A young Abigail Adams is reached out to by her younger nephew, Horace Thaxter, after a threat on his life. Abigail travels to Harvard in Cambridge to see him and investigate. It seems that Horace's love for foreign tongues has brought him unfriendly attention. Reading Horace's account as he tells it to Abigail I feel as bemused as she must, with my eyebrow arching higher and higher. A mysterious lady with false credentials and scary henchmen hires Horace to translate something from Arabic, something to do with pirate treasure.

Horace's classmates, Loyalist George Fairfield and Indian Weyountah, join with him and Abigail to solve the case. That is until George is murdered. Now there is a new case for Abigail to solve.

SUP WITH THE DEVIL is an Abigail Adams Mystery by Barbara Hamilton. SUP WITH THE DEVIL is set before the Revolutionary War, right after the Boston Tea Party when the Sons of Liberty are doing everything they can to stir up trouble. One thing I have learned from SUP WITH THE DEVIL is that throughout time men and teenage boys do not change.

Barbara Hamilton takes care to create the feeling of being there by Abigail Adams' side. Her use of the period's vernacular sets just the right tone. Barbara wraps you into her story with intrigue and then hits you with action. George Fairfield's death was mentioned so abruptly and in such a matter-of-fact way that it shocked me.

SUP WITH THE DEVIL is a thrilling historical mystery with a smart and brave woman at the helm who understands how not to bruise the egos of men.

Book Summary

1774: Spring brings uncertainty to Boston as the entire city awaits the Crown’s response to the infamous Tea Party. Urged on by the Sons of Liberty—and Abigail’s husband, John— militias form and arm themselves. But when a Harvard Loyalist is murdered, the only side Abigail finds herself on is the side of justice… After an attempt on the life of her scholarly young nephew Horace, Abigail travels to Harvard to investigate. A mysterious woman had hired Horace to translate some Arabic, only to leave him disoriented and frightened—and at the mercy of her henchmen. But Horace survived—with a tale of pirate treasure… While Abigail and Horace try to unravel the strange circumstances, one of his fellow students—a young man loyal to the King—is murdered. And though the Sons of Liberty are desperate to find the rumored gold, Abigail is more interested in the truth. For the Devil’s treasure comes with a curse that could bring down anyone, regardless of where their allegiance lies…