Book description
Sam Blackman is an angry man. A Chief Warrant Officer in the Criminal
Investigation Detachment of the U. S. military, he lost a leg in Iraq.
His outspoken criticism of his medical treatment resulted in his
transfer to the Veteran's Hospital in Asheville, NC. Disillusioned with
the military, grieving over the recent death of his parents, and at odds
with his brother, Sam's life is in shambles. Then an ex-marine and
fellow amputee named Tikima Robertson walks into his hospital room.
Tikima hints she has an opportunity for Sam to use his investigative
skills-if he can stop feeling sorry for himself. But before she can
return, Tikima is murdered, her body found floating in the French Broad
River. Sam was the last person to see her alive. Tikima's sister,
Nakayla, brings Sam a journal she finds in Tikima's apartment. A note
stuck to the in-side cover reads “For Sam Blackman.” The volume dates to
1919 and contains the entries of a twelve-year-old boy who accompanies
his father, a white funeral director, as they help a black man, Elijah
Robertson, transport his deceased relative from Asheville to a small
family plot in Georgia. The link to the present? Nearly 90 years ago,
Elijah's body was also found in the French Broad River, a crime
foreshadowing the death of his great-great-granddaughter Tikima. Sam and
Nakayla must delve into Asheville's rich history, the legacy of the
Vanderbilts at the Biltmore estate, and of author Tom Wolfe to uncover
the murderous truth. At the start of this outstanding first in a new
series from de Castrique (Final Undertaking), Sam Blackman, a feisty
army vet who lost part of a leg in the current Iraq War, is in his last
days of rehab at a V. A. hospital in Asheville, N. C., when he meets
Tikima Robertson, a black woman and fellow amputee who invites him to
apply for a job at her security firm. Soon after, Sam phones the firm
and learns Tikima is dead. Sam speaks at Tikima's funeral, during which
her apartment is ransacked. Tikima's sister, Nakayla, later finds that
the intruders overlooked a diary from 1919 bookmarked with Sam's name
and number. The diary vividly brings to life the intrepid journey of a
white funeral director and the Robertson sisters'
great-great-grandfather, Elijah Robertson, that ends in Elijah's murder.
Suspecting a connection between the long-ago murder and Tikima's
untimely drowning, Sam decides to investigate, but he must overcome
hurdles of body and mind as he pursues the truth. A wealth of historical
detail, an exciting treasure hunt and credible characters distinguish
this fresh, adventurous read. Mark de Castrique grew up in the
mountains of western North Carolina where his mysteries are set. Mark is
a veteran of the television and film production industry, and he serves
as an adjunct professor at the University of North Carolina at
Charlotte. Dangerous Undertaking is the first in the series
