"Come and Take It" by Landon Wallace

[TarinaJ]

‘Papa Joe’ Travis, World War II hero and direct descendent of the only known male survivor of the Alamo, a slave named Joe, dies after being attacked in his home. He definitely tells his attackers, “Come and take it” with his last breath, echoing the battle cry of the Texas Revolution. His grandson Nat discovers Pap Joe’s research into their family’s genealogy and possible connection to the lost treasure of the Alamo. With the help of Renee, an historian and his former sister-in-law, Nat soon discovers his grandfather may have uncovered the secret of the missing treasure.

Come and Take It: Search for the Treasure of the Alamo is a rich blend of history, mystery, and fiction. The thrill of this book comes not from figuring out who the antagonist is (the author makes that clear from the start) but from figuring out the clues of the treasure’s location. Landon Wallace smartly focuses on the relationships between the characters and dropping bread crumbs of hints leading to the discovery of the treasure. He provides just enough information to lead the reader in the right direction without making it too easy to figure out early in the story.

Landon Wallace brings historical figures to life in an imaginative ‘what-if’ retelling of an epic time in Texas history. He skillfully jumps between Joe the slave's story line in the 1830s, during and after the battle of the Alamo, and the modern day search for the treasure by his descendants. The peripheral characters are just as interesting as the main characters and add depth to the overall story.

The use of historical figures, battles, and events interwoven into the fictionalized accounts of Joe the slave’s life and his fictional ancestors adds an interesting dynamic to the search for the treasure. It is evident from the story, the author’s note, and inclusion of historical references that the author conducted in depth research into the history of the Alamo and the Texas Revolution. Overall this is an engaging book that will appeal to most audiences, but especially those who have even a modicum of interest in history.

I gave Come and Take It 3 out of 4 stars for a couple of issues toward the end of the book. At one point the antagonist’s plan falls apart, leading to an investigation but the author never provides any detail as to why the plan fell apart. The subterfuge going on behind the scenes was a key sub-plot point and I felt something was left out in the explanation. The other issue I had was that the ending seemed rushed and was rather anticlimactic. At less than 300 pages, the author could have afforded some extra detail in the end.