Granger's Crossing - by Mark W Tiedemann (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

Ulysses Granger, Continental soldier assigned to assist Colonel Clark in the West, is present for the Battle of St. Louis in 1780. In the aftermath, his best friend goes missing. Granger tracks him to a homestead some distance from the village where a mystery unfolds surrounding the Spaniard who owns the property, the body of Granger's friend, and stack of letters to and from a woman promised to marry the Spaniard. Granger does not have time to investigate as he is called away with Clark's men to pursue British and Native American forces. Three years later, partly on assignment to be the local American in St. Louis, he returns to St. Louis and resumes his search for answers about his friend's death, the mysterious Spanish bride who is on her way, and the woman he encountered three years before. He uncovers a plot concerning stolen gold, treason, and the deception of lovers.

Review Quotes

Remains: "a fast-paced, entertaining adventure."Booklist

"This is a compelling novel, mixing a fascinating historical background that is not widely known --St. Louis under Spanish rule -- even to a long-time St. Louisan like me. There are a couple of interesting mysteries to resolve, and an alluring romance. St. Louisans will recognize a number of names: Gratiot, Chouteau, Cerré, etc; and some of the geography, including nods to towns like Cahokia and Cape Girardeau. I was invested in Granger's quests -- for Martine, and for Ham's murderer; and the solutions are satisfying. This is a novel about American history, and St. Louis history, that fascinates on those grounds, and Granger's personal story is also involving." --Rich Horton

"Well-drawn characters of the 18th-century milieu of Native American, Spanish, free and enslaved African Americans, French and immigrant New Englanders and fast-paced action sequences . . . Granger's emotional development is a refreshing bonus amid the action-adventure. A welcome addition to historical novels of the early Federal period." --The Historical Novel Society.

About the Author

Born and raised in St. Louis, MO, Mark W. Tiedemann worked in photography for 35 years, both as freelance and as a lab technician. In pursuit of a lifelong dream, he attended the Clarion SF Writing Workshop, after which he began regularly selling short fiction and then began selling novels, beginning with Mirage, part of the ongoing Asimov's Robot City series, and then his own original novels beginning with Compass Reach. With the digital revolution in photography, Mark left the industry and went to work for Left Bank Books in St. Louis, retiring in late 2021 to continue his intent to write and publish.