I first heard of The Cogan Legend by R.E. Miller after I saw an advertisement for it on the back of a pickup truck. Now, thats a great way to advertise. I want to share my book review of The Cogan Legend.
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The Cogan Legend takes place in the early 1840s and begins with Ann Fairchild being punished for going against her wealthy fathers wishes. Punishment is a trip with her father and best friend Rachel Miller to her fathers cabin in central Pennsylvania. Later while travelling through a unsavory stretch of woods called The Cogan, the trip results in the untimely death of Rachel. Ann, unable to recall exactly what happened, allows her guilt to consume her. Her beau, an army lieutenant named Phillip Matter is determined to catch the killer. An unkept promise threatens his future with Ann unless he finds a way to fulfill it.
The Cogan Legend starts off slow, but the pace quickly picked up. After some time, I found myself unable to put the book down. I appreciated the way the author wove different characters thoughts into the scenes. Ann Fairchild is portrayed as very headstrong, but she has been sheltered by her father since the death of her mother. The way she acts out is very believable, however I was not expecting the more romantic scenes between her and Phillip because of the time period. I do think if they had just been hinted at instead of being so explicit, the story would have been better.
Rachel was one of my favorite characters and she seemed to enjoy having Ann as her best friend. I was very frustrated when I, as the reader, knew what had happened in The Cogan, but Ann had blocked it out of her memory. It did make the story more suspenseful, though. I thought there could have been a chance at redemption for a certain character, but I understood the way the scenes played out.
At first I thought Philip may have had more sinister motives with Ann. However, it became evident as the story progressed that he genuinely loved her. I was glad that Ann had found him given the tragedy she had been through.
This book is a good read for anyone who enjoys historical fiction. While it starts out slow, it does end up redeeming itself with vivid descriptions and captivating settings.
You can purchase the Kindle version here or a paperback copy here.
