The Richmond Papers by Sam Simpson (SPL £9.99). This is the third in the trilogy of books about Scottish accountant Tom Mackay from Sam Simpson, writes Graham Hambly. As with his previous two books the story is set during a political election, this time we have crossed the Atlantic to the USA!
We are also taken back to the American Civil War and to secret letters (The Richmond Papers), and a shipment of gold bullion heading for the UK. But what is the dark secret in the documents that could bring down the US government?
There are treasure hunters and the FBI all chasing the trial, which seems have run cold. Some are more interested in the gold than the letters from Confederate President Jefferson Davis.
Unlike other reviewers I think the flipping backwards and forwards works really well – you effectively get two books in one!
Our intrepid accountant, and his side-kick girlfriend (Sally Purcell) are determined to discover the truth, but this truth comes at a cost, and death is never far away.
It’s good that Mackay has come into money too, as the story takes him from Florida to Nassau, Liverpool, Scotland, and even New Zealand. They seem to stay somewhere nice every time, and I was wondering if Simpson had tried these locations out himself!
The books are getting longer, this one was 260 pages, but they are so easy to read and it was a great companion on holiday.
PQ rating: 5/5 Loved the mix of historical and modern day. We want to hear more about accountant Tom Mackay and his adventures.
