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Chautona Havig

Chautona Havig

Using story to connect YOU to the Master Storyteller

The Blue Cloak Review

by Chautona Havig · 12 Comments

The Blue Cloak, book five in the True Colors series, has a grisly history. But what did I think about the frontier murderers? Well... via @chautonahavig

She didn’t like it. After having read one of the other books in the series, I was certain she would love The Blue Cloak. But Mom had strong opinions on the book–it didn’t make sense, she said. The crime spree had no impetus, as far as she could see.  And several other elements bothered her.

These surprised me. After all, my mom is used to reading secular fiction without concern for content. So when she didn’t like a book I had been anxiously looking forward to, I wondered what I’d think. Would I like it?

I am here to tell you…

I don’t know.

See, I knew this review was due today. I was so looking forward to reading it last night. I’d sit on the new sofa at the Lighthouse, kick back, put on some lovely music, and read.

So, I got down to the Lighthouse, made a couple of videos for my publisher, and then went to retrieve the book.  I hadn’t brought it. It was at home in my bedroom on the shelf.

I thought. 

But when I went home to get it… it wasn’t there on the shelf after all. It’s still in my mother’s room–you know, that place where she’s asleep even as I write this.

I have this thing. When I can’t find a book I’ve agreed to review, or I leave one at home, I tend to just go buy it. After all, I requested this thing–gave my word that I’d have a review up by today. I’m not required to, by law, but my word does mean something to me.  Sigh.

I went to buy the book.  The Kindle version is over 12.00.  Ouch. I couldn’t bring myself to spend just sixty-five cents less than it would have cost me to buy a paperback–a paperback I already own.

So, for now, my review is this. I have been looking forward to this book for months. My mother, who likes stories like this, didn’t–like it, I mean. I’m even more eager to read it now, but my conviction of how much I’ll like it isn’t there anymore. We’ll see.

The Blue Cloak

Note: links are likey affiliate links that provide me with a small commission at no extra expense to you

And Having Read It, I Know Even Less 

Some books are crazy easy to review. You immediately connect with the protagonist, love to hate the villain, and are drawn into the story like nobody’s business. Easy peasy.

The Blue Cloak, however, left me staring at the book, not knowing how to respond. I usually follow Amazon’s old rubric of “loved it, liked it, okay, didn’t like it, hated it.”  That doesn’t work for this one.  I didn’t like the book, but the author did her job well.  You see, I don’t think anyone should like this book.  Some books are like that, you know?

Especially since this is the story of true crime–real people who died in senseless, horrifying ways simply because two men felt like it.

I can’t compare this book to the others in the series. It’s not right to compare one book to another. Each book needs to stand on its own merit, and this one has a lot going for it.

For the most part, the writing is solid. Ms. McNear made people I wish hadn’t lived come alive on the page. That takes skills. On the other hand, the characters she created are necessary to the story, but I always felt like they didn’t let me in.

Still, that might be a good thing, actually. I mean, we’re talking about characters who have seen the brutality of mankind at its worst, fear for their friends, and fear for their own lives in trying to put a stop to heinous crimes. What felt like the desire for more from them might just be genius.

So, yeah. I can’t say I like this book.

But that leaves the question of did the author tell the story she was given to tell well? Considering I dreaded turning every page that deal with the horrible Harp men, I’d say she did. If it hadn’t been true crime, I would have considered the glee the men displayed with each killing to be way over the top. Instead, she actually managed to draw hope from me–hope that the younger Harp might have repented eventually.

One thing Ms. McNear definitely demonstrated was that brutality begets brutality. It’s an ugly, ugly thing.

in the end, I’ll say this. Ms. McNear did a good job of showing the horror of those years and the senselessness of their crimes. She took the crime she chose to expose and made us feel the horror of that era, the hopelessness of the women trapped in such a terrible life, and the relief when it all ended. And she did it well.

But again, no. I didn’t like the book. by the old rubric, that should mean a 2-star rating, but that’s not right. The Blue Cloak is better than that. So, this doesn’t follow my usual grading scale. I’m saying four because I can’t decide if the created characters are done crazy well or if they leave something wanting. I just don’t know.

The Blue CloakAbout the Book

Book:  The Blue Cloak

Author: Shannon McNear

Genre:  Christian Historical/Suspense

Release Date: March, 2020

Evil Incarnate Leaves a Trail of Destruction across the Frontier

Book 5 in the True Colors series—Fiction Based on Strange-But True History

Rachel Taylor lives a rather mundane existence in 1797 at the way station her family runs along the Wilderness Road in Tennessee. She attends her friend Sally Rice’s wedding only to watch the marriage dissolve into horror has the groom, Wiley Harpe, and his cousin Micajah become murderers on the run, who drag their families along. Declaring a “war on all humanity,” the Harpes won’t be stopped, and Ben Langford is on their trail to see if his own cousin was one of their latest victims.

How many will die before peace can return to the frontier?

 

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Comments

  1. Florence Wright says

    July 9, 2020 at 12:00 pm

    I hear every word you are saying about this book. It was horrible and good at the same time. I did like the way she wrote. I think I found it kind of a relief to not be too “inside” the heads of the characters, especially the poor lady who got stuck in that nightmare life.

    Reply
    • Florence Wright says

      July 9, 2020 at 12:02 pm

      I just realized I commented before, but that was before you got your review inserted OR maybe I missed your review the first time, not sure now.

      Reply
  2. Florence Wright says

    April 20, 2020 at 8:21 am

    As a story, I loved it!!!! As history it was horrendous!! The writing and issues it brings up are amazing, but the backdrop .. as we say in NJ “fuhgedaboutit”!!! Terrible!! awful and horrible all in one big ugly ball. (apparently, I’m not NJ enough, because Grammarly had to provide me with correct spelling options for “fuhgedaboutit”. pfft.

    Reply
  3. Kathy Jacob says

    April 9, 2020 at 7:42 pm

    Agreed. The author did what she did well. The whole scenario was horrifying.

    Reply
  4. Caryl Kane says

    March 25, 2020 at 9:53 am

    I’ve been enjoying this series! Thank you for participating in the tour.

    Reply
  5. Vivian Furbay says

    March 25, 2020 at 2:27 am

    What an interesting story! I really enjoy historical fiction and this sounds like a good one.. I would like to know what happens to these two brothers and their families when they are on the run.

    Reply
  6. Emma says

    March 24, 2020 at 8:58 pm

    I hope I remember to come back and look for your review when you read this one! I’ve read a couple others in the series and really enjoyed them, but decided I didn’t want to read this because it sounded too gory for me. I’m quite curious about your reaction to it, though.

    Reply
  7. Shannon McNear says

    March 24, 2020 at 6:52 pm

    You know what? I’m not surprised … and not offended, either, not a bit. (Your mom is right–there was no rational motive behind these crimes.) And I don’t blame you for not buying it on Kindle! Thank you so much for featuring my story anyway, and for taking part on the tour. 🙂 And I’d love to hear your thoughts when you do actually get around to reading it.

    Reply
    • Chautona Havig says

      March 24, 2020 at 10:36 pm

      I have it down at the Lighthouse with me right now. I should be able to give my .02 on this one in the morning.

      I think for me it won’t be about whether I think the crimes made sense but what you did with the story of them. And I’m glad you weren’t offended at Mom. She’s blunt, but she really is kind. 🙂

      Reply
      • Anonymous says

        March 26, 2020 at 10:14 am

        Hey, I have family like that! ? And I don’t mind honesty. I’m looking forward to it!

        Reply
  8. Amelia says

    March 24, 2020 at 11:37 am

    Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
  9. Andrea Stoeckel says

    March 24, 2020 at 10:53 am

    maybe we need to acknowledge the darkness in order to fully be seen, if not actually find the light

    Reply

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Episode 231: A Chat with RomCom author, Shannon Sue Dunlap
byChautona Havig

Shannon Sue Dunlap isn’t new to rom-coms, and her first book in the Sweetheart Series promises to be a literary riot, and it lives up to that promise. I’m only halfway through it and am thinking mean, ugly thoughts of everything keeping me from being able to escape into the crazy small-town politics and quirky characters. So far the com far outweighs the rom, which makes me thrilled to bits. Listen in to discover what makes Lone Star Sweetheart so much fun.

Note: links may be affiliate links that provide me with a small commission at no extra expense to you.

Why Did This Author Write a Rom-Com about a Loveable Shrew?

Well, I think we can safely blame Shakespeare for that. Shannon Sue Dunlap has taken inspiration from Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew in her Katherine, but unlike Katerina, Dunlap’s character is actually trying to learn to tame the tongue. Maybe someone should send her over to the book of James. There’s that whole bit about not being able to tame it, being an “unruly evil, full of deadly poison.”

Kate’s isn’t that bad, but not for lack of trying. Or something.

Shannon Sue Dunlap isn’t joking when she says that her Katherine is a “loveable” shrew. Seriously, I love this character. She’s forthright, no-nonsense, and “what you see is what you get” in her approach to life. I respect that. Add to that her boss who has shaken up the town of Sweetheart, Texas, and you’ve got the makings of a great story. I’m loving Lone Star Sweetheart.

But this isn’t all Dunlap has written.

Under the pseudonym, Shannon Kent, you can find her sweet and clean romances (including one Christian romance) inspired by Korean dramas. If you said I’d be not only chomping to read a sweet and clean romance about Korean tour guides and all that entails but also ready to watch a Korean drama on Netflix… Okay, I might not have laughed in your face, but I’d’ve been laughing on the inside.

Best part… one of them ties into her Sweetheart Series

Lone Star Sweetheart by Shannon Sue Dunlap

Katherine Bruno’s passionate, unfiltered temper makes her the shrew of small-town Sweetheart, Texas. When she’s drafted to help the mayor’s wife run against her own husband, Katherine meets opposing big city political consultant Ryan Park. The good-looking, flirtatious campaign manager gets under her skin, but fraternizing with the enemy is off-limits.

Katherine must battle her lack of experience, campaign sabotage, and her growing feelings for Ryan as she strives to succeed. His unprejudiced acceptance of her strong-willed character beckons her heart, but his jaded rejection of God is an insurmountable barrier. Will Ryan return to his faith and stay with her in Sweetheart or leave when the election ends?

You can find out more about Shannon Sue Dunlap AND get that first novella in the Korean Crush series free on her WEBSITE.

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Episode 231: A Chat with RomCom author, Shannon Sue Dunlap
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