No Justice: A Masey Baldridge/Luke Williamson Mystery (Masey Baldridge/Luke Williamson Mystery/James D. Brewer) - Hardcover

Brewer, James D.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0802732836 ISBN 13: 9780802732835

Publisher: Walker & Co, 1996

Synopsis

The third installment in the acclaimed Reconstruction era series finds Baldridge and Williamson--the Pinkerton Detective Agency's top detective team--traveling the Mississippi in the wake of the Civil War on the lookout for a murderer.

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Reviews

YA-Set along the Mississippi River during Reconstruction, No Justice offers a unique look at the remaining antagonism and growing trust among former enemies. The sense of place is vivid, and the historical background is very much a part of the story. The three main characters are as unlikely a trio of investigators as one could imagine. Salina Tyner, a woman who makes her living by entertaining gentlemen aboard riverboats; Luke Williamson, a former Union soldier who now owns and operates two riverboats; and Masey Baldridge, a wounded Southern soldier and former dandy who buries his sorrow in a bottle, unite to solve the disappearance of army Gatling guns, and the murder of another riverboat captain, only to discover that these two incidents are part of a plot to assassinate the President of the United States. Although this book is the third in a series, the author gives sufficient background information for readers to understand the characters' relationships and personalities. A simple, straightforward mystery with readable text and a happy ending.
Anita Short, W. T. Woodson High School, Fairfax, VA
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

If there were any justice, Allan Pinkerton, hired to track down Mississippi River robbers James and Lloyd Reed, would have hired struggling investigator Masey Baldridge as a full-fledged Pinkerton operative rather than a lowly guide, and he would also have hired Salina Tyner, a comely companion of Baldridge's and of many others. If there were any justice, Baldridge's friend, riverboat captain Luke Williamson, would be allowed to trumpet to the world the news that President Grant would be gracing the maiden voyage of Williamson's newest boat, the Edward Smythe, instead of maintaining the secrecy that Grant's advance man Addison Sweeney insists on. And if there were any justice, Baldridge would have knocked Sweeney down for his attentions to Tyner, instead of ending the evening unconscious himself. But since there isn't any justice, Baldridge will just have to strike out on his own--and so, after Baldridge has abandoned her to light out after the Reed brothers, will Tyner, whose snooping gets on the trail of the stolen Gatling guns that will tie all the plots into a satisfying knot. This third yarn starring Williamson, Baldridge, and Tyner (No Virtue, 1995, etc.) is the liveliest and most inventive of their adventures to date: a must-read for period buffs, and well worth the time of casual drop-ins too. -- Copyright ©1996, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

This third outing for the detective team of Masey Baldridge and Luke Williamson continues to make good use of a most unusual setting, the Reconstruction-era South. Baldridge is a former Confederate officer and a full-fledged alcoholic; Williamson is a steamboat captain who is building his own shipping company. In this episode, Baldridge helps the Pinkertons track down two stolen Gatling guns, while Williamson prepares his new boat, the Edward Smythe, for a visit from President Grant. The two situations become intertwined when Baldridge discovers that the guns have been stolen in order to ambush Williamson's boat and assassinate the president. Although the ending is never in doubt (Grant lives!), the structure of the novel, its sense of humor, and a well-drawn cast of characters (including a charming prostitute turned apprentice sleuth) combine to create some satisfying suspense. George Needham

Edition details

• Publisher: Walker & Co
• Publication date: 1996
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0802732836
• ISBN 13: 9780802732835
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 246