The BLOODY JACK series - a gift from two remarkable artists.

 

I started a reread of the Bloody Jack series in October of last year and completed it this month. I will not review the books individually since it was a reread for me, but I just wanted to mark the occasion. I typically reread the Betsy Tacy books every year, but I hadn't revisited Jackie since I first read them in the aughts and early teens. They are delightful adventure books and the audiobook version (available through Hoopla for my convenience) enriched the reading experience immensely! 

The audiobooks were performed by Kathleen Kellgren who made a meal out of each and every one! Her ability to infuse the characters with an additional layer of personality is unbelievable. I just discovered in researching her a minute ago, that she also recorded some of the HER ROYAL SPYNESS mysteries that have been delighting me this year. In addition, she recorded the first book in the QUEEN OF THE TEARLING series that I plan to finish next summer. She passed away far too young back in 2018 and it breaks my heart that she is no longer practicing the art at which she so majestically excelled. In addition, L.A, Meyer, the artist and all-round fascinating guy who wrote the series, passed in 2014 and I picture him and Kathleen sitting up in heaven having a pint with the real Jackie Faber and smiling at how much I enjoyed riding in the car with them for the past year. 

These are the books in the series that I read this year:

• Mississippi Jack
• My Bonnie Lighthorseman
• Rapture of the Deep
• The Wake of the Lorelai Lee
• Mark of the Dragon
• Viva Jacqueline
• Boston Jacky
• Wild Rover No More

And these are the ones from last year:

• Bloody Jack
• Curse of the Blue Tattoo, The
• In the Belly of the Bloodhound
• Under the Jolly Roger

My favorites were Bloody Jack, In the Belly of the Bloodhound, Mississippi Jack and My Bonnie Lighthorseman, but they were all rollicking adventures full of romance, friendship, questionable decisions and bravery. They also were a trove of very specific history that, while certainly fanciful, gave me a new appreciation and understanding of the Napoleonic era. 

Thanks Lou and Kath for taking me on an unforgettable journey!