Assessment:
Plot/Idea: The Eagle Speaks offers a timely and riveting mystery that has plenty of gripping moments. Hagan builds tension well, delivering an ending with a satisfying twist.
Prose: Hagan’s prose is straightforward and easy to follow, with effective pacing and gratifying storytelling. The underlying social themes at times come across as too conspicuous to feel natural.
Originality: There’s plenty of edginess to The Eagle Speaks, and the narrative is rich with diversity, but the storyline doesn’t entirely keep up with the plot’s twists.
Character/Execution: Hagan’s characters can struggle to rise above their stereotypes, though their more charged interactions are wrought with skill and a sense of narrative urgency.
Date Submitted: April 03, 2023
Sensitive, Bold, and Responsible
Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on December 3, 2022
Ms. Hagan is a writer of exquisite sensitivity to the racial injustices toward Black people in the US as well as toward Native Americans. This book opens with no less than a police shooting of a young Black man who was an integral member of the community of Cadence, the would-be utopia of people of all races striving to live with harmony and justice.
This murder sets in motion the search for the truth as well as the perpetrators of endless attempts to destroy Cadence and what it stands for.
Not only was this a compelling read, the end is both heartbreaking and inspiring.
I hope when you read this book you will enjoy the twists and turns, as well as the vulnerability and bravado of the characters, as much as I did. I am sure you will.
This book was very relevant to the current times and really looks deep at racism in America. It was shocking to read at times, but I’m glad that I made it through. These types of books are important for people to read. It’s also very well written. I would absolutely recommend it!
My standard disclaimer: I’ve know Dianne Liuzzi-Hagan and her husband Ron for over 45 years. Further, I was an early reader for her first novel, THE RIGHTFUL FUTURE, as well as for this one, so there may be some bias in this review.
Across the U.S. there has been an epidemic of nervous white people calling the police on Black people. Too often the encounter of white police and Black man goes sideways, and even the inclusive, Utopian community of Cadence is not proof against it. Titus Mann, soon to become a guidance counselor at the Six Nations Public High School, is shot by a sheriff as he goes to visit his aunt. Immediately questions arise: Why did a sheriff respond to a call for the Cadence police? Why did the sheriff shoot Mann in the back? Who called Mann into the police? Is this simply what it appears to be or is it the harbinger of something larger? Are outside forces coming once again to threaten the community of Cadence?
Dianne’s first novel was a strong debut, yet this one feels to me like a quantum leap forward not only in her choice of plot but in her handling of her characters and the assurance with which the story unfolds. Having a seat close to the creation of the novel, reviewing chapters as she completed and revised them, I found myself having fewer comments than for THE RIGHTFUL FUTURE. Dianne had learned from writing her first novel and it showed in the construction of her tale and the confidence implicit in her prose.
While it would be best to read the novels in order, if you’re at all intrigued by the synopsis or the reviews, I’d encourage you to give THE EAGLE SPEAKS a try. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.
Excellent book!
Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on January 5, 2023
Another reviewer said that beginning “The Eagle Speaks” was like reconnecting with old friends. And it was. After reading the book, I’m certain that I will reunite with the new friends I met here in the next book of the series. I laughed, I cried, I was filled with suspense and dread at times and I thoroughly enjoyed the story. Dianne is a fine author and knows how to tell a good tale. I look forward to the next book.
This is an exciting sequel to an exciting prequel! The author’s main characters are back from the first novel (The Rightful Future) and they are even more developed and interesting in the new adventure/mystery. You probably don’t need to read the first novel to get into this one as it stands alone as a suspense story though it would provide the background for where this one picks up and how Enoch, Lester and Marian became friends. I was looking forward to this one and it did not disappoint. Looking forward to another sequel in the future!
Author Dianne L. Hagan tackles a volatile and pressing conflict in America today through this riveting story. Hagan does a fantastic job remaining a neutral storyteller in a topic that divides so many Americans. There is good and evil and villains and heroes, but we are shown the assumptions people make and how there are several layers to seemingly one dimensional characters. Hagan proves that you can’t judge people based on appearances. This captivating crime fiction story delivers the message that there will always be injustice, but as long as there are people willing to fight for equality, we can make our corners of the world better and brighter.
This book grips you from the beginning as the story begins with the shooting of an unarmed young black man by a white sheriff in a small town in upstate New York. This is the second book in a series by Hagan and thus information is given throughout the story about the town’s history of cultures clashing and its new mission to be a place of multicultural unity. The main characters, Lester and Mariann, are a mixed racial couple who moved to the town of Cadence just a couple years prior. Mariann is on the Town Council and Lester is a retired EMT worker. They are seen as leaders in the small town along with their friends and fellow town council members, Craig, Delores, Enoch, Irma, George and others. Enoch is a Native American from the local tribe of the town and speaks to animals. He communicates with an American Bald Eagle that delivers messages that guide the group and helps them discover who is really behind this crime and what other dangers lie ahead. This adds a fascinating supernatural layer to an already captivating story.
Despite the protests, bombings and kidnappings that continue throughout the book, good-hearted people of different backgrounds work together to ultimately uncover the plot of antagonist. This thought-provoking story shows readers that systemic racism is the ultimate problem and not the acts of individual people.
This book hit very close to home for me. I enjoyed getting to know different types of characters through Hagan’s eyes and found her perspective to be refreshing. I respect her for tackling such a divisive topic through storytelling and hope this entertaining mystery thriller is able to make a difference in the race issues of our country.
