Official Review: The Making of Jake McTavish

Please use this forum to discuss historical fiction books. Common definitions define historical fiction as novels written at least 25-50 years after the book's setting.
Forum rules
Authors and publishers are not able to post replies in the review topics.
Post Reply
User avatar
bluegreenmarina
Posts: 368
Joined: 26 Oct 2016, 14:43
Favorite Book: <a href="http://forums.onlinebookclub.org/shelve ... =6703">The Count of Monte Cristo</a>
Currently Reading: Drive Your Plow Over The Bones Of The Dead
Bookshelf Size: 1230
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-bluegreenmarina.html
Latest Review: Spontaneous Addiction Recovery by Dr. James Slobodzien

Official Review: The Making of Jake McTavish

Post by bluegreenmarina »

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Making of Jake McTavish" by D.M. McGowan.]
Book Cover
3 out of 4 stars
Share This Review


The Making of Jake McTavish by D.M. McGowan is the story of a cattle rancher and fur trapper who is dealing with the aftermath of his wife’s brutal murder on their homestead. The story is set in the late 1800s, in the Canadian Wild West, where the police force is rarely present and even more rarely helpful. Following the incident with his wife, Jake spends several years isolating himself in the wilderness, but a violent encounter forces him to face the demons that have been haunting him since his wife’s death. He begins to dig into the details and clues from the scene of the crime, working closely with his wife’s sister to uncover the truth. However, this truth is more than he bargained for, and as he continues to investigate he discovers an entire web of deceit and violence that has plagued his family members for years.

This story is delivered in a rugged and straight-to-business tone. There are few extraneous details, which allows the plot to move along briskly, and keeps the reader’s focus on important points. Though this contributes well to the efficient pace of the story, it allows little opportunity to get to know the side characters as well as we get to know Jake. At the start of the story there are very few side characters, so knowing little about them is not much of a problem. However, toward the end, as the number of players grows it becomes difficult to remember who is who, since each name is only given a brief introduction.

Nonetheless, it is not a complicated book, and despite some confusion about the side characters it was easy to follow the main threads of the plot. The dialects and scene descriptions came across as well-researched and authentic to the time and place, though at times the intimate interactions between Jake and his sister-in-law seemed overly modern… I would have expected more reserved behaviors between members of the opposite sex in that era.

This is a quick and engrossing read, especially for those who are interested in Canadian history, or enjoy works set in that time-period. The murder mystery is not the deepest or most complex, yet this almost becomes secondary to the skillful setting descriptions and the general mood conveyed by the author. I would have preferred a bit more focus on Jake’s inner transformation, since the title of the story implies that this is a key point in the book. Rather, it felt as if the author was telling us that Jake had transformed, but not explaining how this had occurred.

With a bit of editing to fix a handful of grammatical and spelling errors, and perhaps some additional details to flesh out the character development, this story would reach its full potential as a solid example of a murder mystery/adventure set more than a century ago. Fans of old Westerns, readers interested in historical fiction, and folks who enjoy stories of the rugged outdoors are likely to find several points of interest in this book. I rate this novel 3 out of 4 stars; though far from perfect, it was an engaging (and at times, educational) story. I particularly enjoyed the descriptions of Jake living off the land, using only basic tools to create shelter and survive while traveling through the country.

******
The Making of Jake McTavish
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon

Like bluegreenmarina's review? Post a comment saying so!
User avatar
Sonya Nicolaidis
Posts: 991
Joined: 22 Aug 2018, 01:30
Favorite Book: McDowell
Currently Reading: The Dark Web Murders
Bookshelf Size: 403
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-sonya-nicolaidis.html
Latest Review: My Delightfully Dysfunctional Family by Loraine Hartley

Post by Sonya Nicolaidis »

It sounds like an engaging book and the fact that it’s set in Canada in the last century appeals even more. Pity about the character development - I find it frustrating when I feel I don’t know the personalities thoroughly - but otherwise it sounds like a book with great potential. Will definitely like to try this one. Nice review - thanks!
User avatar
Corhan2
Posts: 98
Joined: 10 Apr 2018, 09:19
Favorite Book: Body of Evidence (Kay Scarpetta #2)
Currently Reading: Land of Painted Caves
Bookshelf Size: 17
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-corhan2.html
Latest Review: Raven's Peak by Lincoln Cole

Post by Corhan2 »

Thanks for the nice review. I like to connect with the characters in the book I'm reading, that being said, I might just give this one a try because the plot sounds interesting.
kdstrack
Previous Member of the Month
Posts: 6473
Joined: 10 May 2017, 19:49
Currently Reading: The Savior
Bookshelf Size: 530
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-kdstrack.html
Latest Review: How To Be Successful by M. Curtis McCoy

Post by kdstrack »

This sounds very intriging. It seems interesting that before the dawn of therapy, people had to deal with their grief in different ways. I enjoyed your description of the book. This one goes on my list! Thanks.
User avatar
Debjani Ghosh
Posts: 670
Joined: 18 May 2018, 05:51
Favorite Book: The Lord Of The Rings
Currently Reading: The Evacuees
Bookshelf Size: 86
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-debjani-ghosh.html
Latest Review: Days of the Giants by RJ Petrella

Post by Debjani Ghosh »

When I started reading your review, I thought this is the book I am looking for- a murder mystery set in the rugged outdoors in the 1800s - what more could one ask for. But as I read on, I was pained to know that supporting characters have not been fleshed out as well as the protagonist. This is not a characteristic of a good mystery novel since more often than not, it's one among the sidekicks who turns out to be a murderer. I am going to pass this one. Thanks for the honest review.
User avatar
kandscreeley
Special Discussion Leader
Posts: 11683
Joined: 31 Dec 2016, 20:31
Currently Reading: Believarexic
Bookshelf Size: 486
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-kandscreeley.html
Latest Review: The Elf Revelation by Jordan David

Post by kandscreeley »

I'm unsure about this one. It sounds quite interesting. I don't know much about the time period, though. I am curious what he uncovers as far as the web of deceit and lies. Thanks for an engrossing review. I'll consider this one.
A book is a dream you hold in your hands.
—Neil Gaiman
User avatar
MagensWife1995
Posts: 45
Joined: 27 Sep 2018, 10:49
Currently Reading:
Bookshelf Size: 20
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-magenswife1995.html
Latest Review: Escape by Mark Kingston Levin, PhD

Post by MagensWife1995 »

I am not sure how I would feel about this story. Although I love crime the era it is set in is not my type, thanks for the review.
Post Reply

Return to “Historical Fiction”