Good Soldier A (Silver Dagger Mysteries) [Paperback]

Jeffrey Marks (Author)

Book Description

Series: Silver Dagger Mysteries | Publication Date: January 1, 2003

"With A GOOD SOLDIER, Jeffrey Marks captures an intriguing new side of General U.S. Grant, and the interplay between Grant and Julia, the love of his life, rings true. Young Jess Grant is full of boyish curiosity while Grant's irascible father, Jesse R. Grant, could easily drive Grant to drink. In this outing, the future President's detecting abilities are put to the test as he discovers secrets and greed and finds how even small communities like Bethel, Ohio, can harbor good people gone bad."

--Jan Grape, author of Austin City Blue and a short story in The First Lady Murders, titled, "Julia Dent Grant, a.k.a. Private Eye."

--This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 181 pages
• Publisher: Overmountain Press (January 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1570722161
• ISBN-13: 978-1570722165
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 5.8 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,953,291 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars strong historical mystery, February 27, 2003

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Good Soldier A (Silver Dagger Mysteries) (Hardcover)

The Civil War has been over for six months but General Ulysses S. Grant remains the hero who won the war and preserved the nation. Everyone agrees that Andrew Johnson is a one-term president and that General Grant will in all probability be the next president. Grant tours the county, campaigning to win the presidency if he chooses to run. On his way to Cincinnati, he stops at the small Ohio town of Bethel where five of his childhood friends reside.

All five of the men spent time in Andersonville, a horrible prison where federal inmates lived in horrific conditions. Grant attends one friend's funeral and before long two other pals are dead. His son finds gold coins in the home of the widow and it isn't long before one of the two remaining friends tell him they returned with gold that was part of the confederate treasury. The two survivors don't know where the booty is hidden and somebody else knows about the loot and will kill to keep the others from having it.

In A GOOD SOLDIER, readers observe Ulysses S. Grant, as a person who has known the horrors of war and still grieves for the men that were killed and the nation that remains divided in principle. The audience also sees an individual who adores his wife and youngsters. The audience also sees glimpses of the general who once committed to a cause sees it through to the bitter end. Though a strong historical mystery, the key character enables the author to make his mark as a gifted storyteller who makes history come alive.

Harriet Klausner

0 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars A Good Soldier Indeed, But a Lousy Novel, October 4, 2005

By 

Gloria Mundi - See all my reviews

This review is from: Good Soldier A (Silver Dagger Mysteries) (Paperback)

My review of Marks' previous Grant mystery, "The Ambush of My Name," applies fully to this lame sequel, (if you've read one of these books, you've truly read them all,) so rather than repeat myself, I shall just say that this is not only one of the worst fictional portrayals of Grant and his wife, Julia, that I have ever read, but it's a truly feeble detective yarn, to boot. I wish like crazy that Marks would either educate himself about the real Grants before he attempts another book in this series, or forget about USG altogether and turn to mangling the life of Franklin Pierce or Millard Fillmore or anyone else he pleases and leave poor Ulys alone.