I could feel the humidity and sense the mosquitos in this book set during the construction of the Panama Canal. The canal zone, with rights to build by the US purchased from France, was going to go through Panama, no matter the scandal, the cost, or the disruption to Panama life. President Teddy Roosevelt sent James Holt to the area to help with the investigation of a missing woman. She is Saffire’s mother and she has purportedly left a note telling of a move to the United States.
In the story we meet the big players in the canal build: Colonel Goethals, Mr. Cromwell (scoundrel!), Mr. Miskimon, and a host of Panamanian leaders, either by money or politics.
As Holt begins and ends and continues and ends his investigation, we are pulled into the back side of the political story around the canal project. We also meet a host of characters, like Saffire, who are the fabric of Central America at the time.
It was a great read. I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.
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