THE SPY A Tale of the Neutral Ground

The strong, manly voice of Pete Cross breathes life into one of America's earliest bestselling novels (1821). This audiobook takes listeners to Westchester County, New York, in 1780 during the Revolutionary War, when this area was ravaged by both combatants. This historical novel is very much a literary product of its time, with racist and sexist passages, convoluted syntax, ponderous sentences, and pompous dialogue. If a listener can acclimate to the prose, there is an exciting action-filled story to enjoy. Cross cleverly portrays a diverse group of characters ranging from dashing officers, demure maidens, and the peddler/spy to the evil marauders. Cross's mastery of regional accents and class differences, along with characters of both genders and divers ages, makes this cumbersome novel worthy of attention. D.L.G. © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine [Published: FEBRUARY 2023]