The Blooding of Jack Absolute - Hardcover

Humphreys, C.C.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0312358237 ISBN 13: 9780312358235

Publisher: Thomas Dunne Books, 2007

Synopsis

Amongst the debauched aristocracy of eighteenth-century London, life is easy for the handsome young Jack Absolute. The only risks he faces appear on the cricket field, in the billiard hall, or in the boudoirs of the city’s courtesans. Yet despite his carousing, he hopes for something more, and plans to give it all up for college in Cambridge and a promising career. His future success is assured, as long as he can stay out of trouble for one more night. . . .

            Which is, of course, impossible.

            His fortunes forever altered by one tragic evening, Jack sets out to find a different sort of fortune in the New World. He soon discovers a life far different from what he experienced in the taverns of London. And the lessons he’s about to learn on the battlefield and in the dense forests of Indian territory promise not financial success, but something much more important: survival.

But to survive, he must first learn to kill. To come of age, Jack must be blooded.

Through bloody duels, battles, frantic escapes, and a brutal winter in the wilds of the new continent, this smashing prequel to last year’s acclaimed Jack Absolute tells the story of how this irresistible hero earned his reputation as the “red-coated James Bond” (Books in Canada).

About this title

About the Author

Chris (C.C.) Humphreys was born in Toronto and grew up in Los Angeles and London. An actor for twenty-five years, leading roles have included the title role in Hamlet, Caleb in the miniseries A.D., and Jack Absolute in Sheridan’s The Rivals. In 2002 his first novel, The French Executioner, was runner up for the CWA Steel Dagger for Thrillers. The Blooding of Jack Absolute will be followed by the third book in the series, Absolute Honor. He has also written “The Runestone Saga,” a fantasy/horror series for teens, starting with The Fetch. Chris lives in Vancouver with his wife and young son.

You can visit his Web site at www.cchumphreys.com.

Reviews

Playwright and novelist Humphreys reprises his swashbuckling hero in this action-packed prequel to last year's Jack Absolute. Back then, Jack was a British spy during the American Revolution. In this volume, Jack's parents—an out-of-work actress and an itinerant soldier—leave the boy for much of his youth in the care of his drunken Uncle Duncan and abusive cousin Craster in the English countryside. Uncle Duncan's untimely death leads to Jack's reunion with his parents and a move to London, where he becomes a raconteur and fancies himself a poet. When the powerful Lord Melbury catches Jack in flagrante delicto with his mistress, he vows vengeance, but is instead killed by Jack's father in a duel. To avoid retribution, Jack joins John Burgoyne's 16th Light Dragoons and is posted to North America, arriving just in time for the battle of Quebec. Jack's adventures in the New World are just beginning, however, as he's captured by Indians, marooned in the wilderness over a harsh winter and reunited with the contemptible Craster—all the while wondering if he'll make it back home to England. In Jack Absolute, Humphreys has created a rambunctious but lovable hero who should continue to win fans with each new adventure. (Oct.)
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Edition details

• Publisher: Thomas Dunne Books
• Publication date: 2007
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0312358237
• ISBN 13: 9780312358235
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 320