Book Review: The Scarlet Pen by Jennifer Uhlarik

HAPPY RELEASE DAY!!

Publisher: Barbour Publishing

Release Date: July 1, 2021

Genre: True Crime Fiction

Step into True Colors — a series of Historical Stories of Romance and True American Crime

Enjoy a tale of true but forgotten history of a 19th century serial killer whose silver-tongued ways almost trap a young woman into a nightmarish marriage.

In 1876, Emma Draycott is charmed into a quick engagement with childhood friend Stephen Dee Richards after reconnecting with him at a church event in Mount Pleasant, Ohio. But within the week, Stephen leaves to “make his fame and fortune.” The heartbroken Emma gives him a special pen to write to her, and he does with tales of grand adventures. Secret Service agent Clay Timmons arrives in Mount Pleasant to track purchases made with fake currency. Every trail leads back to Stephen—and therefore, Emma. Can he convince the naive woman she is engaged to a charlatan who is being linked a string of deaths in Nebraska?

My Review 🖤

"I have to be the biggest fool in the world. In all my infinite wisdom, I've run from a truly wonderful, godly, handsome, and caring man to seek out and confront a murderer."

- Emma Draycott

Oh Emma...my heart poured out for this wonderfully naive character. A trusting woman to a fault, a being that would never see bad in anyone, is where I most identified with Emma, and what was most eye-opening to me. I too am incredibly trusting, rarely seeing the dangers or darkness that lurks below the surface not only in situations, but people as well. Like Emma, I want to see the good in everyone, but sometimes being so loyal and trusting can put you in a dangerous situation that you would've never dreamed you'd be.

Like the other books in the True Colors series, I was smitten and spellbound from the beginning but I will say that The Scarlet Pen is definitely more gruesome and disturbing that some of the others in the series, but is tastefully told in the cleanest way senseless murders can be described, with little detail, leaving a lot to the imagination.

This is a clear battle between good-vs-evil with Stephen being the devil, a wolf in sheep's clothing, and Clay the guardian angel, that seeks the lawbreaker and fights for justice to be served. I could tell from the beginning that Stephen was a shady character, and wanted to shake sweet Emma into some sense! I love that Clay never gave up on the stubborn girl, and their relationship was one of my favorite parts of the story, especially the Scripture writing back and forth, encouraging each other with God's Word, throughout the novel.

The ending was quite different than what I was expecting in one respect, which was refreshing, yet had me thinking about the outcome long after I put this book down, wondering where the truth truly lies, and hoping that this ending was the true ending (sorry if that's cryptic...I don't want to give any spoilers).

I'm not going to lie, there are some truly cringe-worthy and morbid moments, one in particular I could not get out of my mind, even without the gruesome details, but then there is this balance of moments that are truly heartwarming. One thing I am most thankful for is that this monster was captured early on in his spree, and wasn't allowed to be out there for long, but still he made his grotesque mark on American history, and it is a story I am thankful to now know.

I cannot imagine how hard it is to write stories like this, and my praise goes to Jennifer Uhlarik for doing a masterful job. It is definitely a hard subject to tackle, but she did it with grace and tact, and I know many will be blessed by reading The Scarlet Pen, showing that grace abounds and hope is not lost until we take our last breath.

My Rating: ★★★★★

Books in the True Colors Series

Be sure to check out my reviews for The Pink Bonnet, The Yellow Lantern, The Gray Chamber, The Blue Cloak, The Black Midnight, The Gold Digger, and The Silver Shadow

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About the Author

Jennifer Uhlarik discovered the western genre as a pre-teen, when she swiped the only “horse” book she found on her older brother’s bookshelf. A new love was born. Across the next ten years, she devoured Louis L’Amour westerns and fell in love with the genre. In college at the University of Tampa, she began penning her own story of the Old West. Armed with a B.A. in writing, she has won five writing competitions and finaled in two other competitions. In addition to writing, she has held jobs as a private business owner, a schoolteacher, a marketing director, and her favorite—a full-time homemaker. Jennifer is active in American Christian Fiction Writers and lifetime member of the Florida Writers Association. She lives near Tampa, Florida, with her husband, teenaged son, and four fur children.

Connect with Jennifer: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

Content Warning: Non-graphic murder scenes

*I have voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from Barbour Publishing through NetGalley. All views and opinions expressed are completely honest, and my own.