Title: The Madstone

Author: Elizabeth Crook

Genre: Historical Fiction

Publisher: Bedford Square Publisher

Publication Date: 26th September 2024

Rating: 4.5/5

Cover:

Summary:

Texas hill country, 1868. As nineteen-year-old Benjamin Shreve tends to business in his workshop, he sees a stagecoach leave a passenger stranded. The man, a treasure hunter, persuades Benjamin to help track down the coach, drawing him into a drama he could never have imagined. On reaching the coach they discover that its passengers include Nell, a pregnant young woman, and her four-year-old son, Tot, who are fleeing Nell’s brutal husband and his murderous brothers.

Nell is in grave danger. If her husband catches her, he will kill her and take their son. Benjamin offers to deliver Nell and Tot to a distant port on the Gulf of Mexico, where they can board a ship to safety. He is joined in this chivalrous act by two companions: the treasure hunter whose stranding began this endeavour and a restless Black Seminole who has an escape plan of his own.

Fraught with jeopardy from the outset, the trek across Texas becomes still more dangerous as buried secrets emerge. And even as Benjamin falls in love with Nell and begins to imagine a life as Tot’s father, vengeful pursuers are never far behind.

Review:

The Madstone is a wonderfully evocative blend of western, road novel, cat and mouse thriller and love story all in one – an impressive feat for a relatively short book. The entire narrative comes in the form of a letter from main character Benjamin Shreve to the son of one of the characters he encounters in an odd road trip of sorts. Benjamin is an incredibly charming narrator and indeed character, with plenty of wit and warmth, which makes him immediately engaging. Crook does an expert job of making his voice feel utterly authentic to the time and place, and once you get into the rhythm of his narrative, it becomes impossible to put the book down. I believe this is a sequel to a previous book featuring Benjamin, but it can definitely be read as a standalone (although I have now added Crook’s previous work to my TBR after enjoying this one so much). The Madstone has pretty much everything I love in a truly evocative story – there is danger, quirky humour, trauma and perfectly paced action. This, combined with characters that are vividly memorable and plenty of atmosphere makes for a thrilling and original adventure that I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend. 

★★★★.5 

Thank you so much to Anne Cater of Random Things Blog Tours for inviting me on this tour and organising it. I kindly received a copy of the book from the publisher. My review is entirely my own honest opinion.

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