---

---

Product details

• Publisher : Caspian Press; First edition (August 15, 2014)
• Language : English
• Paperback : 424 pages
• ISBN-10 : 0991341201
• ISBN-13 : 978-0991341207
• Item Weight : 1.15 pounds
• Dimensions : 5.5 x 1.25 x 8.5 inches

• Best Sellers Rank: #6,505,812 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #240,705 in Historical Fiction (Books)

• Customer Reviews:
  3.6 out of 5 stars 28 ratings

---

Customer reviews

3.6 out of 5 stars

3.6 out of 5

28 global ratings

5 star		30%
4 star		30%
3 star		12%
2 star		29%
1 star 0% (0%)		0%

How are ratings calculated?

To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzes reviews to verify trustworthiness.

---

---

---

Top reviews Most recent Top reviews

Top reviews from the United States

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

Karen S. Schneider

2.0 out of 5 stars Two Stars

Reviewed in the United States on May 11, 2015

Verified Purchase

Too slow.

Read more

Helpful

Report abuse

Carole Kantor

4.0 out of 5 stars good

Reviewed in the United States on March 28, 2015

Verified Purchase

After a slow start it really got me involved. many twists. good plot

Read more

Helpful

Report abuse

6callmemom

5.0 out of 5 stars Captivating story--glad this is going to be a series!

Reviewed in the United States on December 31, 2014

Verified Purchase

A captivating story and a creative look into an interesting time in history. I am very much looking forward to the rest of the series!

Read more

Helpful

Report abuse

Rick O

5.0 out of 5 stars What seemed like a boring concept , turned out to be...

Reviewed in the United States on October 26, 2014

What seemed like a boring concept, turned out to be a suspense filled tale with many twists, turns, secrets and discoveries. I know that I’m treading on fragile ground when I say that Jodi Lew Smith has blended the gothic and historical romance novel into one, but it’s true. Okay, consider this...the gothic novel; such as, Emily Bronte’s 'Wuthering Heights' (1847) emphasizes the devastating effect of jealousy and vengefulness: Heathcliff is rebuffed by Catherine in favor of Edgar and seeks revenge. In The Clever Mill Horse, Henry Emerston’s proposal of marriage is rejected by Aunt Lucille and Henry spends his life looking for retribution. I’m calling Jodi Lew-Smith’s novel a historical romantic gothic (is there such a thing?) because of our heroine Ella’s relationship with Zeke/Lucas and the fact that the Flax Gin was a real invention, albeit in the later 1860s. This is not to be confused with Maximilian de Winter, Rebecca and the second Mrs. de Winter in Daphne du Maurier’s 'Rebecca' (a 1938 gothic romance novel). However Daphne du Maurier had the best sinister character in a Mrs. Danvers. Are you confused yet? What I’m trying to say is that Jodi’s novel had a lot of the above characteristics which reminded me of those famous novels.

Now since gothic novels employed descriptive writing, how did Jodi do? I think she did very well. On page 43, Jodi describes Ella’s father, Amherst…”He was of middle height, but seemed shorter because of his unusually thick shoulders-derived from years of hefting flour sacks. Unlike his powerful shoulders, his face, which must have once been handsome in a rugged way, had sagged here and puffed there, until he had come to wear an old man’s face on a vigorous body.” Not bad for a farmer with 250 apple trees! Also intriguing is why Jodi named the novel the way she did. What was clever about Edgar (a 33 years old horse)? Because he carried the hidden gold watch? Because he walk in circles at Grandpa’s blacksmith shop? I read a review that said Edgar never reappeared, did you actually read this book to the end? Anyway, what is this book about?

Okay, it’s set in central New York from 1804 to 1811 in the fictional (?) town of Deborahville. Grandfather Tunnicliff and Ella, his granddaughter, are trying to perfect his design for a flax machine, similar to the cotton gin. They are attacked by the Loomis gang on a horse stealing venture. Grandpa is killed (really?), Pete, the indian, is wounded, but Ella, throwing a knife, kills one of the gang. Ella had previously agreed to get the patent for the machine if Grandpa Tunnicliff died before the machine’s patent was acquired. In the ensuing chapters, we meet Zeke, Ella’s long time friend, Aunt Lucille Tunnicliff (is she passing counterfeit notes?), the underhanded lawyer, Henry Emerston, who says he will help Ella get the patent for the Flax Gin. Aunt Lucille believes him, wise Indian Pete doesn’t (is he Lucille’s secret lover?) Henry lets Ella use a room in his mill to work on her Flax machine. Henry’s son, Lucas, an artist, shows up to sketch Ella while she works on the flax machine. Really? Meanwhile, Ella’s father, a drunk, comes home and beats up his wife, Catherine (same name as tragic figure in Wuthering Heights) and the children. He only stops when Ella comes home with her throwing knife. Ella finds out that Henry Emerston is planning to steal her patent. The race is on. How can Ella complete the machine and get to the patent office in Washington, D.C. before Henry and the Loomis gang? Get your own copy of this novel to find out. The real suspense is just starting.

I really enjoyed this novel, but I must say that I’ve read quite a few maiden novels this year and many have been five star and female written. Good job ladies! The only thing I did not like in this novel was on page 409, when I read…”end of book one.” I don’t mind sequels, but I don’t like reading a novel only to find out that the story is not over. I like to decide by myself whether I want to read a series. Many times this has stopped me from reading the second book. A good example of this is when I got to page 766 of Justin Cronin’s novel, 'The Passage', and realized that the story wasn’t over. I haven’t read the second one. I guess it’s just me. I prefer connecting works like 'All the Pretty Horses' (see my review of 4/02/2013), 'The Crossing' (see my review of 10/03/2013), and 'Cities of the Plain' by Cormac McCarthy. All three stories ended, but were related to each other. It was my choice to read, or not read the second and the third novels. Don’t get me wrong, I loved Jodi’s novel, I’m just relating to you my individual quirk. Enough said, read this gothic romance (?), it’s worth the effort.

Read more

4 people found this helpful

Helpful

Report abuse

Mary Esterhammer-Fic

4.0 out of 5 stars Clever...and compelling!

Reviewed in the United States on December 9, 2014

Full disclosure: this book was sent to me for free in exchange for writing a review.

This is set during one of the least-discussed periods of American history: between the Revolution and the War of 1812. While the U.S. is figuring out her identity, so is Ella, the protagonist of this novel. And like the young nation, Ella is brash, courageous, in over her head at times but smart enough to find her balance and move forward, always hopeful and ready to accomplish great things.

This book is interesting on so many levels.

The plot is strong and never predictable. Of course, all these threads will be picked up in later installments of this series, so some of the more anticlimactic resolutions may not be the last word on any particular subject.

The idea of a flax mill, and the cotton vs. linen competition, is something I have never really given any thought to. You would think that would be a sort of boring topic, but it isn't. Author Jodi Lew-Smith is good at explaining machinery and how production equipment is developed, as well as the cut-throat world of obtaining patents.

The characters are well developed and believable. There are heroes and villains, tricksters and rogues, kind strangers and lost souls. The women are particularly complex and interesting. Much historical literature set in the 18th/early 19th Centuries depicts women as peripheral characters, or as props to their larger-than-life male partners. That's definitely not true, here.

Lew-Smith also has an affectionate and respectful way of describing animals and the natural world.

I admit, I did have a little bit of a hard time in the beginning, possibly because the subject didn't interest me (so I thought), and possibly because I was a little behind on other projects and couldn't give the book my full attention at first. But once the action started and the pace picked up, the story moved along like a well-oiled machine--sort of like the flax mill Ella and her grandfather built !

I really liked that this concerns a girl who's a natural engineer. I have a number of female friends and relatives who are brilliant engineers, and I will definitely recommend this book to them.

There were a few spots where 21st Century phrasing sneaks in, although it looks like the proofers and editors did otherwise a fine job.

I would suggest a map showing where Ella and her companions traveled. And it wouldn't hurt to add a small historical note, or at least a short bibliography, at the end of the book, for readers wishing to learn more about this era.

This is the first installment in a series. It ends with a great cliffhanger.

I am looking forward to Jodi Lew-Smith's next book!

Read more

One person found this helpful

Helpful

Report abuse

---

See all reviews

There's a problem loading this menu right now.

Learn more about Amazon Prime.

Get free delivery with Amazon Prime

Prime members enjoy FREE Delivery and exclusive access to music, movies, TV shows, original audio series, and Kindle books.

> Get started