Reviews
Reviews
Mouse Trap
"Fans of Wolfe Trap and investigator Clay Wolfe (who was introduced in that mystery) will relish his reappearance in Mouse Trap, another Port Essex story that revolves around Wolfe's probe into a missing mouse.
 
This isn't just any rodent. It's a resident of a genetics lab that has been subject to a well-meaning genome editing experiment gone awry. And the mouse's fate could determine the fate of humanity, if what it harbors also gets loose.
 
Matthew Cost's latest mystery thus moves from a whodunit to a thriller as Clay's new task holds implications for life far beyond Port Essex, Maine. As opposed to Cost’s Mainely Mystery series, the Clay Wolfe/Port Essex series is a thriller series, following up Wolfe Trap about heroin being smuggled through lobster traps and Mind Trap, where society is threatened by a cult run amok.
 
Good genes, bad intentions, and an evil plot to unleash havoc all revolve around the mouse's fate and Clay's ability to pursue the truth about its importance. Is this genome editing being done on more than just mice?
 
From Victoria's search for a way to create an above-average baby to the intersection of business, science, and Clay's conflicts with a new police chief who doesn't appreciate the fact that a P.I. has set up shop in his own jurisdiction, right under his nose, Cost creates a riveting story filled with subplots and small-town characters who all have their own special interests.
 
Russians may or may not be involved in stealing or buying scientific discoveries involving superior mice. Clay comes to the realization that, like it or not, he’s going to be a father with a woman he doesn’t love. Cost creates a fast-paced, riveting story that moves through characters' lives and bigger-picture thinking alike.
 
Clay, his Grandpops, and a group of his supporters edge closer to the dangerous truth about the missing mouse, giving readers many satisfying twists and turns to keep them on edge and guessing.
 
Mouse Trap is a vivid story that mystery and thriller genre readers alike will find involving on many different levels. Libraries catering to these audiences will find that Cost has crafted another winner.
 
The truth is stranger than fiction, in this story especially. (Wait. It is fiction. Isn't it?)"

--Midwest Book Review—Diane Donovan


"Clay Wolfe, the nattily-dressed, roguishly-charming, ex-Boston-homicide-cop-turned-PI, is unfurling - expanding his reach (both emotionally and professionally) into thornier, darker and more challenging arenas - a fascinating budding shift for this already top-notch PI crime series.

This edition of the Port Essex-based Clay Wolfe story sees Clay locking horns with his most chilling adversaries yet: the ethically-explosive field of genome (DNA) engineering, personified by some of the creepiest psychopaths one imaginative author could possibly dream up.

As he wrestles with lost love and his own burgeoning mid-life yearnings, Clay’s newest investigations spiral to include a top-secret laboratory security breach, mysterious Russians, missing and perhaps dismembered persons, a hideously evil underworld “fixer”, corporate shenanigans and a crime and body count which shifts into life-threatening for Clay and his team as they battle situations rapidly escalating from ominous to downright deadly.

This motley team permeates the pages with their colorful banter - including Monty Python references and so many weak and bordering-on-lewd puns that this reader found herself playing along - encouraging us by their camaraderie to settle in again and visit with old friends (albeit of the heavily-armed, impossibly-courageous and Navy Seal military-trained variety).

Are we destined to perpetuate the sins of our heritage?

How far would each of us go to ensure the safety and good heath of our progeny?

As the author grapples with the big issues - it becomes clear (and increasingly ironic) that fighting crime, itself a violently-selective endeavor, often honed by military training, is not immune to the very-same ethical quagmire perpetuated by crime itself.

Is eliminating the “bad”, the same thing as supporting “the good”? And who occupies the “Godly” position of delineating sides?

No spoilers here, you will need to read this wonderful edition to an always compelling series to find out more."

--booklymatters
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Mainely Angst
"Fans of Matt Cost's prior Goff Langdon's 'Mainely' mystery series will relish the appearance of another standalone story of intrigue, Mainely Angst.
 
The pandemic has affected both Langdon's bookstore, which is suffering from lack of customers and pandemic restrictions, and his PI business (because fewer people are getting into the kinds of trouble that require his services).
 
Typical of life, a challenge emerges that simultaneously affects both endeavors when his bookstore reopens at the same time that three major investigations drop into his lap.
 
It's all or nothing. And Langdon discovers that 'nothing' may be preferable, after all, to the convoluted dilemmas faced by three people: a lobsterman who believes his wife has been kidnapped, a frantic family trying to save a youngster being held hostage by a madman who is trying to subvert the pandemic restrictions on his life, and a quest for proof of sexual harassment against a fellow business owner.
 
The pandemic has caused many to pull away, become distant, or react in unusual ways. As Langdon and those who hire him struggle with their revised lives, Matt Cost does an especially good job of injecting the pandemic's affects and milieu as a backdrop to these seemingly diverse (but somehow interconnected) investigations: "What was wrong with her, she wondered? It was long before her boy had been abducted that this creeping alienation had entered her life. Was it the pandemic? The polarized politics that dominated the news every day had seemingly torn a hole in her soul and filled it with a despair that she was unable to escape. Nothing was right with the world. The one thing that she’d felt in quite some time was the abduction of Eddie. For that, she was almost, if not quite, grateful, to feel again, even if it was a pain and fear that gripped her with an icy claw and even now, made it hard for her to breathe."
 
From lives destroyed by both Covid and restrictions to confrontations that lead Langdon to lose his professional cool and get angry about all kinds of circumstances, Cost creates a moving story that is as much about the psychological impact of revised social conditions as it is about the terror and conundrums that grip a community to provide no easy answers.
 
Langdon is not immune to angst or the impacts of political decisions. Neither is he one to back down from evil or politicians.
 
As readers follow him on journeys that weave through disparate lives and special interests, the mysteries become more than another story of perps, leads, and threats. They consider resolution and motivation, make the perps not just believable, but human, and pair confrontation with understanding in a manner that allows for a touch of romantic inspection along the way.
 
These unexpected twists and thought-provoking considerations keep Mainely Angst centered not just on mysteries, but in community interactions, responses, and anxiety.
 
Mainely Angst's special relevance to post-pandemic readers keeps its concerns contemporary and its mystery especially vivid, which will delight genre readers looking for a story firmly rooted in community struggle and current events."

--Midwest Book Review, Senior Editor, Diane Donovan
Diane Donovan, Senior Reviewer


Another Top-Notch Mystery in this Terrific Series! 5 Stars!
"Another top-notch mystery from the pen of Matt Cost!
The global pandemic has hit Goff Langdon’s businesses the same as everyone else; not much is happening. Then, all at once, he is hired to find a missing wife, find proof against a sexual predator and locate a kidnapped boy. The latter has been taken to try and force the governor to lift the Covid restrictions, but what kind of low-life would threaten the life of a four year old to achieve this? From famine to feast, Langdon now has his hands full and once again calls on his friends and family to help. Can he work everything out – and in time to save a life?
Never one to do things by half, this author always comes up with a multi-faceted story which keeps me desperate to see where it’s heading next! There is such a lot going on in this one, all off-set by Langdon’s laid back manner and, of course, ‘dog’. Dog has real character and entertains as only labradors can (especially where food is concerned). Each of the threads would be a story on their own but there is a bit of cross-over which adds to the enigma and keeps the reader on their toes. With a great cast of characters and excellent writing, this is one series I would not miss; packed with doubt, excitement and a good helping of fun this is another worthy addition to the Mainely Mysteries. With no hesitation at all, this is a five star read!"

--Grace J. Reviewerlady


Mind Trap
"Mind Trap returns investigator Clay Wolfe and his partner Baylee Baker to mystery fans who enjoyed his prior appearance. This time, he's investigating a missing daughter, violent attacks, and events leading up to Leap Day which portend disaster.
 
The prologue begins a month prior, as a woman bares every secret of her shameful past to twelve Disciples, who sit in judgment of her as part of a ritual to allow her to belong to their cult. Thirty-six hours of confession lead to what she thinks is the promise of enlightenment, but instead is the portent of horrors to come.
 
Chapter 1 introduces Clay Wolfe's first sign of events that swirl around mother Martha Abbott, who has vanished along with her daughter, and the Port Essex world that Clay must probe in order to find them.
 
As facts emerge about Martha's emotional abuse by her husband Doug, her decision to leave the material world behind and bring daughter Jenna along for the ride, and the evolving lure and danger that comes from Marduk and his high priestesses, the mystery grows around the community's people and their own hidden lives.
 
Matt Cost creates a fine story that revolves around the cult's tightening trip and the conundrums its members and outsiders face in dealing with its lure, and Clay's challenges in uncovering its members, motivations, and threat.
 
A variety of characters come and go (some are murdered) in the course of Martha's pursuit and Clay's attempts to stop the slaughters, but the real strength of this story lies in unexpected expressions of motivations not just of the killers, but Clay's moral and ethical purposes: “We got a nice town, Crystal. I don’t like what’s been happening. Sometimes you just got to do what’s right.” “I’m just yanking your chain to get you to say some fucking lame shit like that,” Crystal said, her voice warm with affection. “I know we got to do this. But, Jesus, that is some pure Mr. Rogers bullshit that just tumbled out of your mouth.” She left the doorway and went to her desk out of sight. Clay’s face colored, not helped by Baylee’s poorly suppressed chuckles. “What are you laughing at?” he asked. “I can picture you in a red button-down sweater and tie,” she said. “All of us, at some time or other, need help. Whether we’re giving or receiving help, each one of us has something valuable to bring to this world. That’s one of the things that connects us as neighbors—in our own way, each one of us is a giver and a receiver.”
 
One doesn't expect inspiration from Mr. Rogers, nor the undercurrent of humor that runs through character interactions to inject comic relief into serious challenges: “I love Mr. Rogers. If I were you, I’d take it as a compliment.” “I’m more the Eddie Murphy version, don’t you think?” “Yeah, you’re real ghetto, as long as the hood has a twenty-four-hour dry cleaner,” Baylee said."
 
As the cult drives to gain the ultimate reward (Heaven) heighten the sense of urgency and danger, Cost excels in juxtaposing swift action with psychological and spiritual manipulation. Scenarios engross readers with accounts of cult methodology, mind games, and the wellsprings of strength that Clay must tap in order to overcome a charismatic leader and smitten believers.
 
Mind Trap's contrast between investigative motivations, cult processes, and the method by which an ordinary but psychologically damaged housewife turns killer makes for an absorbing read. It's not only filled with twists and turns that will delight murder mystery fans, but adds psychological insights that will attract readers who look for depth in their stories.
 
It's a top recommendation for prior fans, but stands nicely alone for newcomers. Mind Trap deserves a spot in any collection strong in murder mystery writing."
--D. Donovan—Midwest Book Review



"Matt Cost’s Mind Trap pits former homicide detective turned private investigator Clay Wolfe against a dangerous cult leader in the town of Port Essex, Maine. Wolfe and his band of amateur sleuths are the only things standing between Marduk, the embodiment of evil and self-proclaimed son of God, and the townsfolk. Mind Trap is a twisted and chilling tale of control and manipulation. The ultimate ‘what if’ on steroids." 
— Bruce Robert Coffin, award-winning author of the Detective Byron Mysteries

Love in a Time of Hate
"Chillingly prescient, insightfully nuanced and disturbingly evocative, this historical epic, based in New Orleans, follows the turbulence that rocked the state of Louisiana in the years following the Confederate loss of the Civil War.

In this book, our main protagonist, Emmett Collins, an 18 year old from rural Maine has landed in New Orleans as a special agent to the Freedman Bureau. His role is to help create educational, financial and supportive structures to assist in the integration of newly-freed Black slaves into society as “equal” participants.

And there-in lies Emmett’s (and society’s) dilemma - after 200 years of slavery, what will it take for white men to accept Blacks as their social and intellectual equals? And, equally disturbingly, what about women, with roles vacillating between Southern ladies under male rule/protection or the completely inconsequential service-providing “whores”?

It is perhaps unsurprising to see the lengths hatred, violence, racism and misogyny can take a society but to watch it play out in this deeply evocative read is horrifying and upsetting. As militia groups - including the truly evil “ Knights of the White Camellia” followed by the “White League” - proliferate, a serial rapist and murderer of Black prostitutes, known as the “Black Dot” also makes his presence known. It is truly appalling, and as Emmett and his smallish band of principled supporters learn, with great difficulty, the battle for real-life equality is deathly fierce and at times feels futile.

Against the backdrop of all this horror, Emmett meets and discovers his one true love, and we cheer as we breathe in the glimmer of hope silently taking shape between the pages.

- Will Emmett and his love escape with their lives and their love intact?

- Is there a broader hope for love and compassion to save a sick and society?

- Is an up-close and terrifying encounter with our history enough to prevent its reenactment in present-day?"

--booklymatters Terri Portelli
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️


"More so than any other state at the time of the Civil War, Louisiana represented a melting pot of cultures in which black residents comprised not just half of the population, but were the largest free-Black population of any state in the South. Mixed marriages were as common as Voodoo's mix with Catholicism, in this state. 
 
Love in a Time of Hate opens with a review of Louisiana history that sets the stage for the events in the novel, which take place in the summer of 1866 as Black suffrage is coming into its power.
 
A murder investigation conducted by eighteen-year-old Emmett Collins, newly arrived from rural Maine after the war ends, evolves against this backdrop as he absorbs the unique culture of New Orleans in all its social, religious, and political complexity.
 
Emmett's actions are the spark point for a Black uprising in that city which reaches out to both threaten and attract him with its undercurrents of love, hate, and political struggle.
 
Events unfold over four years, bringing Emmett a maturity that comes with many price tags as he reflects on the circumstances which have brought him full circle.
 
As recently freed slaves struggle against the brutality of Louisiana's political machine and Southern prejudice, Emmett's life is caught up in a series of events that challenge the education program he's committed to building to help newly freed Black slaves.
 
Savvy Voodoo Queen Madame Marie Laveau sees a better future for him, but Emmett can't help but think that his evolving romance with woman of color Manny Lescaut is part of both the problem and the solution.
 
Madame Laveau is equally astute at guiding Manny towards different realizations of her own strength as a woman: “Are you saying there can be no bonds, whether in religion or
marriage?” “Of course there are elements that bind us in this world. The love between a man and woman is certainly a powerful and tasty dish, but only if it is based upon equality.”
“Equality, yes, but separate strengths certainly.” Madame Laveau returned to her seat, perching herself gingerly on the high wooden chair. “Perhaps you believe that a woman cannot pull the trigger of a gun? Or that our minds are not made for deeper thoughts like politics? I might not be able to vote, but I will tell you right now that not much happens in New Orleans without my opinion being heard, weighed, and considered.”
 
The social, spiritual, and political forces of the times come to rest upon and are represented by not just Emmett and Manny's love, but by the military forces and white superiority still at work trying to hold New Orleans together. Readers receive a powerful story that is both a love tale and an intriguing inspection of Black power's rise in Louisiana after the Civil War has divided it.
 
How can faith-driven residents come together after such a tumultuous and divided set of beliefs has come to rest among the city's diverse population?
 
Love in a Time of Hate's ability to juxtapose different forces, special interests, and perspectives against the backdrop of both endings and new beginnings will intrigue and delight historical fiction readers—especially those with a particular affection for Louisiana culture.
 
The characterization is well done, there is no shying away from the sometimes-brutal events that challenged both sides, and Matthew Langdon Cost takes the time to build a saga that is compelling and hard to put down as Emmett finds his way through a morass of social conflict and tries to do what is right for both himself and the greater good."

--D. Donovan, Senior Reviewer, Midwest Book Review


Wolfe Trap

"Set on the midcoast of Maine, WOLFE TRAP introduces us to an eccentric and Interesting cast of Maine characters in this first installment in the Port Essex Mystery series. This gripping plot moves with lightning speed until it’s explosive and thrilling conclusion. Here we have murder, drug-smuggling lobstermen, heavy drinking, art theft and budding romance. Despite our hero’s hard-drinking and prolific womanizing, Clay Wolfe is a sympathetic and likable character. Cost’s jam-packed plot should appeal to all lovers of private detective fiction. I eagerly look forward to next book in this series.”—Joseph Souza, acclaimed author of “The Perfect Daughter”


"Now, this is an exciting read! Lots of mystery, plenty of action and great characters to boot!
Clay Wolfe, ex-Boston detective, has dealt with as many high-octane cases as he would like during his police career; he’s happy to have returned home to Maine to keep an eye on his aging grandfather and opens a detective agency which keeps him busy investigating minor matters. Until, that is, he is hired by a woman to find out where the drugs came from which killed her six-month-old granddaughter – and then life gets dangerous, both for Wolfe and those close to him.
Another heart-pounding thriller from the pen (keyboard?) of Matt Cost, an author who knows how to create a cast of appealing characters and then, once they get inside your head the fun begins! A riveting start to a new series which I’ll happily follow – so much going on, all cleverly plotted to make perfect sense and yet, when the final revelations come, there is always a surprise or two. A thrilling read, one I could hardly bear to put down, full of excitement and always throwing more questions into the mix. A dynamic novel, worthy of all five shining stars and my highest recommendation."

--Grace J. Reviewerlady



Mainely Money

"The characters along the way and the byplay between them kept me reading. He has the ability of Carl Hiassen, Elmore Leonard, and John Sanford to put a good very protagonist and his allies up against wild new characters who cause this reader at least to snort with delight. This is an intelligent romp I think you’ll enjoy. Brunswick, Maine sounds like such an interesting place, maybe I’ll spend the winter there next year instead of Florida." 

—Mar Preston, Reedsy



Mainely Fear

Mainely Fear is a powerful and gritty storyline with a cast of animated, quirky and spirited characters who place themselves in the direct line of fire for a friend whose investigative techniques are painfully amateur, helpless and misgiving. Not everyone will survive; lives are threatened, families are broken, and one vulnerable young man is pulled in too many directions, unprotected by the people in charge. 

—Sandy, The Reading Cafe

Mainely Power 
Cost’s cast of characters makes Maine mystery a treat
"Maybe it was the sleek brown dog with intelligent eyes poised next to the man on the cover. My first impression on beginning read a new mystery novel, “Mainely Power,” was this: Boston has Robert B. Parker and Maine has M. Langdon Cost. That initial impression, in some ways, wasn’t far off the mark. Parker’s hero, Spenser, has his dog, the memorable Pearl, and Cost’s hero has his four-footed companion, Coffee Dog. Beyond that, Cost, a onetime bookstore owner in Brunswick has crafted a private detective, Goff Langdon, whom Spenser might well meet for a few beers if a big-city case brought him to town. The town Langdon inhabits is Brunswick. And the case in “Mainely Power” centers on the murder of a security supervisor at a nearby nuclear plant. Why is the death called a suicide? Why does the local police chief cover up evidence that says otherwise? Before Langdon is done pursing the case, the tentacles of corruption will reach from a major state entrepreneur to the governor of Maine and involve people as different as U.S. senators and tree huggers. It’s an entertaining read. Cost writes with an edge that keeps his characters from slipping into stereotypes. Equally important, he keeps the story moving. His hero is tough but compassionate, hard but vulnerable. “Langdon understood that he was the worst kind of drunk, the kind who really didn’t drink much more than socially when things were going well, but whose gloves came off with a little disturbance”. Langdon is backed by a varied band of friends, male and female, who give real life to the book. Seldom has a mystery focused on men given better, stronger portraits of women than Cost gives of women in this book. Equally interesting is his sharply etched portrait of Maine. “Maine is changing quickly, if you haven’t noticed. The computer age of technology and all that,” a laid back lawyer named Jimmy 4 by Four tells Langdon. “Twenty years ago, the displaced, disgruntled Americans like me moved here to escape all of it, but it has come and found us. Faxes. E-Mail. The Net. Don’t kid yourself. Civilization and all that comes with it has found Maine…New York has moved to Boston. Which in turn has come to the suburbs, and believe it or not, Brunswick’s the suburbs now.” You may buy that view or dismiss it, but it’s a point of view around which Cost builds a mystery and a book. Given the intriguing cast of characters he’s created—and his credible hero—Cost, now a budding social studies teacher, may go beyond that and give us books in the plural."

--Maine Sunday Telegram; by Nancy Grape


"Wry story of murder, coverup in Brunswick
The events of recent months have brought increased scrutiny to the magnitude of the potential disaster housed in those strange and little understood—yet for the time at least, necessary—behemoth nuclear power plants nestled throughout America in unlikely places such as Seabrook, N.H., Long Island, N.Y., and, in M. Langdon Cost’s debut, self-published novel, “Mainely Power,” near the town of Brunswick, Maine. The mystery, published by 1st Books Library, centers on Cost’s fictional DownEast Power: It leads the reader not outward to international intrigue, but inward to a tangle of corporate interests and political in-game that determine much of life even in the relatively pristine “Vacationland.” Goff Langdon, the hero of Cost’s tale, is a Gen-X slacker detective with a penchant for driving his 1970’s beater convertible with the top down even in the dead of the winter, drinking too much on more occasions than he should, and regularly losing wrestling matches with his dog, Coffee. Cost describes him as “Bookstore Owner. Environmentalist. Football Fan. Red Meat Eater. He Voted Independent, sometimes Democratic, never Republican.” Goff, estranged from his wife of three years, considers himself to be “disillusioned with life at the tender age of twenty-eight”—but the events surrounding the murder of the head of security at the DownEast Power Plant jostle him out of the holding pattern he has allowed his life to become, with not a little self-pity. Although the books he sells in his mystery bookstore tout heroes like Easy Rawlins, Same Spade and Dave Robichaux, Goff is a far cry from those isolationist, stoic figures. Much of the power of this mystery comes from the way in which Cost creates and ensemble story, drawing into the tale the “whole network of people taking care of Goff, making sure he didn’t screw up his life” beyond repair. Including a gruff, burly cop who secretly writes poetry; an awkward, shy but surprisingly resourceful college girl; a tough, yet bored housewife and mother of three; an African-American bartender who has relocated to Maine to raise his family in relative quiet; and a post-Wall Street baby boomer lawyer hiding out in the woods of Bowdoinham. Then there are Goff’s two brothers, who, like Goff, have little to show for their lives thus far; and whose main strengths are their ferocious love for their brother and willingness to use their fists and firearms on his behalf. Cost’s tale follows not just Goff, but also all of these figures with their manifold hopes and disappointments, dreams and shortcomings. Cost spins his story of murder in a small town with a wry humor, a delicate touch at description, reflections on the changing face of Maine—not all of it, in Goff’s opinion, for the good—and a compassionate eye for even minor characters. A librarian just recently a widow who wants to help is described as “the type of lady who needed to be needed,” and an underachiever working at Cumberland Farms is seen as follows; “Didn’t have a car. Didn’t even have a license. Lived with his mother. But there wasn’t a mean bone in his body…The man could have been something more, could have gone to college, taken computer classes, gotten a better job. But then he would no longer be Danny T.” Cost’s plot is engaging and sharply drawn, conveying much of the inward-looking and closely held nature of Maine Culture. But beyond this, his story is most enjoyable for its true sense of nuances and texture, complexities, loyalties, disappointments, small kindnesses and care that make up relationships and much of small-town life. T.S. Eliot wrote that, “We shall not cease from exploration, and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time.” Cost has managed, with great skill, to take his hero and his reader on such a journey."

--Times Record, by Deborah Murphy “Mainely Power,” 


I am Cuba; Fidel Castro and the Cuban Revolution

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
You do not kill ideas! 
This book is riveting from the first page and it is mostly because Cost has a very real talent for telling the people’s story. At the time the media coverage of his story was very important, and Castro allowed Times journalist Herbert Matthews to join them in the mountains. For a while Castro was believed to be dead and it was Matthews who set the record straight.

This book is a pleasure to read from the perspective of someone who knew very little Cuban history, and especially that of Castro’s role in its liberation. It is equally pleasurable to anyone with prior knowledge as its point of view is unique and its narrative filled with passion, loyalty and the universal need to fight for one’s own freedom no matter the consequences. A truly inspiring book that I highly recommend to anyone with an interest in history and/or the human condition.

--Meg Orton “For the Love of Meg” Book Reviewer


THE HISTORY: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐CLEARLY THE AUTHOR HAS PUT AN ENORMOUS AMOUNT OF RESEARCH INTO THIS BOOK. THE NARRATIVE IS FILLED WITH DATES AND TIMES, PLACES, AND MORE NAMES THAN I CAN RECALL. BATTLES ARE DESCRIBED IN GREAT DETAIL AND THE READER GETS A GREAT SENSE OF WHAT IT WAS LIKE TO FIGHT A GUERRILLA WAR AGAINST AN AMERICAN BACKED GOVERNMENT WITH TANKS AND AIRPLANES AT THEIR DISPOSAL. IT'S ALSO AMAZING TO SEE HOW CLOSE THEY (THE REBELS) CAME TO LOSING ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS. ON ONE LEVEL THE BOOK READS ALMOST LIKE A NON-FICTION BLOW BY BLOW OF THE REVOLUTION. SOME READERS MAY LOVE THIS DEEP DIVE INTO MILITARY MANEUVERS OTHERS MAY NOT. I ADMIT MY EYES GLAZED OVER IN SOME PARTS AND I SKIPPED OVER SOME OF THE GRAPHIC BLOOD SHED. 
--Review by Jean Roberts of “The Books Delight” 


I Am Cuba is a riveting and engrossing tale of the run-up to the Cuban Revolution and the ascendance of Fidel Castro. With rich historical detail and full, sympathetic characters, Matt Cost shows us how the rich man's son, that young lawyer from Havana, begins to build the Cuban dream. Not to be missed by fans of recent history and anyone else who loves compelling political stories rooted in real events. 

--Richard Cass, author of the prizewinning Elder Darrow Jazz Mystery series


"I AM CUBA is a stunning historical novel about Fidel Castro's rise to power during the Batista regime. Author, Matt Cost, writes so vividly that he makes the reader feel like he's fighting in the mountains alongside Fidel and Che Guevara. A great read. I highly recommend this novel!"

--Joseph Souza, author of "Pray for the Girl" and the upcoming "The Perfect Daughter", as well as others.

I Am Cuba is a highly detailed and well-researched story that readers may find quite surprising, especially as regards the humanity of the revolutionaries and the degree to which the United States’ interests in Cuba were the source of friction that led to that revolution. But much more than a book about international politics, it is a gripping war story, covering the entire conflict from Fidel Castro’s faltering first forays into battle with an army of eighteen men to his becoming the most powerful man in Cuba, worshipped by millions. It is, as well, a human story about the suffering of a nation slowly giving rise to a resolve to unseat the corrupt government that ruled over and repressed them.

While I Am Cuba is a novel, its detailed descriptions of battles and settings, and of the many people who played important roles in the revolution, give it a veneer of authenticity more typical of a history book, while its warmth and humanity in the portrayal of its characters make it an enjoyable story to read.

--Mark Guerin, author of “You Can See More From Up Here”



Joshua Chamberlain and the Civil War; At Every Hazard 

            
JOSHUA CHAMBERLAIN AND THE CIVIL WAR: At Every Hazard Cost, Matthew CreateSpace (382 pp.) $16.00 paperback April 22, 2015 Cost’s (Mainely Power, 2001, etc.) historical fiction follows the wartime activities of Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain. In 1862, 14-year-old Emmett Collins of Brewster, Maine, is an orphan whose remaining siblings have all enlisted with the Union Army. His father’s last letter asked him to seek help from Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain, a noted local professor. Having decided the Union’s cause is just, Chamberlain is determined to enlist along with his brother, Tom. When Emmett shows up on his doorstep, Chamberlain decides to take Emmett along with him. The three men could not be more different: Joshua is a rarified intellectual, Tom a general store owner bored by his humdrum routine, and Emmett a lost boy with no family. Yet the three men are going to have to rely on each other as they’re thrust into some of the most dangerous fighting in the war: Fredericksburg, Gettysburg, and then the long siege of Petersburg. Along the way, Emmett is witness to a country in tremendous transition as he meets some of the era’s most notable characters. The book’s title is somewhat misleading, however, as the story also deals equally with Tom and Emmett. That approach works well, though, since Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain is such a mythical figure in American history that he can be hard to see as a relatable man. Tom and Emmett, then, help ground the story. Cost does an excellent job immersing the reader in the history and feeling of the time, down to the language of the enlisted men. Additionally, the narrative voice changes appropriately with Emmett as the war years roll on and he grows worldlier. However, the author sometimes relies on Chamberlain to explain to readers the significance of events such as the Emancipation Proclamation, which will be useful information for those unfamiliar with Civil War history but too direct for those already aware. A lively and enjoyable read for those interested in the Civil War experience of extraordinary soldiers. https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/matthew-cost/joshua-chamberlain-and-civil-war/

--Kirkus Review            



Joshua Chamberlain and the Civil War: At Every Hazard. By Matthew Langdon Cost. Historical fiction. Bibliography, notes, 382 pp., 2015, Matthew Langdon Cost, matthew-cost@comcast.net, $16 softcover.  
This is a novel that takes the life of Gen. Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain and embeds fictional characters to create a novel suitable for all age groups. Each character represents an aspect of the Civil War the author is conveying to his readers. The fictional Emmett Collins is an orphan of war who serves as Gen. Chamberlain's aide and tells his adventures through the eyes of a boy coming of age. He sees the horrors of war as well as the heroics men are capable of achieving. War to him is ugly, dirty and brutal yet makes some men and women realize their potential. During the war little is black or white. Morality, tactics and actions are fluid, and right and wrong are situational. Susannah Smith, the young, beautiful prostitute, and Emmett's first love, represents the struggle of war widows to support themselves during the war. Emmett Collins' family represents a typical farm clan trying to cope with war's impact on the home front. Emmett's brother William is killed at Chancellorsville. His father dies at Malvern Hill shortly after his mother succumbs to consumption. These are the real effects of war on a family that could be from the North or South. Chamberlain is the novel's gallant hero. A stodgy professor from Bowdoin College with no previous military experience sacrifices a safe life because he believes in the cause of preserving the Union. Not sure of his own military abilities, he rises to the occasion at Antietam, Marye's Heights, Gettysburg, Petersburg and Appomattox. He is a commander who leads from the front. War becomes exhilarating for Chamberlain. He is more at home leading the 20th Maine than he ever was in the classroom. Through his bout with malaria and his near mortal wounding at Rives’s Salient, he thinks of nothing but returning to his beloved command. Even the persistent pleas from his wife Fanny cannot get him to stay home. He has found his calling and it has transformed him. This book is exceptionally well written. Battles are described in a way to bring readers into the fear, chaos and death of the moment. Readers can easily identify with characters both real and fictional and understand the human emotions that tear at them when family versus duty, honor versus survival and brutality versus humanity become real decisions rather than philosophical concepts. While this novel is about the Civil War, it poses questions that everyone must answer during their lives. It is highly recommended for both Civil War enthusiasts and those wishing to learn more about the reality of war and how their daily decisions are impacted by life’s events. 
--Civil War News: The Monthly Current Events Newspaper
 Wayne L. Wolf Wayne L. Wolf is Professor Emeritus at South Suburban College and past president of the Lincoln-Davis Civil War Roundtable. He has written several books and articles on the Civil War, including Charles Gunther: Mississippi River Confederate and John Corson Smith: The Early Days.



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