Under the Charcoal Sky is the 12th book in the Buck Reilly Adventure Series. This is the third book in the series I’ve read, and, as expected from John H. Cunningham’s writing, it delivers life-or-death scenarios, plenty of fast-paced action scenes, and a consistent gang of friends who are always at Buck’s side.

That said, I struggled to invest in this storyline, which centers around a 700-year-old royal agreement between the Campbell Clan and the Stewart Clan. Buck becomes entangled in this centuries-old feud through his birth parents. Within a very short span of time, Buck discovers who his birth father is, learns what happened to his birth mother, and finds himself with a bounty on his head, placed by a secret shadow society. The reasons behind the bounty aren’t clear until the end.

While the other books I’ve read in the series primarily take place in Key West, Florida, Under the Charcoal Sky is set largely in Scotland, Norway, and England. Big Mama is up and down more times than I could count, and the constant references to it repeatedly pulled me out of the story. Additionally, I struggled with the plausibility of 700-year-old documents having enough power to topple monarchies and make a centuries-old bounty still relevant.

Under the Charcoal Sky is a fast read and could be enjoyed as a standalone if you haven’t started the series yet. I appreciate the opportunity to review this eARC with GetRedPR Books.