
Michael Stoddard American Revolution Mysteries
-- Deadly Occupation
-- Regulated for Murder (a Suspense Magazine "Best of 2011" book choice)
-- A Hostage To Heritage (winner of the Indie Book of the Day Award)
-- Killer Debt (nominated for Daphne du Maurier Award)
Mysteries of the American Revolution
-- Paper Woman (recipient of the Patrick D. Smith Literature Award)
-- The Blacksmith's Daughter
-- Camp Follower (nominated for Daphne du Maurier Award and Sir Walter Raleigh Award)
Check her web site and blog for more information. Or hop over to her Facebook and Twitter pages to say “hi.”
Books by Suzanne Adair
Michael Stoddard American Revolution Mysteries
-- Deadly Occupation
-- Regulated for Murder (a Suspense Magazine "Best of 2011" book choice)
-- A Hostage To Heritage (winner of the Indie Book of the Day Award)
-- Killer Debt (nominated for Daphne du Maurier Award)
Mysteries of the American Revolution
-- Paper Woman (recipient of the Patrick D. Smith Literature Award)
-- The Blacksmith's Daughter
-- Camp Follower (nominated for Daphne du Maurier Award and Sir Walter Raleigh Award)
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
March 30, 2010
You usually think of the patriots of the Revolutionary War as the good guys~well not in Suzanne Adair’s fast-paced novel, Camp Follower! In this well-written historical novel, the patriots are “rebels” and the loyalists are the good guys. An intriguing twist, and one that makes Camp Follower, Suzanne Adair’s third novel, a fascinating read.
Helen Chiswell, a widow who supplements her meagre income by writing for the society pages of the local Wilmington loyalist paper, is commissioned by her editor, Mr. Quill, to pose as the sister of a British officer and travel as a camp follower to a loyalist in North Carolina backcountry to write a feature on Lt. Colonel Banastre Tarleton. But Helen's publisher has secret reasons for sending her into danger. And because Helen, a loyalist, has ties to the St. James family, who seem to be in perpetual hot water with the forces of the Crown, she comes under the suspicions of the brutal Lt. Dunstan Fairfax.
From the opening chapter, Camp Follower holds the reader’s attention. Helen is a strong-willed, intelligent and attractive woman, determined to control her life – and her destiny. In Helen, Suzanne Adair does not give us a shrinking violet, a woman happy to play “the little woman.” Helen is financially aware, sexually aware and altogether confident of her abilities to look after herself. All she needs is the money to make her financially independent. Helen turns on its head the perception that women had no choices and no power before the 20th century. She is not ashamed of her physical relationships with St. James or Quill, she has career ambitions and she is prepared to fight for her rights.
Camp Follower turns many commonly accepted myths on its head: That all the British left in 1783; that female sexuality didn’t exist before the 20th century; that everyone living in America at that time was either a loyalist or a patriot; that all camp followers were prostitutes. In fact, the majority of camp followers comprised mainly laundresses, merchants, and blacksmiths - those who could offer a service to the army men on the move. And of course the soldiers’ families who didn’t want to be left behind.
This novel displays a superb blend of fact and fiction, real historical figures move effortlessly amongst the fictional, intermingling with invented characters and driving the storyline. Suzanne Adair has obviously completed a huge amount of research to enable the accuracy of her story and this gives the reader a real sense of what Revolutionary North Carolina must have been like. But she also knows what to leave out; there is no exhaustive list of historical details to slow the pace of the book. Suzanne Adair is a re-enactor and has been quoted as saying that she believes her re-enacting experience helps her to create the correct ambience in her novels, and to give the reader a real sense of history.
Filled with action, mystery, and suspense that climaxes at the Battle of Cowpens, Camp Follower is the story of a woman forced to confront her past to save her life during the War for American Independence.
Suzanne Adair is the nom de plume for Suzanne Williams, a native Floridian who currently lives with her family in North Carolina. In second grade, she wrote her first fiction for fun after the eye of a hurricane passed over her home, and she grew up intrigued by wild weather, stories of suspense and high adventure, Spanish St. Augustine, and the South's role in the Revolutionary War. She has traveled extensively and lived in England for half a year. After visiting the ruins of colonial-era Ft. Frederica on St. Simon's Island, Georgia, she began writing Paper Woman, the first book of her series and the recipient of the 2007 Patrick D. Smith Literature Award. The Blacksmith's Daughter and Camp Follower continue her fictional ventures into the Southern theater of the Revolutionary War. Camp Follower was nominated for the 2009 Daphne du Maurier Excellence in Historical Mystery/Suspense Award and the 2009 Sir Walter Raleigh Award for Fiction.
Helen Chiswell, a widow who supplements her meagre income by writing for the society pages of the local Wilmington loyalist paper, is commissioned by her editor, Mr. Quill, to pose as the sister of a British officer and travel as a camp follower to a loyalist in North Carolina backcountry to write a feature on Lt. Colonel Banastre Tarleton. But Helen's publisher has secret reasons for sending her into danger. And because Helen, a loyalist, has ties to the St. James family, who seem to be in perpetual hot water with the forces of the Crown, she comes under the suspicions of the brutal Lt. Dunstan Fairfax.
From the opening chapter, Camp Follower holds the reader’s attention. Helen is a strong-willed, intelligent and attractive woman, determined to control her life – and her destiny. In Helen, Suzanne Adair does not give us a shrinking violet, a woman happy to play “the little woman.” Helen is financially aware, sexually aware and altogether confident of her abilities to look after herself. All she needs is the money to make her financially independent. Helen turns on its head the perception that women had no choices and no power before the 20th century. She is not ashamed of her physical relationships with St. James or Quill, she has career ambitions and she is prepared to fight for her rights.
Camp Follower turns many commonly accepted myths on its head: That all the British left in 1783; that female sexuality didn’t exist before the 20th century; that everyone living in America at that time was either a loyalist or a patriot; that all camp followers were prostitutes. In fact, the majority of camp followers comprised mainly laundresses, merchants, and blacksmiths - those who could offer a service to the army men on the move. And of course the soldiers’ families who didn’t want to be left behind.
This novel displays a superb blend of fact and fiction, real historical figures move effortlessly amongst the fictional, intermingling with invented characters and driving the storyline. Suzanne Adair has obviously completed a huge amount of research to enable the accuracy of her story and this gives the reader a real sense of what Revolutionary North Carolina must have been like. But she also knows what to leave out; there is no exhaustive list of historical details to slow the pace of the book. Suzanne Adair is a re-enactor and has been quoted as saying that she believes her re-enacting experience helps her to create the correct ambience in her novels, and to give the reader a real sense of history.
Filled with action, mystery, and suspense that climaxes at the Battle of Cowpens, Camp Follower is the story of a woman forced to confront her past to save her life during the War for American Independence.
Suzanne Adair is the nom de plume for Suzanne Williams, a native Floridian who currently lives with her family in North Carolina. In second grade, she wrote her first fiction for fun after the eye of a hurricane passed over her home, and she grew up intrigued by wild weather, stories of suspense and high adventure, Spanish St. Augustine, and the South's role in the Revolutionary War. She has traveled extensively and lived in England for half a year. After visiting the ruins of colonial-era Ft. Frederica on St. Simon's Island, Georgia, she began writing Paper Woman, the first book of her series and the recipient of the 2007 Patrick D. Smith Literature Award. The Blacksmith's Daughter and Camp Follower continue her fictional ventures into the Southern theater of the Revolutionary War. Camp Follower was nominated for the 2009 Daphne du Maurier Excellence in Historical Mystery/Suspense Award and the 2009 Sir Walter Raleigh Award for Fiction.
June 15, 2012
Good book, slow start but I would recommend reading. Characters are well developed. Most historical novels side with the Patriots, (rebels) during the American Revolution but in this novel the characters were on the side of Loyalists. Great to see a strong feminine character who is also likeable.
March 20, 2022
Didn’t finish this book. Story was hard to follow and didn’t like the style of writing.
March 28, 2012
Camp Follower by Suzanne Adair
This novel is one in a series of books by Suzanne Adair that take place in the British southern colonies during the American revolutionary war. Ms Adair’s extensive knowledge of the era and the locale is evident in the depth of description and detail. The everyday life of two and a half centuries ago is neither romanticized, nor sanitized for our modern sensibilities.
As with her other work, Camp Follower tells the story of an independent woman caught up in the political and military intrigue that was rife in lands fiercely fought over by the British and Colonial armies. Helen Chiswell is in her early thirties, widowed and driven to find any means possible to make a living in those perilous times. Fortunately for her, she is a gifted writer and the local publisher of a magazine is eager to employ her skills. Perhaps too eager…
Helen is offered a handsome, hefty fee if she will take on a dangerous assignment. She is to travel across rebel-held territory and join the camp of charismatic Colonel Banastre Tareton, a rising young officer under the command of General Cornwallis. At twenty-six, Tareton is quickly becoming a hero back home in England for his dashing exploits. As a cover, she will masquerade as the sister of a certain Lt. Dunstan Fairfax, a member of Col. Tareton’s command.
Readers of Ms. Adair’s other novels will certainly recognized Lt. Fairfax as he not only appears in the other works, but also in some ways is the unifying constant between them. Cold, intelligent and possessed of incredible physical strength and abilities, Lt. Fairfax is a secret, sadistic murderer who delights in maim and torture.
Love (for Helen does not lack for amorous suitors,) danger, arduous travel and military action combine in this fast moving and entertaining story of America’s past.
This novel is one in a series of books by Suzanne Adair that take place in the British southern colonies during the American revolutionary war. Ms Adair’s extensive knowledge of the era and the locale is evident in the depth of description and detail. The everyday life of two and a half centuries ago is neither romanticized, nor sanitized for our modern sensibilities.
As with her other work, Camp Follower tells the story of an independent woman caught up in the political and military intrigue that was rife in lands fiercely fought over by the British and Colonial armies. Helen Chiswell is in her early thirties, widowed and driven to find any means possible to make a living in those perilous times. Fortunately for her, she is a gifted writer and the local publisher of a magazine is eager to employ her skills. Perhaps too eager…
Helen is offered a handsome, hefty fee if she will take on a dangerous assignment. She is to travel across rebel-held territory and join the camp of charismatic Colonel Banastre Tareton, a rising young officer under the command of General Cornwallis. At twenty-six, Tareton is quickly becoming a hero back home in England for his dashing exploits. As a cover, she will masquerade as the sister of a certain Lt. Dunstan Fairfax, a member of Col. Tareton’s command.
Readers of Ms. Adair’s other novels will certainly recognized Lt. Fairfax as he not only appears in the other works, but also in some ways is the unifying constant between them. Cold, intelligent and possessed of incredible physical strength and abilities, Lt. Fairfax is a secret, sadistic murderer who delights in maim and torture.
Love (for Helen does not lack for amorous suitors,) danger, arduous travel and military action combine in this fast moving and entertaining story of America’s past.
November 29, 2008
Sold at the age of 17 to a colonial merchant, Helen Chiswell soon finds herself widowed after her husband is killed in a duel. Since her husband’s death, Helen barely makes a living writing a society column for a Wilmington newspaper. When her publisher offers financial compensation to travel to the British Legion encampment to interview and write about Lt. Col. Banastre Tarleton, Helen quickly agrees. Although the funds promised are much needed, Helen is excited at the chance to prove her worth as a journalist. Lt. Dunstan Fairfax, aware Helen’s lover is David St. James, a renowned rebel, is more than willing for Helen to pose as his sister while she travels with him into the backcountry of North Carolina. Helen embarks on a treacherous journey, unaware that her publisher has devious reasons for sending her into danger and that Fairfax is intent on proving her a spy while capturing St. James.
Adair takes her reader on an exciting adventure, filled with historical fact wrapped around an intriguing plot. Once more, Dunstan Fairfax does not disappoint as the bloodthirsty British officer who delights in torture and murder. Helen Chiswell makes for an interesting character, a woman dealing with demons from her past while trying to make the best of the situation she has been forced into.
Adair takes her reader on an exciting adventure, filled with historical fact wrapped around an intriguing plot. Once more, Dunstan Fairfax does not disappoint as the bloodthirsty British officer who delights in torture and murder. Helen Chiswell makes for an interesting character, a woman dealing with demons from her past while trying to make the best of the situation she has been forced into.
January 17, 2011
When impoverished widow Helen Chiswell is given the opportunity to travel with Lt. Col. Banastre Tarleton and the British Legion in 1780 she sees it as a chance to improve her finances and write about something more exciting than social events.
But her publisher has more devious plans, which only become apparent the deeper she travels into the path of danger. Her travel escort, posing as her brother, is the brutal Lt. Dunstan Fairfax, who has plans of his own. Fairfax is using her as bait to ensnare her sometime lover, David St. James, and other members of his rebel family.
Before long, Helen also becomes aware of spies in their midst, the plight of families torn asunder by the war and the truth about her feelings toward her longtime friend and tutor, Jonathan Quill.
Told from the viewpoint of Loyalists, the novel gives a fresh and accurate portrait of life during the period and explodes various myths, most importantly, emphasizing the positive role of women both in daily life and in the war.
Suzanne Adair has crafted a novel brimming with suspense, intriguing characters and enough action and romance to satisfy the most discerning readers. This is the third of Adair’s Revolutionary War series set in the South. It isn’t necessary to have read the previous novels to enjoy this one, but one would seem to recommend the others.
But her publisher has more devious plans, which only become apparent the deeper she travels into the path of danger. Her travel escort, posing as her brother, is the brutal Lt. Dunstan Fairfax, who has plans of his own. Fairfax is using her as bait to ensnare her sometime lover, David St. James, and other members of his rebel family.
Before long, Helen also becomes aware of spies in their midst, the plight of families torn asunder by the war and the truth about her feelings toward her longtime friend and tutor, Jonathan Quill.
Told from the viewpoint of Loyalists, the novel gives a fresh and accurate portrait of life during the period and explodes various myths, most importantly, emphasizing the positive role of women both in daily life and in the war.
Suzanne Adair has crafted a novel brimming with suspense, intriguing characters and enough action and romance to satisfy the most discerning readers. This is the third of Adair’s Revolutionary War series set in the South. It isn’t necessary to have read the previous novels to enjoy this one, but one would seem to recommend the others.
April 19, 2012
I think if I'd known at the time I started reading this book that it was #3 in a series, I wouldn't have felt so confused about certain issues and characters. I admit that I kept thinking the whole time that this was an historical romance and that the author was getting around to setting up the Fairfax character and the female protagonist to be a couple. So I was confused when he ended up being a villain and there was no romantic connection to be had between them (though the female did seem to have lustful feelings for him - as well as a couple other men in the book, which also kept me guessing about her). Also, there were a few people who had names that started with the name letter - names that were similar enough to make me stop and think a moment about which character I was reading about.
At any rate, the book was quite interesting and I plan to check out the others in the series.
At any rate, the book was quite interesting and I plan to check out the others in the series.
April 22, 2015
Camp Follower is one of a loosely connected series of books, set in North and South Carolina during the American War of Independence. I knew little about this aspect of that war when I started, and found the setting fascinating. Allegiances were fluid, and the civilian population might suffer at the hands of both sides.
Suzanne focuses mainly on personal relationships, using the military actions as a backdrop to these. The plot of this book is built around the central character's journey as a female journalist with a contingent of the British army, during a particularly unsuccessful campaign.
The books combine elements of crime and mystery writing alongside the historical fiction, and this extra dimension gives the reader the opportunity to try to deduce the bigger picture ahead of the characters.
An enjoyable read, and one where you have to keep your wits about you as the story twists and turns.
Suzanne focuses mainly on personal relationships, using the military actions as a backdrop to these. The plot of this book is built around the central character's journey as a female journalist with a contingent of the British army, during a particularly unsuccessful campaign.
The books combine elements of crime and mystery writing alongside the historical fiction, and this extra dimension gives the reader the opportunity to try to deduce the bigger picture ahead of the characters.
An enjoyable read, and one where you have to keep your wits about you as the story twists and turns.
March 29, 2016
Helen Chiswell poses as the sister of a British officer to write a feature on another British officer. This was my first historical novel set during the Revolutionary War. It's set in the CArolinas, what was known as the Southern Theater of the War, a lesser-known region for many. Seen from a loyalist perspective adds an additional twist. I loved the protagonist, a strong survivor, and the detail of the setting. The author is an experienced Revolutionary War reenactor and I appreciated her attention to detail. Camp Follower is one of a series featuring Helen.
March 15, 2012
While I found the story interesting and enjoyed the different perspective, I kept finding myself being tripped up by the writing style, which I found to be almost like a textbook. Some of the character's motivations seemed a bit forced, but not out of the realm of possibility. What really carried the book for me was the thorough research that the writer had done to make the time period come alive and that helped move this from three to four stars.
June 17, 2012
I enjoyed this book. It was slow at times but still enjoyable. I liked the main character and enjoyed, as always, the opportunity to learn
more about an historical period while reading. Recommended. Thank you, free kindle books!
more about an historical period while reading. Recommended. Thank you, free kindle books!
December 20, 2014
Out of everything I've read of Suzanne Adair's (I think this is her 3rd book I've read), I liked this one the best. Still not a favorite, but decent. Maybe I've just gotten used to her writing style.
March 12, 2012
I enjoyed reading Camp Follower. I don't often read about this time period, and it was an interesting journey back to the American Revolution. I especially liked the strong female main character, Helen, and the descriptions of the hardships of war.
March 21, 2012
Interesting to read something from the point of view of the Loyalists during the Revolutionary War. I've only ever read stories of the Revolutionaries fighting against the British. Different perspective for sure. I liked it.
January 7, 2013
This was just ok for me. I kind of felt like it wasn't going to end. I liked the main character and her determination. But the plot seemed to go on and on. I doubt that I will read another one in this series.
July 21, 2012
I was unsure about this book, I am not a huge civil war lover, history neither but did find this book very enjoyable. Adair writes beautifully, and doesn't give anything away, which I like. I was guessing the whole way through, and still came up shocked!
November 6, 2014
Another good story.
Another story full of history about early American life and all done with interesting characters. I wasn't aware of the camp followers and their role in the men's battles.
Another story full of history about early American life and all done with interesting characters. I wasn't aware of the camp followers and their role in the men's battles.
March 8, 2011
Interesting story but it sort of ended abruptly. Some of the character's actions were questionable in my mind.
Want to read
February 14, 2012Free on kindle today 2/14/12
March 11, 2012
This was a very interesting book with a lot of action. It did drag just a little in spots, but it manages to keep you in suspense right up the the finish and then some.
Want to read
March 20, 2012$0.0
June 3, 2012
An interesting story and plot, but again another historical fiction with modern sensibilities and world view.
August 4, 2012
Fans of historical fiction will find this a fascinating account of some lesser-known aspects of American history. An intriguing plot coupled with strong characters.
August 4, 2012
This book has at least 6 different story lines and it is super confusing. I do not recommend it.
Read
July 14, 2012Love these characters! This is one I will read over and over again.
March 16, 2014
Liked it!
October 9, 2016
Well written, suspense-filled. Good characters. I'll read this author again.
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews