The Cautious Siege

A Novel of the American Revolution

Against the backdrop of the Siege of Boston, The Cautious Siege is a sweeping tale of adventure, triumph and tragedy, friendship and love. Returning from Transcendent Loyalties, Anna Somerset, Daniel Garrett, and Drummond Fisackerly continue to navigate through the turbulence of a rebellion that is fast becoming a revolution. It is late 1775, and newly appointed General George Washington is laying siege to Boston. In addition to the difficult task of keeping the British bottled up in the city—and, hopefully, driving them out of the colonies altogether—Washington must find a way to shape myriad and disparate militia units into a functioning Continental Army. To successfully tighten the noose on the British, Washington needs artillery. His only hope, a stockpile of artillery pieces at recently captured Fort Ticonderoga, is a slim hope; hundreds of miles of obstacles stand between the distant fort and the Continental Army at Boston. When a brilliant young bookseller named Henry Knox devises a scheme for retrieving the guns, Drum—with his phenomenal size and strength—is an obvious choice for Knox's team and, against Daniel's objections, becomes a willing part of the mission. Another of Washington's most valuable officers, Nathaniel Greene, has other plans for Daniel. Raiders masquerading as militiamen have been terrorizing local farms, and Washington wants it stopped. Greene sees in Daniel—whose somewhat nefarious reputation has followed him like a shadow into Washington's camp—as the perfect man for the job. Daniel's search takes a perilous turn, however, when a murder committed by one of the gang members has a young boy as its sole witness. Now Daniel must keep the boy safe and find the killer before he strikes again. Within besieged Boston, Anna is dealing with far more personal battles. Countless loyalists have sought out British protection inside the city, and Anna's uncle has opened his house to one such refugee family. In coping with the crowded living conditions and more mouths to feed, Anna must find a way through the severe food shortages that plague the city—along with a rampaging smallpox epidemic. From every side, Anna, Daniel, and Drum are as besieged as the town of Boston. To not only survive, but thrive, they will need the hope of love, the strength of friendship, and the courage to be found within each of their hearts.