The Angel's Trumpet

"""James Musgrave's The Angel's Trumpet is one of those rare historical mysteries that is both entirely plausible and yet truly original. A richly researched adventure into the complex social web of Gilded Age Washington, featuring deeply-realized and re-imagined luminaries including actress Sarah Bernhardt and President and Mrs. Cleveland, the novel is also surprisingly modern in its sensibilities, a compelling romp into an earlier era's struggle with addiction and vice and secrecy and race relations, and, most of all, hidden sources of power. You will read this book in one sitting--and you will be very glad that you did. A meticulously-plotted gem from a master of the genre."" Jacob M. Appel, author of the Dundee International Book Award winner, The Man Who Wouldn't Stand Up.

""Musgrave pens a remarkable story in The Angel's Trumpet. I've been honored to be able to enjoy this author's Portia of the Pacific Mysteries series. This one is book 4. This story is a credit to the series, and of course, it's written well. The characters just fit within the story and bring 1887 to life. I love a good historical novel, and this brings a lot more than just probable history, it brings a thrilling and original story line that keeps this reader hooked. I look forward to reading more by this author. This book is definitely recommended by Amy's Bookshelf Reviews.""

""The Angel's Trumpet has as many twists and turns as an Alpine highway, and I thoroughly enjoyed the trip. The story, set in Washington D. C. during the Grover Cleveland administration, provides a marvelous insight into the societal interaction of the times as well as the interactions between the races. The characters are intense and the action riveting. It's one of those books that when you pick it up you can't put it down until you've finished it.""--Philip Mintz, Esq., Screenwriter and former attorney

""I really like this novel. The way Musgrave weaves together real life characters in fictional settings reminds me of Ragtime. I think in this novel in the series he comes closest to recreating the period of Reconstruction. I am able to visualize in my mind Washington DC of the late 19th century, a period that laid the foundation of the Jim Crow era. My favorite character is Sarah Bernhardt. Musgrave is able to peel away the trappings of fame and fortune that embodied this period to reveal not only a skilled actress but a very vulnerable and maternal figure. She is David's 'real mother.' I think readers will readily see the parallels the Gilded Age have with our plutocratic riddled world today and white nationalism. Musgrave really is an amazing writer."" --Matteo Lesser, PhD, American Studies"