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Dutchman Historical Mystery #2
The Kingsbridge Plot
The year is 1775, a full century after The Dutchman, and Sheriff Pieter Tonneman's descendants are well established in the now-thriving metropolis of New-York.
History is being made in the political turmoil of colonial America, but in New-York murder becomes the focus of everyone's attention when a savagely decapitated body is discovered.
After a long absence, John Tonneman returns from medical studies in London to his native city, now torn between Tories and Patriots as the colonies race headlong into armed rebellion.
Resolved to steer clear of politics, the earnest young physician finds himself drawn into the violence by his growing feelings for an adventurous young woman from the Sephardic Jewish community.
A second, horrifying murder reveals that there is a killer on the loose with a taste for redheaded women.
Hunting the mad killer, Tonneman makes a connection between the dead woman and a plot to assassinate General George Washington.
Another woman is murdered and the General barely escapes with his life as John Tonneman pursues a killer and uncovers a conspiracy through the jumbled rush of events that culminate in the momentous July of 1776.
History is being made in the political turmoil of colonial America, but in New-York murder becomes the focus of everyone's attention when a savagely decapitated body is discovered.
After a long absence, John Tonneman returns from medical studies in London to his native city, now torn between Tories and Patriots as the colonies race headlong into armed rebellion.
Resolved to steer clear of politics, the earnest young physician finds himself drawn into the violence by his growing feelings for an adventurous young woman from the Sephardic Jewish community.
A second, horrifying murder reveals that there is a killer on the loose with a taste for redheaded women.
Hunting the mad killer, Tonneman makes a connection between the dead woman and a plot to assassinate General George Washington.
Another woman is murdered and the General barely escapes with his life as John Tonneman pursues a killer and uncovers a conspiracy through the jumbled rush of events that culminate in the momentous July of 1776.
334 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1993
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49 people want to read
About the author
Maan Meyers
16 books15 followersA pseudonym used by husband and wife team of Martin Meyers and Annette Meyers who also write individually under their own names.
Series:
* Dutchman Historical Mystery
Series:
* Dutchman Historical Mystery
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
January 8, 2019
PROTAGONIST: John Peter Tonneman, doctor, coroner
SETTING: 1775 New York
SERIES: #2
RATING: 3.0
WHY: After living a rather profligate life for seven years in the UK, John Peter Tonneman returns to New York after the death of his father. He takes over his practice and also becomes the Coroner. His very first case involves the discovery of a woman’s head and soon thereafter, another one. Intriguingly, both are red heads. The investigation is in the hands of Constable Daniel Goldsmith. John discovers that his father had been mentoring a young woman who becomes an invaluable assistant in the busy practice. The time is 1975; the political winds are blowing strongly, looking more and more like war between the Tories (under the UK king) and the Patriots. All of this should have been more interesting than it turned out to be. The various sub plots are not intertwined well, and pieces of it are not even touched for long periods of time. One of the major characters at the start of the book just is dropped from the narrative without a satisfactory explanation.
SETTING: 1775 New York
SERIES: #2
RATING: 3.0
WHY: After living a rather profligate life for seven years in the UK, John Peter Tonneman returns to New York after the death of his father. He takes over his practice and also becomes the Coroner. His very first case involves the discovery of a woman’s head and soon thereafter, another one. Intriguingly, both are red heads. The investigation is in the hands of Constable Daniel Goldsmith. John discovers that his father had been mentoring a young woman who becomes an invaluable assistant in the busy practice. The time is 1975; the political winds are blowing strongly, looking more and more like war between the Tories (under the UK king) and the Patriots. All of this should have been more interesting than it turned out to be. The various sub plots are not intertwined well, and pieces of it are not even touched for long periods of time. One of the major characters at the start of the book just is dropped from the narrative without a satisfactory explanation.
August 17, 2021
Impressions as I read:
It's startling how many sexual references there are. In the Tonnemann sections it seems like there is one every second or third page.
Something does not compute in the depiction of Thomas Hickey. If he was really this huge fighter type, as a bodyguard he would have killed his quarry right away, as he was eating his soup and then made a run for it.
What I really like is that it really tells the story of what it was like to be a civilian living amidst the threat of war and the violent actions of partisans of both sides. The ruffians, the knee jerk reactions to anything said against one's side, the automatic us v. them attitude most people prefer over treating their fellows as complicated humans, the worry about what might happen and whether there is any place to which one can escape to avoid danger. Too often we just read about the army or the Congress and don't get the feeling at all of what it was like to live in the war zone.
As a historical mystery, the novel is much more interested in the history than the mystery. One culprit is revealed at the midpoint, not because of the efforts of the protagonists, but just because the murderer is one of the characters we are following. It's also true that the supposed detectives never really accomplish much.
By the way, it's rather odd that a new character whom we start following appears slightly after the midpoint and then just disappears again without resolution, as also occurs with another character who appeared from the very beginning. And at least one of the crimes is never resolved, even if we have strong suspicions about it. Similarly, a favorite character loses his job and by the end has not been restored to a stable situation. Having so many loose ends can be dissatisfying.
There is a decent connection to the previous novel, even though it's about four generations later.
Throughout there is heavy description of items, sounds, smells and so on. While good at the outset, moving toward the end it's natural to wish for a bit less of that and a bir more action.
Overall, this sophomore effort was not as pleasing as the initial one, but still good enough to make me want to read the third in the series.
It's startling how many sexual references there are. In the Tonnemann sections it seems like there is one every second or third page.
Something does not compute in the depiction of Thomas Hickey. If he was really this huge fighter type, as a bodyguard he would have killed his quarry right away, as he was eating his soup and then made a run for it.
What I really like is that it really tells the story of what it was like to be a civilian living amidst the threat of war and the violent actions of partisans of both sides. The ruffians, the knee jerk reactions to anything said against one's side, the automatic us v. them attitude most people prefer over treating their fellows as complicated humans, the worry about what might happen and whether there is any place to which one can escape to avoid danger. Too often we just read about the army or the Congress and don't get the feeling at all of what it was like to live in the war zone.
As a historical mystery, the novel is much more interested in the history than the mystery. One culprit is revealed at the midpoint, not because of the efforts of the protagonists, but just because the murderer is one of the characters we are following. It's also true that the supposed detectives never really accomplish much.
By the way, it's rather odd that a new character whom we start following appears slightly after the midpoint and then just disappears again without resolution, as also occurs with another character who appeared from the very beginning. And at least one of the crimes is never resolved, even if we have strong suspicions about it. Similarly, a favorite character loses his job and by the end has not been restored to a stable situation. Having so many loose ends can be dissatisfying.
There is a decent connection to the previous novel, even though it's about four generations later.
Throughout there is heavy description of items, sounds, smells and so on. While good at the outset, moving toward the end it's natural to wish for a bit less of that and a bir more action.
Overall, this sophomore effort was not as pleasing as the initial one, but still good enough to make me want to read the third in the series.
May 22, 2019
2019 bk 168. I love books with family trees. I love mysteries that reach across generations and the Dutchman Historical Mystery Series is among my favorite. In this story, young John Tonneman returns from his studies in London to find many changes in his beloved New York, among the changes, a serial murder who is enticed by women with red hair - beheading them after bedding them. Can John, his new found friends, Constable Goldsmith, Quentin, and Marianna, find one murderer while the world around them is being turned upside down in the early days of the Revolutionary war?
June 1, 2017
Gritty, detailed narrative of New York in the early days of the Revolution. Some plot elements are revealed in an odd way - "We're just going to tell you" because it's close to the end? seems odd.
November 5, 2007
This wasn't a bad account of the plot to assassinate General Washington during the war for independence. I liked it, but it got a little bogged down towards the end.
December 22, 2007
1775 - Murder mystery set in NY. Patriots-Loyalists plot to kill General Washington
May 9, 2009
Great fun! NYC 1776 George and all
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews