Great Mischief

Thomas Dordrecht in 1759

2009 Indie Book Awards Finalist in Historical Fiction!

Terrorism at Home In the late colonial period, one-third of Kings County, N.Y.—Brooklyn—were black slaves, and their Dutch-descended masters were never free of fear of their revolt. But the slaves too had much to fear from insurrection, as overreaction to it invariably cost them bitterly. How can each deal with an age-old oppression, the solution to which is still beyond the horizon? Their lives become more strained when the horrific French and Indian War roils the local economy and all of its population to the point where any dereliction of duty, any personal slight can set off an enormous conflagration.

The Guard Was Asleep Who killed the horrible man in the stocks? He attacked a pretty young slave girl—a crime that offends the townsmen as much for its interracial character as its violence—and now his throat has been cut. Could it really be the ancient slave long esteemed for his docility, who now boasts of the murder even as he implores God for forgiveness? The possibility that a black man killed a white one is fraught with dire consequences for the entire town … unless the young Thomas Dordrecht can ferret out the whole truth.

	Excerpt: Chapter 12
	Real history: Historical Individuals of Great Mischief
	Curious background facts: America in 1759
	“The Fudge Factor” – The Author’s Confessions!
	Maps pertinent to Great Mischief
	Google Earth Great Mischief Tour
	The “Dordrecht Family Genealogy”
	The “Loytinck/Van Klost Family Genealogy”
	The “Zwarte Jan Family Genealogy”
	Attempting to Pronounce Dutch
	Photo Essay: Great Mischief sites today

Notices – Ordering – Author – Contact