Copper Kettle

Description

It's 1920. Jesse Sutherlin has returned to Buffalo Mountain a war hero, having after survived the trenches of World War I. Not only did he fight the enemy, reaching the rank of officer, he went a few rounds with some of his fellow soldier who viewed him as a hillbilly. Jesse is glad to be home. But his view of the world and of himself has chang

Frederick Ramsay had published fourteen books that range from historicals (The Jerusalem Mysteries), to Africa (The Botswana Mysteries), to police procedurals (The Ike Schwartz Mysteries). In addition, his stand-alone Impulse was named one of the Best 100 Books of the Year in 2006 by Publishers Weekly. He was a retired Episcopal Priest, Academic, and author.

"Though this sort-of prequel to Ramsay's Ike Schwartz series (The Vulture, 2015, etc.) isn't much of a mystery, it's memorable for its powerful portrayal of the difficult lives of proud but poorly educated people too set in their ways to change." * Kirkus Reviews * "Ramsay evokes a time and a place so vividly through Jesse's voice that I didn't read this novel so much as savor every page. It doesn't hurt that Jesse's courtship of Serena Barker (a shirttail member of the Lebrun family, gasp) is charming from beginning to end." * Dana Stabenow, New York Times best-selling author * "Set in the same locale as the author's popular Ike Schwartz series, but years earlier, the novel is colorfully written, with an engaging cast of characters and some pretty serious themes: death, poverty, and the strength required to persevere in the face of virtually insurmountable odds." -- David Pitt * Booklist * "Jesse is a wonderful protagonist and the characters on the mountain are interesting people. From his stoic mother who has had too many losses in her family to the girl he comes to love from the opposing clan, the reader meets a tight, finely drawn community. This appears to be the start of a new series by Ramsay and it is very welcome. I look forward to reading more about the mountain and its folks." -- Elaine Cichantk * LibraryThing * "Set in 1920, Ramsey's satisfying prequel to his contemporary Ike Schwartz series (The Vulture, etc.) provides fascinating details of a soldier's life during WWI....It's a genuine pleasure to read a story of detection that depends purely on observation and logical deduction to reach its conclusions." * Publishers Weekly *