Timber Beasts Book

A secret operative in America's 1902 labor movement, leading a double life that balances precariously on the knife-edge of discovery, finds his mission entangled with the fate of a young man accused of murder.

School Library Journal

Adult/High School—Set in Portland, OR, in the early 20th century, this fast-paced, well-plotted mystery centers on the social, economic, and political imbalances of the robber baron era, with particular emphasis on the harsh inequities of the timber industry. Sage Adair, a secret agent for the fledgling labor movement, leads a double life. As owner of an upscale restaurant, he rubs shoulders with the wealthy and powerful. But Adair feels more at home in his role as John Miner, a poor but resourceful laborer, finding himself, as the need arises, in logging camps, hobo camps, and riding the rails. His job is to uncover and reveal injustice and corruption. He finds plenty, including the slaying of a notorious railroad bull, a thug hired to rid the rails of hobos and to perform dirty work for the owners. Although the bull had many enemies, the police focus their attention on a teen who Adair knows is innocent. His relentless and dangerous pursuit of the truth unravels a complex web of corruption involving some of the city's most respected citizens. The author incorporates many historical details to create a realistic account of an episode in the class war that raged in America during the years of rapid industrialization. This engrossing tale is the first in what promises to be a worthy series.—Robert Saunderson, formerly at Berkeley Public Library, CA