The Sign Maker

Step into the opening of this novel and find Tom Holt, again, bonding with fellow soldiers, based aboard his boat, and seeking safety from a shadow he can't quite elude. He reflects on the circuitous passage that brought him to this hardscrabble harbor hideaway. It's been a cobbled saga shaped by both choice and fate. 

     This is the Tom Holt whom readers cheered on in Jim Richardson's first novel, Middle Blue. Now well away from war, Tom is guided by his artistic talent as he builds his life in the Chesapeake Bay area. He opens a gallery and is commissioned for a major mural project. He detours to a quaint bayside village when a shadow from his past grows dark and dangerous. Along the way, Ann becomes his loving companion. Together they juggle the duties of their general store in the tiny cove community. 

    Eventually, Tom-for practical purposes-becomes a sign painter; Ann tilts toward her poetic inclinations and the tides keep pulling them farther apart. Tom becomes a crusader for justice. (Every march needs a splendid sign!). When danger flares, friendship and loyalty come into play.    

    Traveling along with Tom again is to enjoy Richardson's delight in storytelling. There are backwater towns to visit and colorful characters to meet. There is a time for picketing and a time for peace. This last leg of the race is a full-sail run with the wind. Come aboard!