Product Description

Two centuries of intrigue and suspense lead to a frantic climax as modern rivals attempt to secure the treasure originally looted by a Hessian officer as General George Washington made his daring crossing of the Delaware River on Christmas night, 1776. After the Battle of Trenton, a captured Hessian soldier is the only survivor who knows the hiding place of the treasure. From there follows a twisted tale of recovery and loss which finally leads to a modern-day genealogical search by the descendants of the Hessian prisoner and a befriended Revolutionary prison guard. These descendents find a cryptic clue (FUG 10) while an unscrupulous rival uncovers the same information by treachery - and a deadly game is afoot. This edge-of-the-chair drama of deceit and betrayal concludes with a modern-day climax that is as fascinating as it is riveting. The sleuths find themselves in a race to the finish for the treasure and their opponent has no intention of playing fair. ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Working many years on his family genealogy and a love of American history - especially treasure stories - inspired the author to write this novel. Striving to learn more about his Mennonite heritage (third great-grandmother) gives him a personal interest in the day-to-day struggles and customs of his early American ancestors. Jay Osman was born and raised in upper Dauphin County, Pennsylvania and now resides in central Pennsylvania with his wife, Shirley, and their Labrador retriever, Beau.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1682222 in Books
• Published on: 2007-04-10
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 316 pages

Customer Reviews

Intriguing Novel
If you like history, you will love this novel. A great mixture of fiction and history that captures you and holds your interest from the beginning.

Riviting Historical Novel
A very interesting Historical Novel which combines mystery with history.
The book is crafted in a way that you can not anticipate the ending and ties in generations of a family starting during the Revolutionary War and ending with the current generation.

I could not put it down until I finished it.

Best New Genealogy Fiction
FUG 10 is one of the best new genealogy mysteries I have read in the last several years. Osman's story is based on his experience of researching his own Pennsylvania ancestors. The story is suspenseful, historical, modern, emotional, and witty. These attributes make for any good mystery. What sets apart a great genealogy mystery for me are the methods of investigation. Do the methods of investigating the ancestors involved in the story make sense? Are they creative? Are they based in what is available to a real genealogist? Osman's experience shines through. His fictional Rhone family understands investigating the past requires not just collecting dates, names and places but understanding the events surrounding our ancestors lives and creating hypothesis that can be tested by uncovering not just one, but several pieces of evidence that confirm the hypothetical.
FUG 10 introduces us to the history of several Pennsylvania counties and paints a story of typical migration, marriage and family relationships right after the Revolution. The stories of these ancestors could be the stories of our ancestors. This fictional history creates the mystery for the Rhone family and ultimately the reader too. The Rhone's know what all genealogist know-genealogy is addictive. As a confirmed addict I was totally drawn into Osman's mystery. I tried to stay one step ahead of the Rhone's with my methods of historic investigation, but they opened my eyes to several new sources. The story had me reading about my own Pennsylvania ancestors as I read about the Rhone family. When fiction meets reality a reader not only enjoys a story, but also relates to a story. Osman has written such a believable and enjoyable mystery that I'm looking forward to the next brick wall his fictional genealogists break down.