They are the richest family in America that nobody has ever heard of, with a net worth of over $100 billion. Their privately held company has secretly been shaping public opinion and influencing elections for decades—and eliminating politicians who stand in their way. They are finally on the verge of achieving their lifelong goal: a covert takeover of the United States government. But the … potential revelation of a centuries-old family secret threatens to sabotage their subversive plans.
Meanwhile, Matt Hawkins discovers lost field notes written by Meriwether Lewis during the historic Lewis and Clark Expedition. In them, Lewis claims a seemingly impossible discovery. Hawkins follows a trail of clues—from the Spanish conquistadors to a legendary tribe of invincible black Indians to the hallowed halls of Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello. His pursuit of the truth leads him out of the past and headlong into the center of a modern-day political conspiracy—whose outcome just might determine the fate of America’s democracy.
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I am a HUGE American history fan, so when author Ted Richardson contacted me and asked if I’d be interested in reviewing his book I was immediately intrigued – how many novels have YOU encountered that tie together billionaires with secrets, political drama, Lewis and Clark, and conquistadors? My review copy was graciously provided by the author in exchange for my honest review.
I am a fanatic for great characters. I like them well-developed, complex, and human. Richardson’s Matt Hawkins, the protagonist, is one such character. But he’s not the only one – the book is populated with them… Even the passing-glance characters (who, incidentally, often wind up being not so by the time the story plays out a bit) are multi-faceted and interesting to read. He layers his history and his fiction deftly, placing just enough of each on the spoon at each bite to ensure you work your way through the entire presentation…
I must admit, there were a few points where the story got a little slow for me. There is a lot of detail here, and sometimes it felt a little dense. But by the time I reached the end, I came to the conclusion that it was all probably necessary to fully flesh out the history and the mystery in equal parts. This is the second in the series; you don’t need to read the first to follow or enjoy it (I haven’t read the first yet, although it’s on my TBR list now)…
Full review: http://blog.jill-elizabeth.com/2016/09/27/book-review-the-abolition-of-evil-by-ted-richardson/
Ted Richardson – Matt Hawkins Series Bk 2 – Abolition of Evil – Reviewed 8/14/17
History at its finest!
They are the richest family in America that nobody has ever heard of, with a net worth of over $100 billion. Their privately held company has secretly been shaping public opinion and influencing elections for decades—and eliminating politicians who stand in their way. They are finally on the verge of achieving their lifelong goal: a covert takeover of the United States government. But the potential revelation of a centuries-old family secret threatens to sabotage their subversive plans. Meanwhile, Matt Hawkins discovers lost field notes written by Meriwether Lewis during the historic Lewis and Clark Expedition. In them, Lewis claims a seemingly impossible discovery. Hawkins follows a trail of clues—from the Spanish conquistadors to a legendary tribe of invincible black Indians to the hallowed halls of Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello. His pursuit of the truth leads him out of the past and headlong into the center of a modern-day political conspiracy—whose outcome as might determine the fate of America’s democracy.
@ddeegott What did I like? I just came back from New York state after an extended stay and I visited so many historical sites that I will never be able to name them all. This book struck a chord with me and I most certainly enjoyed it and could not lay it down. I started it one evening and had to force myself to go to sleep but I was at it first thing in the am. I love Matt…. He is such a character all by himself. I have not read the other books but you can bet that I will be. I am also Native American although not from the North. There is really no difference in the Reservations from one area to another and even though it made me sad it is so true that it hurts to hear of them in that condition. Growing up I also knew a Big Tom and he also passed away too early in his life, but not like this one. I would give anything to follow Matt around and be involved in his excitement. I have visited the area that he lived but seeing it through his eyes made it even more appealing.
What will you like? As I stated above you are going to Love Matt and the excitement that he gets into. All the characters are very well developed and have lots of interesting things going on about them. Of course, Matt’s is the best or at least for me anyway. The storyline is very exciting and even more interesting if you really like history as I do. I was very impressed with the amount of real history that was included in and enjoyed the fabrications too. Ted is a great storyteller and you will enjoy his books from the first to the last page. I received this from the author for an honest review with no other compensation.