I've read several of Pattison's Inspector Shan mysteries and enjoyed them very much. I'm not sure how his style will translate from a Chinese labor camp in the Himalayas to colonial America (!), but I've had my eye on this book for a while, and now I'll get to find out for free.
And there's a second (pricey, but non-agency, so discountable) one in this series, so if I like the first one, there's another to read.