Historical, factual and sometimes dry but still intriguing I have to say I did enjoy this book. I have not read the first four books in the series and found this story able to stand alone.

My first thought when reading was, “This is slow.”
Second thought was, “There is a lot of religion in this story.”
Third thought was, “Martha, at fifteen, is much more mature than most fifteen year olds.
Fourth thought was, “The action really begins in the last third of the book.
Fifth thought was, “I wonder what happens in book six?

Thaddeus is a saddlebag preacher who rides from meeting to meeting for the Methodist church. It sounds like he has not always been a man of God but became one at some point when he met the woman who would be his wife. His life has not been easy and most of his female family members are deceased. His granddaughter takes care of him. He has had many adventures in life and loves to solve mysteries. In this story he sees someone that reminds him of his deceased wife and is intrigued enough to assist her legally. There are mysteries to solve, an accused murderer to exonerate, a few people with romance on their minds and at least two people that will need to figure out what to do with their future.

I enjoyed the book and am glad I did not give up on it in the beginning. It is slow at first but does pick up. The author states she is a storyteller and the book is “told” by the author rather than “experienced” by the characters in the book. There was quite a bit of historical information imparted through the story so if you want to know more about the railroad, Canadian law in the 1800’s, what religion and life were like in the past this book might be one you will enjoy. If you want action-packed, seat of the pants, fast paced suspense then this is not a book you will enjoy.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dundurn for the copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. ( )