David Liss's bestselling historical thrillers, including A Conspiracy of Paper and The Coffee Trader, have been called remarkable and rousing: the perfect combination of scrupulous research and breathless excitement. Now Liss delivers his best novel yet in an entirely new setting--America in the years after the Revolution, an unstable nation where desperate schemers vie for wealth, power, and a chance to shape a country's destiny.Ethan Saunders, once among General Washington's most valued spies, now lives in disgrace, haunting the taverns of Philadelphia. An accusation of treason has long since cost him his reputation and his beloved fiancee, Cynthia Pearson, but at his most desperate moment he is recruited for an unlikely task--finding Cynthia's missing husband. To help her, Saunders must serve his old enemy, Treasury Secretary Alexander Hamilton, who is engaged in a bitter power struggle with political rival Thomas Jefferson over the fragile young nation's first real financial institution: …
David Liss's bestselling historical thrillers, including A Conspiracy of Paper and The Coffee Trader, have been called remarkable and rousing: the perfect combination of scrupulous research and breathless excitement. Now Liss delivers his best novel yet in an entirely new setting--America in the years after the Revolution, an unstable nation where desperate schemers vie for wealth, power, and a chance to shape a country's destiny.Ethan Saunders, once among General Washington's most valued spies, now lives in disgrace, haunting the taverns of Philadelphia. An accusation of treason has long since cost him his reputation and his beloved fiancee, Cynthia Pearson, but at his most desperate moment he is recruited for an unlikely task--finding Cynthia's missing husband. To help her, Saunders must serve his old enemy, Treasury Secretary Alexander Hamilton, who is engaged in a bitter power struggle with political rival Thomas Jefferson over the fragile young nation's first real financial institution: the Bank of the United States.Meanwhile, Joan Maycott is a young woman married to another Revolutionary War veteran. With the new states unable to support their ex-soldiers, the Maycotts make a desperate gamble: trade the chance of future payment for the hope of a better life on the western Pennsylvania frontier. There, amid hardship and deprivation, they find unlikely friendship and a chance for prosperity with a new method of distilling whiskey. But on an isolated frontier, whiskey is more than a drink; it is currency and power, and the Maycotts' success attracts the brutal attention of men in Hamilton's orbit, men who threaten to destroy all Joan holds dear.As their causes intertwine, Joan and Saunders--both patriots in their own way--find themselves on opposing sides of a daring scheme that will forever change their lives and their new country. The Whiskey Rebels is a superb rendering of a perilous age and a nation nearly torn apart--and David Liss's most powerful novel yet.From the Hardcover edition.
This book was fantastic. The characters were well-developed and overall consistent, and fascinating. They seem like full, real people. The story was an exciting ride and stays true to history. The characters felt appropriate to the time period, which made them more alive, and helped me care about them more than I otherwise would have.
I will say, I didn't buy that Ethan, as a total buffoon in all other respects, is some sort of incredible spy and can "talk himself out of anything" as he rarely does this. There were just a few times that his exploits strained credulity given how he was portrayed otherwise. Similar, some of the time jumping was a little confusing.
Overall, however, the good far far outweighed any little inconsistencies. This book is awesome, if you are looking for well-written, well-researched, fascinating, and fun historical fiction, this is the book for you.
Set shortly after the American Revolution, Washington is president, Hamilton has formed the Bank of the United States, and the nation is a fragile place. A wronged woman from the west and a disgraced intelligence officer work to shape the fate of the new nation each in their own way. This is a very well written book, though the story didn't really grab me until about half way though. That asks a lot since it is 525 pages long. But once it got going, I had trouble putting it down. If you have any interest at all in the early years of the USA then you'll enjoy this.
