The third book in the John Nolan detective series, THE EASTER MAN is set in the early days of World War I before America entered the conflict. A German plot is brewing to blow up several dozen ships while they sit in their berths in New York Harbor, freighters that will carry munitions and other war supplies to the Allies. Also targeted will be the city residences of J. P. Morgan and John D. Rockefeller Jr. as well as New York City Hall, Grand Central Terminal, the Woolworth building, the Metropolitan Opera House, Macy’s, New York City police headquarters and the British and French embassies. The explosions are all planned for the same day, Easter Sunday, 1916, with the intention of sending Americans an emphatic warning to stay out of the fighting or else the war will be brought to their soil.
A rumor about the impending plot begins to circulate in the New York City Police Department. It is also said a German spy, a specialist with a new type of explosive, is making his way to New York to lead the conspiracy.
Fearing the department’s own undercover men are known by the Germans, New York City police officials turn to an outsider, John Nolan, a Brooklyn private detective and a recent arrival from Ireland, to somehow infiltrate the German spy ring and prevent the bombings.
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Remarkable … Freeman’s vision is unique … It is a period piece in all its glory. There are moments in ‘The Easter Man’ where I found myself swept up in the pre-World War I splendor and wonder … I thoroughly enjoyed the book and the story. – READER VIEWS
Exceptionally well-written … Especially recommended for historical mystery readers who will find the wartime era and New York City setting serve as realistic backdrops to a thoroughly engrossing struggle … The Easter Man is the third John Nolan detective novel … Newcomers need no prior familiarity to find the persona and actions of Detective Nolan involving and compelling. – MIDWEST BOOK REVIEW
A fun detective story: the good hero to root for and the villain to dislike… The plot does not lull … (A) quick pace and easy writing style … I suspect there will be more adventures to come (for John Nolan). –MANHATTAN BOOK REVIEW
REVIEWS for the first two books in the series.
FIRE IN THE RECTORY and two more John Nolan detective novellas
- 5 out of 5 stars Excellent … Set in the 1910s, the book captures the time and place beautifully … Each tale has twists and turns I could never manage to predict. Was the fire an accident or arson? Is Mr. Hughes truly the sort of man he seems? If the most obvious suspect did indeed commit the murder, where is his weapon? I didn’t even try to guess the answers to these questions but merely let the story take me along for the ride. - THE MANHATTAN BOOK REVIEW
Engrossing … One of Fire in the Rectory’s strengths lies in its historical accuracy, which brings the era and its culture to life. - THE MIDWEST BOOK REVIEW
Ingenious writing - READER VIEWS REVIEW
The period detail is extremely accurate, giving a nice feel of New York in the early 20th century, and photo illustrations add to this sense of the era. - HISTORICAL NOVELS REVIEW
THE DUTTON GIRL
Deftly entertaining … Certain to be an immediate and popular addition to both the personal reading list of dedicated mystery buffs and community library mystery/suspense collections. - MIDWEST BOOK REVIEW
A classic whodunit … The author does a fantastic job at intertwining historical facts through this story. - READER VIEWS
Competently crafted, with a bevy of suspicious characters and a pleasing variety of bum leads … However, the most compelling aspect of the book is not who took a spoiled heiress or even Nolan himself, but, rather, how rich, poor, and working-class New Yorkers lived and interacted in the World War I era. - MANHATTAN BOOK REVIEW
