The Sandburg Connection

By Mark de Castrique

A simple assignment for private investigator Sam Blackman and his partner Nakayla Robertson: follow Professor Janice Wainwright, who’s suing a surgeon for malpractice, and catch her in activities that undercut her claim.

When Wainwright visits Connemara, Carl Sandburg’s home in Flat Rock, N.C., and climbs the arduous trail to the top of Glassy Mountain, Sam believes he has the evidence needed to expose her—until he finds the woman semi-conscious and bleeding. Her final words: “It’s the Sandburg verses. The Sandburg verses.”

As the first person to discover the dying woman, Sam becomes the prime suspect. When an autopsy reveals painkillers in her blood and solid proof of the surgeon’s errors, Sam is left with the haunting questions: why did this suffering woman attempt to climb the mountain? Did someone cause her death?

A break-in at the Wainwright farmhouse and the theft of Sandburg volumes convince Sam someone is seeking information worth killing for. But what did Pulitzer-Prize-winner Sandburg have in his literary collection that has inspired multiple murders? And who will be targeted next? This is the third installment in the Sam Blackman series.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Poisoned Pen Press
• Release date: Oct 1, 2011
• ISBN: 9781615953387

Mark de Castrique

Mark de Castrique grew up in the mountains of western North Carolina where many of his novels are set. He's a veteran of the television and film production industry, has served as an adjunct professor at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte teaching The American Mystery, and he's a frequent speaker and workshop leader. He and his wife, Linda, live in Charlotte, North Carolina. www.markdecastrique.com

Reviews for The Sandburg Connection

[cathyskye · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

First Line: The beep caught me in mid-bite.Sam Blackman and his partner, Nakayla Robertson, have been hired by an insurance company to follow Professor Janice Wainwright, who's suing a surgeon for malpractice. The insurance company wants to catch Wainwright doing things she's not supposed to be able to do so her case can be thrown out of court. So far, the things that Sam has learned about Wainwright aren't very complimentary, and he believes that this case will be pretty open-and-shut, especially when Wainwright drives to Connemara (Carl Sandburg's home in Flat Rock, North Carolina) and begins climbing a tough hiking trail to the top of a mountain. Sam, who lost a leg while serving in Iraq, isn't properly equipped to follow her, but he does, only to hear her fall and find her bleeding and semi-conscious. "It's the Sandburg verses" were her last words. An autopsy is performed which proves that the surgeon bungled the operation, and Sam is left with questions that need answers. Why did Wainwright climb that mountain when she was in so much pain? Was someone else there? What are the Sandburg verses? When Wainwright's farmhouse is broken into and Sandburg books stolen, Sam becomes convinced that someone is searching for information that's worth killing for.Sometimes I'm ashamed of myself. Why is it that, when I find out someone is being investigated for some sort of insurance fraud, I automatically assume that person is guilty? With my distrust of large corporations, you'd think that the opposite would be true. Personal shortcomings aside, I liked seeing how the perception of Wainwright's character evolved through the opening chapters of the book.When Sam learns that Wainwright has a teenaged daughter, he goes to meet the girl, and she is an emotional, mixed-up mess-- as anyone her age would be when faced with the death of a parent. The girl tugs on the heartstrings in more than one way. Yes, she is the catalyst for doing what's right and for doing what's best for her, but she also introduces a welcome note of humor in the form of a pregnant goat. How Sam reacts to the goat is very funny indeed.Thanks to Mark de Castrique, I now know that Asheville, North Carolina, is a literary hotbed. Sam Blackman has solved mysteries involving Tom Wolfe and F. Scott Fitzgerald; now it's Carl Sandburg's turn. As long as he writes 'em, I'm going to read 'em. The famous literary figure is the hook that draws me in, and the team of Sam and Nakayla keeps me taking the bait. The two have an easy, witty chemistry that makes the pages turn all too quickly, and the Asheville area is scenic and rich in history. What a combination! I may even read up on Asheville in order to try to guess what their future investigations may be!

[cbl_tn · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

P.I. Sam Blackman and his partner Nakayla have been hired to follow the patient involved in a disability claim to look for evidence that she is faking or exaggerating her claim. The investigation comes to a sudden end when the woman dies from a fall in a wooded area on the grounds of the Carl Sandburg home, with Sam in pursuit but too far behind to see what happened. Did she fall by accident, or was she pushed? Could her death be related to her medical claim, or might it instead be related to her academic research project involving Carl Sandburg and his estate? Sam is troubled by the woman's death, and he finds a way to stay involved in the investigation.While this book will have a regional appeal in Asheville and the surrounding Appalachian region, the strength of the plot and quality of the writing will attract a wider circle of readers, as will the literary, academic, and Civil War aspects of the plot. Carl Sandburg's Connemara estate, a National Historic Site, is so integral to the novel that it would be difficult to imagine the events taking place anywhere else. Readers who have toured Carl Sandburg's home and estate will enjoy revisiting it in this novel, and readers who haven't been there will be planning their trip by the time they finish the book.This is the third book in this series, but it's the first one I've read. I'm looking forward to catching up on the first two books in the series, and I look forward to more to come.This review is based on an advance reading copy provided by the publisher through NetGalley.

[delphimo_1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Castrique thoroughly researches his subject matter. In this story an escapade involves the Flat Rock home of Carl Sandburg and mountain music. The characters in this novel lack depth. I enjoy the journey into the Flat Rock area, the mountain songs, and the tales of Carl Sandburg, but the death and resulting mystery do not create anticipation. The story is a quick read and not a novel that will cause further investigation.

[macygma · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The third installment of the Sam Blackman series does not disappoint. Sam and Nakayla his partner and other things are up to their necks in a murder/accident/lawsuit/goats having kids/story and we are happily swept away with them.Janice Wainwright died in a fall from Glassy Mountain. The “fall” part is the problem. She was heard by Sam (who was tailing her at the time) to yell “NO!” as she fell. Her backpack – which Sam knew she had during her hike – was missing. Next day, a 17-yr. old with murder in her eyes bursts into Sam and Nakayla’s office with a gun ready to kill.Wendy is Janice’ daughter and is now basically alone. She has Ida Mae, her Nubian goat who is about ready to kid, an aunt in Florida and a father who plays golf and divorced her mom years ago. Janice was on to something but no one knows exactly what. Sam needs to know because he thinks Janice didn’t just fall and too many people have too much to gain from her passing.Mark de la Castrique does an excellent job of keeping his suspects in line, his investigators in love and Wendy safe. The tongue-in-cheek humor was a nice change from the usual who-dunnits and I would recommend this to anyone with a love of mystery.

[thornton37814 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Sam Blackburn and his partner Nakayla Robertson are investigating an insurance claim case. When the person being investigated dies while exerting herself more than she should have with her injury, it doesn't take long for Sam, who had been tailing her, to realize that there is something not quite right with the circumstances surrounding her death. Much of the book is set in the Asheville, North Carolina area. Part of it is set at the Carl Sandburg home south of the city which is part of the National Park Service. UNC-Asheville, Warren Wilson College, and downtown Asheville play parts in the setting as well. I enjoyed the mystery which was not as predictable as some. I enjoyed the setting tremendously. This is the first of the mysteries featuring Sam and Nakayla that I have read, but I now want to go back and read earlier installments. Persons who enjoy literature, Civil War history, or just the Asheville, North Carolina setting will likely enjoy this mystery. This review is based on an advanced e-galley provided by the publisher through NetGalley for review.