BOOK REVIEW: Saffire

Set in the crowded, humid streets of Panama in the early 1900s, Saffire, by Sigmund Brouwer, captures machinations of political intrigue that wrested a country from the hands of another...only to threaten it with even further instability. 

James Holt, a cowboy from the Dakotas, comes to Panama at the request of his friend and President Teddy Roosevelt. Sent on a seemingly straightforward mission, Holt finds himself caught up in the schemes of a man desperate to hide his past deceit by creating future smokescreens. He also finds himself in love with a woman betrothed to an evil man...and protector of a young girl who yet appears to need no protection. 

The story is splendidly told, but I personally had a difficult time grabbing hold of the plot as the story began. I had to reread a few pages a couple of times and still couldn't make the connections.The main character was always a few steps ahead of me, to my frustration, and, conversely, sometimes the rationale for characters' actions didn't make sense to me. However, by the final few chapters I was up to speed, and the epilogue weaves all the loose threads together. I can close the book with appreciation for the writer's ability to weave a tale that isn't simple or predictable. Well done. 

I received this book from Waterbrook Multnomah free of charge in exchange for a fair review. 

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