Blog
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Blackbeard’s Lost Head and Ely Samuel Parker
When researching Blackbeard’s Lost Head, I had to resist getting sidetracked on stuff that had nothing to do with the story I was trying to write. But occasionally, I would…
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Bottles and Bi Valves Beneath the Surface Of Puget Sound
As an east coast transplant to Puget Sound (1987), I was gob smacked by the size of the salmon making their way up backyard creeks. But that was nothing compared…
Ratings & Reviews for Blackbeard’s Lost Head
I don’t have a lot of time to read, so a book had better be easy to read and most importantly interesting to read. Barrett has done it with Blackbeard’s Lost Head. The book is really clever without being pretentious. His descriptions of our community are spot on. Eerily so. I did find myself wondering who Barrett’s characters might be in real life.
This is a whodunit featuring unlikely but endearing FBI partners, Dodge and Hugh. Their relationship is a fun, irreverent display of friendship. Dodge is a Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribal Member and a veteran agent. Hugh is a younger agent who spends much of his time perplexed by Hugh’s brilliant but unconventional approach to life and their work. Barrett denies it, but I swear Charlie is based on my old friend and colleague Greg Anderson.
I am a self-proclaimed super reader…meaning I read a lot. And I love reading Barrett’s books. He brings the characters to life in a way that make me feel that I actually know them. As a Tribal Member, there’s a certain atmosphere and culture that’s hard to capture. But Barrett does it. I keep thinking he’s been with us for way too long.
This may be the first time that a prologue grabbed my attention. But it did! I was immediately hooked by the story and couldn’t stop reading. I was drawn to Dodge and Hugh from the moment they showed up. And Dana, too. I wanted to see what happened to them. The cliffhangers at the end of the chapters really pulled me along and made me want to keep reading. Even though much of the book is set on the Rez, it would appeal to anyone.
