About the Book

Book: The Blue Cloak

Author: Shannon McNear

Genre: Christian Historical/Suspense

Release Date: March, 2020

Evil Incarnate Leaves a Trail of Destruction across the Frontier

Book 5 in the True Colors series—Fiction Based on Strange-But True History

Rachel Taylor lives a rather mundane existence in 1797 at the way station her family runs along the Wilderness Road in Tennessee. She attends her friend Sally Rice’s wedding only to watch the marriage dissolve into horror has the groom, Wiley Harpe, and his cousin Micajah become murderers on the run, who drag their families along. Declaring a “war on all humanity,” the Harpes won’t be stopped, and Ben Langford is on their trail to see if his own cousin was one of their latest victims.

How many will die before peace can return to the frontier?

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About the Author

Transplanted to North Dakota after more than two decades in Charleston, South Carolina, Shannon McNear loves losing herself in local history. She’s a military wife, mom of eight, mother-in-law of three, grammie of two, and a member of ACFW and RWA. Her first novella, Defending Truth in A Pioneer Christmas Collection, was a 2014 RITA® finalist. When she’s not sewing, researching, or leaking story from her fingertips, she enjoys being outdoors, basking in the beauty of the northern prairies. Connect with her at www.shannonmcnear.com, or on Facebook and Goodreads.

More from Shannon

How dark is too dark for a Christian to write?

That was the question I wrestled with when deciding whether or not to take on the story of the Harpes. The histories in Scripture itself aren’t rated G, but writing fiction requires a level of detail and depth of emotion I wasn’t sure would be wise, or helpful, to explore in this case. But as I prayed and sought the counsel of those whose discernment I trust, the answer came back, overwhelmingly …

Is God stronger than the darkness, or not?

Well, of course He is. And nothing in human history has ever escaped His notice, or taken Him by surprise.

So, was there something redeeming to be found in the tale of the Harpes?

For the first few weeks of research, I walked around in a state of shock at the horror of the historical accounts, but details surfaced that helped me shape my fictional characters Rachel and Ben. With Rachel working in her family’s trading post near the wild frontier town of Knoxville, Tennessee, and Ben a lawyer who recently passed the bar, the real-life Hugh Lawson White provided a handy connection point between them. Many other details fell together in ways I had not foreseen when I began developing the story. Sally Rice Harpe, however, rose to the forefront. This was more her story than anyone’s, but realizing I couldn’t properly write the book without using her point of view? That was scary. I knew the moments I’d have to visit, some of them in real-time.

Despite the tragedy, however, I could see an overarching story of spiritual warfare. Felt a growing conviction that prayer must have played a vital role in bringing the Harpes’ reign of terror to an end. So it is my hope that against the backdrop of one of the most chilling episodes of our country’s early history, the hand of God shows clearly, and that yes, the reader finds it redemptive.

My Review

Barbour’s True Colors series always has me anticipating the release of the next installment, and each story seems more intriguing than the last. True crime is a genre that I have watched on television as well as read about, and although I can’t remember exactly which medium provided the information, I’m sure that I’ve heard of the Harpes before, although the details are extremely hazy. Due to having some medical background and chronic illnesses, descriptions of bodies tend not to bother me as much as the next person, so in my case that is not a deterrent. This book does include content that some readers may find disturbing insomuch as to make them want to avoid reading it, but these passages are few and far between and are handled tactfully, without sensationalized graphic details. As usual, the pop of color (blue, in this case) on the otherwise monochromatic background infuses life and dimensionality into the cover.

A horrifying look at the two brothers who are considered by many to be America’s first serial killers, Shannon McNear’s “The Blue Cloak” is a book that will stay with you after turning the last page. The first third of the story is, in my opinion, a bit more slow-paced, with exposition and character development, but that is certainly not to say that it is lacking in activity, which becomes apparent later on. From the beginning, Sally Rice’s wedding to Wiley Harpe felt wrong, but unfortunately in the late eighteenth century along the Wilderness Road in Tennessee, the threat can remain hidden for a long time. Rachel Turner is a godly heroine, relying on prayer and trusting God to work in all situations. As an employee of her family’s trading post business along the Wilderness Road, she also represents a working woman who does everything that she can for those she loves. Her work, and that of lawyer Ben Langford, serves to not only seek out justice but also to bring the hope and love of God to even the most desolate. In times such as these, this message is all the more important; may we be lighthouses guiding the lost to the safe shores of the Savior’s arms.

I received a complimentary copy of this book through Celebrate Lit and was not required to post a favorable review. All opinions are my own.