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Excellent! O'Brien and Poisoned Pen Press have done it again. O'Brien first came to attention with his excellent "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 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 his crime. It's not an easy assignment since England and France are not on the best of terms. 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, richly 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. Editor's Note: The reviewer is the author of INNER PASSAGES and a member of the Minnesota Crime Wave.
Reviewed by Carl Brookins, May 2002
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