Download American Red Produced By David Marlett Released As Hardcover

danger with Historical Fiction is that you have to keep your eyes on the "fiction" part and not assume this is a recording of historical facts.
In his defense, the author never makes any attempt to say that "this is what happened, " While the actual characters are real, some of the facts were contrived to make a better story, But as the old saying goes, . . "never let facts get in the way of a good story, "

The book is set in the first few years of theth century and the battles between organized labor and the industry owners, Specifically, this was the story “Big Bill” Haywood, president of the Western Federation of Miners and his trial in Boise, Idaho on the murder of the governor of the state.
The Mine Owners association had secured the services of the Pinkertons the "Pinks" as a paramilitary force employed against the union men, In the book, the Pinks were responsible for kidnapping Haywood and spiriting him away to Boise to face trial,

The trial was the most interesting part and took up a great deal of the book, I found myself wondering whether the words of Clarence Darrow were accurately presented from the court recordings, If so, Darrow was one cool dude,

The book had so many historical characters that it made the read fun, Haywood and both a wife and mistress, who happened to be sisters, He had a spy in the form of a Femme fatale Clara Capone, cousin Alfonso Capone, The Pinks had their best on the line, including the legendary detective, James McParland, Of course, we can't forget Clarence Darrow, the legendary lawyer,

While Haywood was acquitted the book doesn't change this, and while he may or may not have been involved the murder of governor Steunenberg, and while he may or may not have been involved in other murders, there is no doubt that he was corrupt.
Even though he was relieved of this presidency, the radical union didn't last through theth century,

I have always been sympathetic to the labor organizers of theth century, My opinion is they laid the groundwork for the prosperous middle class we have today, The unions struggled a bit in the early days as they sought to establish themselves apart from the socialists and communists, This book was written in a time where the organizers were finding their way, Finding their "identity. "

This book isn't perfect, and the facts are hammered to fit the plot, But it did cover a fascinating time in our history, and that made it worthwhile, When well written history makes a better story than fiction, you know that you have a winner! American Red is such a book! Although this book is lengthy, it does not bog down as it unwinds the complex events of Idaho history at the turn of theth century.
This engaging page turner is full of larger than life characters, marvelous descriptions, and a story that truly transports the reader through time, As a book seller, this is my “go to” handsell!!! This book started off with a bang and just neverletup! Really excellent historical fiction, with spies/double agents, espionage, manylayered trickery from all sides, and action galore.
An exciting and suspenseful thriller out of Americas turbulent earlyth century, Fascinating characters and a complex plot left me completely satisfied, Loved it!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, The Story Plant, for an ARC in exchange for a review and all of my reviews are honest.
Why lie
AmericanRed NetGalley American Red by David Marlett
Fascinating story of not only the west but the miners and the unions, Trains were the mode of transportation back in early's and some control what schedules and locations of the different trains,
After the death of many miners and the court trial where nobody is to blame and no benefits for widows and children, others become concerned and track down, with clues, those who are the culprits.

The Pinkertons are also involved in the clues along the way, Fast paced, many mysteries and you wonder at some point how everything is connected, . .
Lots of characters and there are some very colorful ones that bring a smile to your face,
Like the aftermath and where everybody is and what happened to them, history of the people involved and the fake ones that really help make this a worthwhile story to read.

Acknowledgement and about the author are included at the end,
American Red is unlike any historicalbased book I've ever read! I love history in particular, turn of the century in America because of how it shows our fastpaced growth.
While a hundred, or even two hundred years, seems like a long time ago, it is really not too far of a leap, Considering that this is based on reallife events, I felt myself being drawn in and excited to be pulled back into a tumultuous time period, The power struggles are still something we see being fought for today, My husband isn't a reader but as I told him about the story, he reminded me

of other documentaries, movies, etc, that we've watched about the Pinkertons, A lot really began to pull together and I dove back into the book, It's a long, detailed read however, it's wellworth it! The characters are wellwritten and strong, pulling you into taking sides with your favorites and rooting them on in being successful in their quest as well as in love.
I could easily see this turning into a fulllength movie or an extended series,  

I received a complimentary copy of the book for reviewing purposes, All opinions are my own, Big Bill Heywood was a pioneer of the American labor movement who built the Western Federation of Miners into a powerful force in Colorado and neighboring states dominated by the capitalist owners of the extraction industries.
He was also a radical with socialist tendencies who believed that the bosses were violent thugs that could only be countered by an equal or greater amount of violence, including the bombing of mines, and in late, the home of the governor of Idaho, who Heywood felt had betrayed the union's support by jailing members of the union after a brutal conflict.
'American Red' dramatizes the event, including the sensational trial in Boise in which Heywood is defended by Clarence Darrow, The novel hews closely to the recorded facts, including Heywood's infidelities with his crippled wife's sister, and the involvement of Al Capone's sister, among other historical oddities.
Marlett creates a spiffy page turner that rarely dawdles, True, I did not finish with a glow from either the knockout prose or the deeply empathetic characters, But it was a fun ride, Mr. Marlett can write. This is a bit of a tome when it comes to books but I barely noticed, This is because I was swept into the story and by the characters, They just "popped" off the pages of the book, Readers of historical fiction especially the Wild West will want to check out this book,

I live in the Western part of the state, where mines did play a very important part of the history, For Example, Denver Colorado is about three in a half to four hours away from where I live, So, for me this book was not just a story but part history,

Mr. Marlett's descriptions of everything were so vivid that I instantly had a movie playing in my head while reading this book, There is a little of everything for everyone in this book, . . outlaws, good guys, intriguing and strong female characters, So book a trip to the Wild West with engaging characters and a well written story that is part history with Mr, Marlett's American Red. American Red is based on factual events, It tells the stories of conflict between Labour Unions and business owners, It shows the frictions between those who have everything and those who have nothing, It manages to do all this in an entertaining manner that sweeps the reader along with the tide of history,

This book is a historical legal thriller, Knowing it was based on real people and real events I could hardly resist find out more about them all before finishing the book, I managed to do so and I'm glad I did, The exciting world created by David Marlett is much preferable to the dry dusty tomes of history that recount the facts but not the emotions of the time.


As is only to be expected in a book covering these events in such detail there are many characters to keep track of, who did what to whom and when.
I never once had a moment where I had to stop and think who is this person and how do they fit into the story, Every character is drawn clearly and distinctly, Whenever we return to a character, be it two pages or two chapters previously it is immediately obvious who they are and how they fit into the narrative.
There are no muddled voices, There was not a single time I had to stop and look back to work out who a particular character was and how they fitted into the overall story.


This is a big book filled with big characters and I very much recommend it, If you enjoy historical fiction this is for you, if you enjoy crime fiction this is for you, if you enjoy legal thrillers this is for you.
If none of those genres is your cup of tea but you appreciate good writing regardless of the genre then I will recommend this to you, Fascinating story, based on actual historical events,

What works for me:

, The history
This is a wellresearched, heavilydetailed novel, Marlett knows his subject matter, He has a gift for making history come alive, The opening plunges us into the conflict between two parties, One, the ruthless mine owners, who use capitalism and patriotism to justify their merciless treatment of their employees, Two, the equally ruthless union miners, who use the owners wrongdoings to justify their own merciless, bloody treatment of their employers, Fascinating. Disturbing. Intriguing.

Marlett also adds little tidbits of deliciously crazy facts, proving that truth is sometimes stranger than fiction,

. The characters
This is a huge cast of characters, It would be easy to get lost among the various lawmen, lawbreakers, attorneys, politicians, and the evershifting line between who is “right” and “wrong” in their actions.
But we dont, thanks to Marletts ability to juggle this cast,

Many are historical figures, Again, Marletts done his research, Their personalities and quirks all mesh with what the historical record shows,

Among them are Clarence Darrow, the criminal defense attorney for union boss Bill Haywood, Darrow found later notoriety in the “Scopes monkey trial, ” He was a wily, slippery character, able to argue circles around everyone else, Newspapers dubbed him “Americas Lawyer, ” I particularly enjoyed reading about him,

Neva Haywood, Haywoods poliostriken wife, piqued my interest, Her continual selfjustifications for “allowing” her husband to cheat with her sister were heartbreaking, but its infuriating how she turns a blind eye to her husbands murders.


Two other characters of note: Jack and Carla, fictional characters who represent the Pinkertons and the union, respectively, Their own actions unsettle them, Each comes to a realization that neither “side” is truly in the right and that both sides are ruthless and resort to underhanded tactics,

. The conflict
Marlett does a terrific job of showing how both sides engage in deceptive tactics, Judges, lawyers, lawmen: almost everyone in the novel bends or breaks the law, All of them justify their actions, Its troubling.

What doesnt work for me:
This is more a caution than a negative aspect of the book, This is historical fiction. Characters hold prejudices and use language that is no longer socially acceptable, This includes racial and ethnic slurs, sexist terms, and the like, Even otherwise “sympathetic” characters use them, Still, most historical fiction readers should understand why these terms are used in this context,

A mustread for fans of historical fiction,

Thanks to NetGalley, The Story Plant, and David Marlett for the opportunity to read American Red in exchange for an honest review,

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