3 out of 4 stars
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This is a review for the historical fiction novel Serpent in the Pines by Oscar Patton. Serpent in the Pines is part of the Satilla County series.
The book takes place in southern Georgia during the Reconstruction era. Tensions mount from disputes over land rights between a northern lumber company and the locals in Satilla County. Hundreds of ejectment cases are filed against the locals who are claiming rights to the land. As the company continues to cut down the trees and haul the timber away the superintendent of the Mellon Lumber Company is killed. The plot thickens as details of the conspiracy to kill Jim Moore become evident and land rights of Satilla County begin to get settled in court.
Overall I gave the book 3 out of 4 stars. I gave the book 3 stars because I did not like the way each chapter switched between different characters in the first person point of view. That hindered the flow of the book and made it difficult to remember who each character was until you got further along in the story.
The pace was also slow. Switching between so many different characters in the first person point of view took time for the story to develop. Although it eventually paid off resulting in good primary and secondary character development, it took away from the development of the main plot. Consequently the ending felt rushed and was not as satisfying as it could have been.
What I did like about the book was the historical setting and the vernacular of the characters. You could easily imagine what it was like to live in Satilla County during that period. The dialogue between the characters was very well done and that helped make the characters likable.
The book is intended for anyone interested in historical fiction or murder mysteries. Overall the book is clean. There are a couple scenes in the book though that are not intended for young readers.
Will the locals of Satilla County be able to keep their land? Will the Mellon Lumber Company win the land rights and change the landscape of southern Georgia forever? Who was involved in the plot to murder Jim Moore? Who was the killer? Will Sheriff George Winters be able to ease the tension of the community and solve the murder before there is more bloodshed? You can find out what happens when you read Serpent in the Pines by Oscar Patton.
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Serpent in the Pines
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