The Search for the Bronze Amulet

By Russell M. Lawson

The Search for the Bronze Amulet is historical fantasy fiction, the story of a young Congregational minister (Jonathan Tucker, called Tuck) after the American Revolution who takes a position as pastor to impoverished fishers and their wives on the Isles of Shoals, off the Maine coast. The islanders are extremely poor and very superstitious. He does his best to gather the flock, and begins to have strange dreams....
.... of a ship blown off course that is about to sink; the captain of the Roman vessel tells his slave, a Phoenician nicknamed Punic, to take the helm, and the ship arrives safely at an island. Punic is a priest of the god, Baal; he wears a bronze amulet devoted to the god. Over the course of several dreams/nightmares, Tuck seems to be taking on the persona of Punic. In the dreams the Romans eventually kill Indians who come to the island; the Roman leader suspects Punic of being in cahoots with the natives; he is crucified, and the bronze amulet is left in the ashes.

Tuck is intrigued by a recluse, Matthew Randolph, who lives on one of the islands; Randolph is a skeptic and has a "museum" as he calls it on the island where he keeps various treasures he has discovered on the isles, including ancient manuscripts. Tuck is also intrigued by a young woman, Etsy, who is the daughter of a fisher, is beautiful, a bit mysterious, very independent, and convinced that the islands are haunted by something that invades people's dreams.

One of Tuck's parishioners, Bartholomew Newcomb, in search of Viking treasure, goes on a journey north along to Maine coast to the Bay of Fundy. There he gets involved in an object, and amulet, for which people are willing to kill.

Tuck and Etsy go in search of Bartholomew, and they become involved in the mysterious amulet, which in turns out has been stolen from an antique dealer by a dangerous man, The Colonel, who killed the antiques dealer.

Tuck and Etsy return to the Isles of Shoals hoping that Matthew Randolph can tell them more about the bronze amulet. The two are slowly falling in love, but have a falling out; Etsy abruptly leaves the Isles.

Abel Crawford, meanwhile, in Portsmouth, recalls the old days, when he and other Rogers' Rangers attacked the village of the St. Francis Indians; Crawford had taken away silver and a bronze amulet. He and a few others fled to the White Mountains, where vengeful spirits killed all save him, who fled the mountains to Portsmouth, where he was never the same. He has itched to return to find the treasure, and finally finds a man, called only the Captain, in whom he confides his hopes; the Captain, however, kills Crawford.

Etsy, in Portsmouth, finds a hidden cove she often stays at; unfortunately, there is a man who kidnaps her. It is the Captain. His hostage, she rows him up the Piscataqua.River. Tuck, Randolph, and a few other helpers discover her absence and go in pursuit, following the path north to the Ellis River, which leads to the Great Mountain, which they ascend. Randolph and Tuck make their way, eventually, to a cave. Here they discover that the Colonel, who had joined the Captain, has been murdered, and Etsy tied up, a captive. Both Randolph and Tuck are disabled by the Captain.

The Captain escapes, Tuck and Randolph (recovered), and Etsy in pursuit. They reach the Western Notch of the Great Mountain. There they see the Captain, on a ledge, surrounded by wolves. The amulet is around his neck. The wolves attack; the Captain falls from the ledge to a river (the Saco) below. Just then a flash flood rages through the Notch, destroying everything in its path. Randolph helps Etsy and Tuck to safety but is swept away. Tuck and Etsy, with the help of a Penacook Indian, Indian Jack, pass through the Notch, following the Saco downstream, looking for bodies, a sign: nothing. They assume Randolph died along with the Captain. The amulet is lost.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B0GM6R8QV1
• ISBN13: 9798246856833
• Release Date: February 2026
• Publisher: Independently Published
• Length: 232 Pages
• Weight: 0.70 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 6.0" x 9.0"