Monday 8 January 2024

The Day of the Dead - William Speir

The Day of the Dead
ISBN 9781950560981
eISBN 9781950560998
ASIN B0B6S19F6T


This was the second volume from Wialliam that I have read. I read the first in the Order of the Saltier Series back in 2017 but did not get around to reviewing it. I recall recommending it to my father. I had planned to read more in the series, but they fell off my radar. And I did picked up Nicaea - The Rise of the Imperial Church, shortly after it came out but had not got to it yet either. I must say this story surprised me in some ways but it was a great read. 

The description of the book states:

“Revenge May Be A Dish Best Served Cold, But Justice Tastes So Much Sweeter.

Party girl, socialite, and granddaughter of the former Don of the Marchesi crime family, Anna Barrichello lived a charmed life. But on The Day of the Dead, she found herself the sole survivor of an attack that wiped out her grandfather's entire bloodline. Her family had spent years making all of the family businesses legitimate to keep the family safe, but they misjudged how strongly the other crime families, former associates, and certain government officials, still harbored old grievances, jealousies, and vendettas.

Knowing who to trust and how to survive becomes Anna's primary focus. With the family businesses seized by the state, she must recover the family fortune before it falls into the wrong hands. Anna and her former bodyguard lead a small group of trusted family soldiers who then work to identify and bring to justice the conspirators who murdered her family, while staying in the shadows so no one will know that she is still alive... and behind the retribution aimed at all those responsible for her terrible loss.

The Day of the Dead, by award-winning author William Speir, is a crime drama about corruption, intrigue, and retribution.”

The events in the story take place over a few years. It is an interesting piece. And there are hints and direct overtures to the inspiration The Count of Monte Cristo. There is some deep plot twists and multiple subplots working together in this piece. In some ways it feels like a classic Tom Clancy novel with ex mob members instead of the military or special forces. The characters are well written. The plot moves at a great pace. The desire to stay within the letter of the law, and stay legit as her father wanted is a tightrope to walk. Excellent main characters and a fabulous supporting cast. 

It is a volume I recommended to my father as soon as I finished it. And one I can easily recommend for mature readers. I will note there is some prostitution, drug trade, coordinating a mob shootout like an OK Correl set in New York City. But mainly it is the story of a young woman who had nearly everything taken away from her, who has the friends and allies to work on a plan to reverse that and take down all those who are responsible for the death of her whole family. A great action adventure story, well written!

Books by William Speir:
Arthur, King
Codename: Mountbatten
King's Ransom
Love Lost, Love Found
Love's Second Chance
Muzzle-Loading Artillery for Reenactors
Nicaea - The Rise of the Imperial Church
Shiko Unleashed
Stealing Love
The Besieged Pharaoh
The Christmas Magic Miracles
The Kingstone of Airmid
The Legacy Enslaved
The Legacy of Shadows
The Olympium of Bacchus 12
The President's Assassin
The Saga of Asbjorn Thorleikson
The Trinity Gambit

Order of the Saltier Series:
Knights of the Saltier
The Crusaders of the Saltier
The Protectors of the Saltire
The Lost Knights
The Knight's Crucible
The Knights Victorious
Legacy of the Grand Master
The Order of the Saltier Trilogy

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