Official Review: The Great Liquor War by D.M. McGowan

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Kelebogile Mbangi
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Official Review: The Great Liquor War by D.M. McGowan

Post by Kelebogile Mbangi »

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Great Liquor War" by D.M. McGowan.]
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4 out of 4 stars
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The Great Liquor War is a historical fiction book by D.M. McGowan. It is set in the 1880s in the British Colony of British Columbia.

Hank James is a young man who has set out into the world to find his fortune. He settles in Rossland where he stakes a claim and makes a living from panning gold. Soon, he realises that he will probably never become rich on that piece of land. Jack Kirkup, a British Columbia Police constable, advises him to start a freight business in Farwell where construction of the transcontinental railway is currently underway. Kirkup's advice turns out to be gold, and Hank is able to build a successful freight business. The railroad construction is policed by the North West Mounted Police. Thus, Farwell is burdened with the presence of two different police forces. Inevitably, these two forces clash. Because he feels that he owes Kirkup, Hank is pulled into the conflict, known as the "Liquor War". With the police forces distracted, criminals in the area jump at the opportunity to intensify their activities.

The Great Liquor War is action-packed and entertaining. It is told from Hank's viewpoint. Hank is quite likeable. He is easygoing and has an amusing dry humour which is edged with sarcasm, making his narrative hilarious!

There was not a single dull moment in this book. This is largely due to its colourful characters, from tough, no-nonsense police officers to pompous judges. Despite this, the book is plot-driven. Thus, there are no tedious backstories that drag out and delay the storyline. Because of the engaging plot, I found that my enthusiasm for the book remained high all the way to the end and did not wane.

I mentioned earlier that the book is narrated by the main character, Hank James. His narrative added to the 1880s feel and setting because he speaks in the style of the time. Most of the time, I found it easy to understand him, but there were a few times when his slang went over my head. Fortunately, I could fill in the gaps by reading the author's note at the end of the book. Here, the author explains which parts of his book are based on true events.

All in all, I greatly enjoyed reading this book. It isn't lengthy, and has a comfortable, slightly fast pace that kept things moving along nicely. I rate it 4 out of 4 stars. It deserves nothing less. If you enjoy stories about cowboys, or legends in the west, then I think you will enjoy this book.

******
The Great Liquor War
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Debjani Ghosh
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Post by Debjani Ghosh »

A historical fiction where the plot is narrated in first person and with sarcasm sounds unique. I am going to check out this one in near future. I enjoyed reading your review!
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Post by BLINKYNOEL36 »

Very interesting review. Canada is rich in history during the gold rish period.
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Irene C
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Post by Irene C »

What a distinct character to read in the first person! Thanks for this thoughtful and enthusiastic review. I'm unfamiliar with Canadian 19th century history, which means this is just the sort of novel to interest me.
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Post by kandscreeley »

This sounds like quite the book. Not many got rich panning for gold, but I like that the protagonist finds another way. Thanks.
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Post by HollandBlue »

Seems like interesting subject matter; I'm just wondering what the link is between the railroads and liquor? I'm not familiar with Canadian history, and I hope this isn't a stupid question.
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Post by Allymaa22 »

a great narration which makes it look like my personal life as an entrepreneur if I had been in those yore years. I saw my self in the narrators linguals
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Post by T_stone »

Hank's character in first person is enunciated. Great historical fictional book that sounds very captivating.
Thank you for the review
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