Unpredictable suspense couched in historical fiction

At the start of this third installment, the Brittle Trilogy opens with the devastating toll of the sweeping flu pandemic of 1918. Plot events carry the main characters through WWII providing a fertile backstory perfect for fate to overlap the paths of several characters. The captivating plot is unpredictable and keeps the pages turning. 

Fans of the first two books will be happy to see the return of Richard Blackmore who was injured during the war and hospitalized for a long stay due to a head injury. The love of his life, Maggie, lives in hiding from her ex-husband and the man he hired to kill her. When Richard is able, he sets out looking for Maggie. He’s a good guy with dogged determination and even though years have passed Maggie doesn’t give up hope that she will see him again.

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Book review: The Brittle Sky

I’ve had the pleasure of reading the entire Brittle Trilogy which spans decades from pre-WWI to post-WWII. If you’ve read the first two books in the series, book three will not disappoint. The entire series takes on Hitchcockian-style elements with climactic plot twists and an innocent man accused. I recommend the entire Trilogy to those who enjoy Historical Fiction. As a WWII buff, I enjoyed the historical threads woven into this work of fiction. I’d love to share my favorite, but it would be a spoiler, and I’d rather readers get the full enjoyment as the story unfolds. The pacing is on target. Believable. I am happy to give it 5 out of 5 stars.

Page-turning suspense and drama

If you have not read the historical thriller, The Brittle Sea, book one in The Brittle Saga Trilogy, then know that this review includes spoilers related to book 1. My recommendation is to read The Brittle Sea before picking up The Brittle Land to get the full experience of the intricacies of the plot, but with that said The Brittle Land is written in such a way that it can be enjoyed without reading book 1.

About the book: The Brittle Land

The Brittle Land is the second book I’ve read by Tom Kane. Both are filled with page-turning suspense and drama with an underlying thread of romance that connects it all. Book two opens with the everyday life of Richard Blackmore as he picks up the pieces after being shot by the love of his life, Maggie. What he doesn’t know is that Maggie has a dual personality. The woman who tried to murder Richard was her alter ego, Magda Turner, but for The Brittle Land, Maggie has resurfaced. The plot has the reader cheering for the two of them to reunite even as Richard heads off to war. What he doesn’t know is that the personality that is the Maggie he loves has resurfaced following the trauma of his shooting. She escapes life as Magda Turner in search of Richard, but she isn’t alone. She brings along her young daughter (Richard’s daughter) with hopes of becoming a family.

 

Book Hookup Review: The Brittle Land

The plot is anything but predictable. It offers a Hitchcockian style theme that takes a dark and twisting turn as Magda’s husband sends his evil henchman, William Harker, after his wife who has now reverted to Maggie. Tension and intrigue build against a backdrop of World War I, the Spanish Flu, and Maggie’s personal struggle with mental health to keep Magda in check as she hopes to reconnect with Richard even as her world burns around her. If you’re in the market for a thriller, I recommend this book with four stars. I love the twist at the end that turned everything on its head. I can’t wait to read book 3, The Brittle Sky.

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As BookHookup I am a longtime book reviewer. I received a free review copy of this book from the author and have not received compensation for reviewing or recommending it. Some links in this post are affiliate links. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to amazon.com and affiliate sites.

About the author: Tom Kane

Tom Kane was born in the corner of the living room, behind the TV. So said his father many times, and the family agreed wholeheartedly. That seems to have set the tone for the rest of his life. In the corner or behind the TV, what is known about his birth is that it was on a dark and stormy night.

His mother inspired him to write. Doctor Who and Isaac Asimov inspired his love of science fiction. Monty Python inspired him to be silly and he blame Billy Connolly for his infrequent bursts of bad language.

Hitchcockian style suspenseful drama

The Brittle Sea by Tom Kane is the first book in an historical drama trilogy. This suspense-filled psychological thriller opens with a young Ukrainian woman heading to America for an arranged marriage. She’s rather a manipulative independent sort as she boards the Titanic and survives the ship going down. When she awakens, she doesn’t remember who she is, where she is from, or where she was going, and her personality is sweet and innocent. The boat that rescues her is The Lady Jane, captained by Richard Blackmore, and he quickly finds he cares for her. The ship’s steward decides she needs a name while onboard, and gives her the name Maggie.

The Brittle Trilogy

 

About the Book: The Brittle Sea

This story is full of plot twists as the man Maggie is supposed to marry is a shrewd American businessman by the name of Matthew Turner. He doesn’t plan to marry her because he wants a wife, but because he has plans to procure oil-rich property her family owns in Alaska. But when the Titanic goes down, Maggie goes missing and when The Lady Jane arrives in New York, Richard Blackmore takes Maggie to live at his apartment until her memory returns, and the two of them fall in love. In the meantime, Turner hires his sociopath henchman, William Harker to hunt down the woman he has paid to marry.

 

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Book review: The Brittle Sea

I’m not going to give more than that away because I don’t want to include spoilers in this review, but I can tell you that The Brittle Sea will set you on the edge of your seat and hold you there. The characters in this Hitchcockian-style suspenseful drama are unpredictable and you will either love them or hate them. Sometimes both. The complex plot is volatile and will take you on a tortuous journey filled with danger, paranoia, and a thirst for revenge. I highly recommend The Brittle Sea to readers who enjoy historical thrillers or psychological thrillers couched in a love story that reads like detective fiction. The end took away my breath. I’m happy to give it 4 stars.

 

About the author: Tom Kane

I was born in the corner of the living room, behind the TV. So said my father many times, and the family agreed wholeheartedly. That seems to have set the tone for the rest of my life. In the corner or behind the TV, what is known about my birth is that it was on a dark and stormy night.

 

My mother inspired me to write. Doctor Who and Isaac Asimov inspired my love of science fiction. Monty Python inspired me to be silly and I blame Billy Connolly for my infrequent bursts of bad language.

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As BookHookup, I am a longtime book reviewer. I received a free review copy of this book and have not received compensation for reviewing or recommending it. Some links in this post are affiliate links. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to amazon.com and affiliate sites.