The Maxwell Vendetta – Reviewed by: Jack Chambers, Hollywood Book Review

No matter how hard one may try, there is always a point in one’s life in which conflict becomes a persistent issue. As humans, we are all flawed, and often the need to prove ourself correct in a situation in which we disagree with another leads to conflicts on a consistent basis in our society. Whether those conflicts are more personal and intimate amongst families or friends, or conflicts come on a more global scale and lead to far more grand wars, conflict is a part of the fabric of our lives, and learning how to find resolutions to those conflicts can be the line between life and death itself. As journalist Dorothy Thompson once said, “Peace is not the absence of conflict but the presence of creative alternatives for responding to conflict – alternatives to passive or aggressive responses, alternatives to violence.”

In author Carl R. Brush’s, The Maxwell Vendetta, the author takes readers into a 20th century America in the early days of the California landscape. The murder of his younger brother sends protagonist Andy Maxwell on a mission for the truth as he believes he has found a plot by a vicious individual to eliminate the Maxwell clan and destroy their California Sierra Nevada ranch. With no one believing him, it becomes Andy’s mission to prove his suspicions true and his journey takes him from California to Wyoming. There, hidden truths and disturbing secrets about his family and their long history not only change his understanding of his own family, but of his life forever.

The author did a spectacular job of capturing the crafting a heavy atmosphere filled with tension, and built a mystery that felt both personal and captivating. The settings felt alive on the pages, making me feel transported to a time in which the tail end of the wild west held both wonder and intrigue. The book serves as a strong prequel to the Second Vendetta, and highlights the discoveries and experiences that made the protagonist who he was by the time that book came to fruition. The healthy balance of drama and action with history and cultural studies make this narrative such a bright spot in the genre.

This is the perfect read for those who enjoy fiction, especially those who enjoy Historical Fiction and drama. As a fan of these genres, I was absolutely engrossed in the protagonist’s tale, and loved the historical context and setting which came to life on the pages. The thing which really stuck out to me about the narrative was how it brought in a story of self-discovery. From family secrets to shared experiences, the protagonist had many events happening all at once that not only changed his perception of the world around him, but of his own life as well.

Gripping, tantalizing, and engaging, author Carl R. Brush’s The Maxwell Vendetta is a must-read historical fiction meets drama novel. The instant feeling of transporting into the narrative was great, as the reader dived deeper into this read, and the exploration of everything from Native American tribes to the impact race still had on the United States in the wake of the Civil War was a truly welcome sight to behold.