Genre: Suspense, Thriller, Historical
Reviewer: Maryann
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About The Book
Is the gold real, or is Pat on a fool’s errand?
It’s January 1986, and Pat Kowalski has just turned 18, but there’s no cause for celebration. His father is dying, and the local bank is foreclosing on their house. Pat talks to his senile great-grandmother, who tells him a story about a man dying in front of her in 1894. What she doesn’t tell him is that the man – Mister Good Boots – had been carrying a suitcase worth of gold coins. These coins would be worth a fortune today – if any of them are still left.
But Pat’s not the only person in their small Central Illinois town who needs money. Pat’s classmate Vince is watching his college dream evaporate. Vince has also convinced himself that Pat’s family stole something of great value from his family in the 1920s. He’s willing to do whatever it takes to right an old wrong. Vince has another advantage – Pat doesn’t know Vince is looking.
The two men are both trying to figure out if there’s any gold left and, if so, where it is. While they look, they discover a lot about their own history, from bodies buried under an abandoned restaurant to both family’s relationships with Al Capone. It’s a race where the winner gets the gold, and the loser gets a bullet.
The Review
Now in his senior year at Eastville High School, Patrick Kowalski is ready to celebrate his eighteenth birthday on January 17, 1986. Patrick’s life isn’t too bad, but it takes a turn for the worse on his birthday. Now he is in a nursing home with his mother as they watch over his dad, who was stricken with Goodpasture syndrome and has been in and out of the hospital for two years. He also lost his leg.
Patrick has learned that the family is about to have their house foreclosed on. His mother works at the IGA – the only source of their income. Patrick still has to go to school – so he can either graduate or drop out. Unfortunately, Patrick’s birthday is forgotten among all the worries.
As a senior, he is doing well at school, and has an Oral History Project that he started working on in January about the history of Eastville, and he finds just the right person to talk with. He starts by asking questions from his oldest living relative, Great Barb, better known as Barbara Pikus, Patrick’s great-grandmother.
She tells him a story of when she was four or five years old, when she only spoke Lithuanian. In May 1894, during the big railroad strike, she met a man she called “good boots”. She remembered that she received a rag doll and a piece of candy from him. She went out with her friend Bobby Cee, and they picked and ate strawberries. Once she filled her basket, she took it home to her mother, where they saw good boots getting closer to their house. He didn’t look well. Her mom had her hold Luidas, her little brother, as they watched good boots sway and fall face-down into the dirt. Her mom and dad searched the man for identification, but the only things they found were three big gold coins and a gun. Now, at ninety-six, Great Barb still claims to have the gun and the birthday gifts.
The more Patrick works on his project, the more he discovers. Great Barb tells him about his great-grandfather Michael, and how he worked for Al Capone. He made wine and ran deliveries to speakeasies, and collected money and hooch during the Prohibition. He also carried a gun. Her brother Luidas also made whiskey for Capone. When Patrick tries to ask his Grandmother Mary questions about what her mother, Great Barb told him she doesn’t want to be bothered with the old tales. After all, were they even true?
The more Patrick learns of this chaotic family history, the more curious he becomes. Could there be gold coins hidden somewhere nearby? He makes a deal with his best friend, VG (Vince Gigante) to give him a share, if there are any to be found. They team up and start on a crazy adventure. Both Patrick and Vince could sure use the money to save their lives, families and the homes they are about to loose. When they find themselves caught up in danger, the most unlikely person will come to their rescue.
I liked Patrick. In a way, he turns out to be a hero of sorts. He also shows his maturity in a the way that he treats Great Barb, Grandma May, and his mother. He keeps going, no matter the stumbling blocks along the way.
Strawberry Gold is an entertaining, twisted historical mystery of family history and a thriller dealing in revenge, deception, family secrets, with many surprises and unexpected discoveries. I highly recommend it.
The Reviewer
Hi, I’m Maryann, I started life in New York, moved to New Hampshire and in 1965 uprooted again to Sacramento, California. Once I retired I moved to West Palm Beach, Florida in 2011 and just moved back to Sacramento in March of 2018. My son, his wife and step-daughter flew out to Florida and we road tripped back so they got to see sights they have never seen. New Orleans and the Grand Canyon were the highlights. Now I am back on the west coast again to stay! From a young age Ialways liked to read.
I remember going to the library and reading the “Doctor Dolittle” books by Hugh Lofting. Much later on became a big fan of the classics, Edgar Alan Poe, Mary Shelley, Bram Stoker and as time went by Agatha Christie, Ray Bradbury and Stephen Kingand many other authors.
My first M/M shifter book I read was written by Jan Irving the “Uncommon Cowboys” series from 2012. She was the first author I ever contacted and sent an email to letting her know how much I liked this series. Sometime along the way I read “Zero to the Bone”by Jane Seville, I think just about everyone has read this book!
As it stands right now I’m really into mysteries, grit, gore and “triggers” don’t bother me. But if a blurb piques my interest I will read the book.
My kindle collection eclectic and over three thousand books and my Audible collection is slowly growing. I have both the kindle and audible apps on my ipod, ipads, and MAC. So there is never an excuse not to be listening or reading.
I joined Goodreads around 2012 and started posting reviews. One day a wonderful lady, Lisa Horan of The Novel Approach, sent me an email to see if I wanted to join her review group. Joining her site was such an eye opener. I got introduce to so many new authors that write for the LGBTQ genre. Needless to say, it was heart breaking when it ended.
But I found a really great site, QRI and it’s right here in Sacramento. Last year at QSAC I actually got to meet Scott Coatsworth, Amy Lane and Jeff Adams.
