The Second Vendetta: Maxwell Family Saga 2 – Reviewed by: Jack Chambers, Hollywood Book Review

Something that a lot of people end up struggling with in life is managing their expectations. Whether it is a daily expectation for how an event is meant to go, or a lifelong goal that a person had a specific idea would happen and just falls short, these expectations can weigh heavily on a person, and learning to manage the amount of stress and pressure put on oneself when these expectations come to life is crucial to a more peaceful life. As Charlotte Bronte once said, “Life is so constructed, that the event does not, cannot, will not, match the expectation.”

In author Carl R. Brush’s The Second Vendetta: Maxwell Family Saga 2, the author takes readers on a journey of discrimination, self-discovery, and romance. Two years after a vendetta nearly cost him his mother’s life, Andy Maxwell sets out to finish his PhD. Yet after he discovered his true lineage, the university suddenly decides they no longer desire his scholarly pursuits, and he must work with a seasoned journalist to win back his right to a degree. Meanwhile, the threat they thought had been dealt with returns with a fiery vengeance, hell-bent on destroying every Maxwell on earth. As he deals with these issues, he must also contend with a run for legislature to stop railroad barons, as well as a search for romance in the forms of a debutante, as well as an Arapaho princess.

The author did an incredible job of capturing the raw essence and atmosphere of the era. The social and political climate surrounding the nation at that time, filled with bigotry and violence surrounding race relations, had a brilliant balance of historical context and Old West suspense. The way the protagonist was able to become the embodiment of the reader in a way, showcasing both the broader issues facing himself and the world at the time and the more personal moments of hardships and struggles he himself faced, was an inspired way of writing that kept me invested as a reader.

This is the perfect read for those who love to read fictional tales, especially those who love history and enjoy a blend of Western-meets-Historical Fiction genres. The ability for the author to bring such powerful imagery to the narrative that the turn of the century social changes meeting the remnants of the western expansion vibe became like a siren call to historical fiction readers was an amazing feat.

Captivating, mesmerizing, and entertaining, author Carl R. Brush’s “The Second Vendetta: Maxwell Family Saga 2” is a must-read historical suspense and romance read. The unique cast of characters and the honest if not challenging issues facing these amazing characters made this story shine, and the more personal and emotional depths of the protagonist’s struggle kept me as a reader on the edge of my seat, hoping to see how this character’s arc would play out.