Peter Murphy – A Statue For Jacob

‘A Statue For Jacob’ by Peter Murphy is a legal thriller blended with historical fiction to bring us an enthralling read about a man who appears to have been lost and forgotten in the history of the U.S.A. A man who made a selfless act that possibly altered the outcome of the American war of Independence.
‘This debt was not contracted as the price of bread or wine or arms. It was the price of liberty’ – Alexander Hamilton.

Kiah Harmon, a young Virginia lawyer, is just emerging from the most traumatic time of her life when actress Samantha (‘Sam’) van Eyck walks into her office, unannounced, with the case of a lifetime. She asks Kiah to recover a 200-year-old debt from the US Government – a debt that Alexander Hamilton may have acknowledged.

The selfless generosity of Sam’s ancestor, Jacob Van Eyck, in making a massive loan of gold and supplies at Valley Forge, during the freezing winter of 1777-1778, may well have saved George Washington’s army, and the War of Independence, from disaster. But it reduced Jacob to ruin. Despite the government’s promises, the debt was never repaid, and this hero of the American Revolution died in poverty, unknown and unrecognised. Two hundred years later, Sam and Kiah embark on a quest to change that. But first, they will have to find the evidence, and overcome a stubborn Government determined to frustrate their every move. Will there ever be a statue for Jacob?

Peter Murphy has shed a light on this total injustice and an incorrect ruling by Judge James Turner. This book reminded me of all the cases from World War Two. The poor people who had their belongings stolen by the enemy nations. I feel for them all and do think these types of cases should be heard regardless of time limits.
The premise of the book definitely interested me and I was invested in Sam’s case right from the start. The history I learned while reading this just blew me away. I always say when I read historical fiction I am educated and entertained! I was so engrossed that it felt like time was flying, I read that quick.

The author really has highlighted this important but forgotten injustice with such skilled prose. Not just historical fiction, but a legal thriller at heart with a family who are fighting for their ancestors’ honour and right to be acknowledged. A truly great book that I would recommend to anyone who loves their history.

Thanks to Anne Cater of Random Things Tours, Oldcastle Books and Peter Murphy for the beautiful copy of this book.