Lost Cause

A Grayson Cole Thriller

Fiction - Thriller - General
460 Pages
Reviewed on 11/05/2014
Buy on Amazon

This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Free Book Program, which is open to all readers and is completely free. The author will provide you with a free copy of their book in exchange for an honest review. You and the author will discuss what sites you will post your review to and what kind of copy of the book you would like to receive (eBook, PDF, Word, paperback, etc.). To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email.

This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Book Review Exchange Program, which is open to all authors and is completely free. Simply put, you agree to provide an honest review an author's book in exchange for the author doing the same for you. What sites your reviews are posted on (B&N, Amazon, etc.) and whether you send digital (eBook, PDF, Word, etc.) or hard copies of your books to each other for review is up to you. To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email, and be sure to describe your book or include a link to your Readers' Favorite review page or Amazon page.

This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Book Donation Program, which was created to help nonprofit and charitable organizations (schools, libraries, convalescent homes, soldier donation programs, etc.) by providing them with free books and to help authors garner more exposure for their work. This author is willing to donate free copies of their book in exchange for reviews (if circumstances allow) and the knowledge that their book is being read and enjoyed. To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email. Be sure to tell the author who you are, what organization you are with, how many books you need, how they will be used, and the number of reviews, if any, you would be able to provide.

Author Biography

Sean Smith is an award winning conservationist and author, whose work has been seen on CNN and heard on NPR, and in the New York Times and National Geographic.

Sean is a former park ranger who worked at Yellowstone, the North Cascades, Glacier, and with the Forest Service at Mount St. Helens. He's also an accomplished artist, as well as a private pilot. Recently, Sean began writing political thrillers set in National Parks. His goal is to entertain his readers, but also educate them on the challenges park rangers face every day protecting America's heritage.

He currently lives in Western Washington with his wife and two children.

    Book Review

Reviewed by Jack Magnus for Readers' Favorite

Lost Cause: A Grayson Cole Thriller by Sean D. Smith is an action and adventure story featuring a National Park Ranger. Grayson Cole is used to giving lectures on American history, especially the Civil War, to the thousands of visitors to the National Parks where he's worked. He's used to odd questions, especially the ones about conspiracies, and has learned to treat them carefully. One such conspiracy revolves around the Lost Cause Relic, which is supposed to be a medallion. The legend goes that Robert E. Lee's powers were linked to his possession of that medallion, and there are some who think that obtaining the relic will help them restore the Confederacy. Ranger Cole and Gettysburg specialist, Sarah Thompson, discover that the theft of the skull of a confederate soldier is the start of a bizarre treasure hunt with Civil War-era clues pointing the way.

Sean D. Smith's suspenseful novel, Lost Cause: A Grayson Cole Thriller, is exciting and fast-paced. Smith's writing style is smooth and easy and I quickly became immersed in the story. I'm a big fan of the National Parks and especially enjoyed seeing the historic sites through Cole and Thompson's eyes. The characters in Lost Cause are real and compelling, both the Rangers and the obsessive Confederate League president, Todd Harrington. Lost Cause is set in the very near future, and the complaints and causes of the Confederate League are issues that are very much in the news today. Solving the clues and following the chase to find the Lost Cause Relic is lots of fun, and the reader also gets a well-presented course in Civil War history. I thoroughly enjoyed Lost Cause and will be looking out for other Grayson Cole thrillers.