The Lewis and Clark Expedition is America’s greatest adventure story, a latter-day Odyssey. However, when Captains Meriwether Lewis and William Clark set out to explore the newly acquired Louisiana Territory in 1804, they didn’t suspect that among their small company of enlisted men and civilians was a saboteur with British sympathies, a man willing to resort to murder to bring the Corps of Discovery to an inglorious end. Young Private Nathan Luck—a former printer’s devil on the Hartford Courant and an aspiring journalist—narrates the 28-month, 8,000-mile journey from St. Louis to the Pacific Ocean and back, capturing the drama of the long and dangerous trip up the Missouri River and over the Rocky Mountains, the confrontations with hostile Indians, and the narrow escapes from drownings, starvation, and grizzly bear attacks. With his keen eye for detail, Nat Luck brings to life Lewis, Clark, and their Shoshone interpreter Sacagawea, along with each of the rough-and-tumble soldiers and lusty French boatmen whose bold deeds and rousing fiddle music and songs enliven the trip. The resourceful young private also proves pivotal in the search for the Corps’ insidious turncoat. (Gemini Originals, 2023)

“A fictionalized rendering of the extraordinary…‘Voyage of Discovery.’ What Martin brings to the story are his imaginative and dramatic renditions of the personalities and interactions among the many voyage participants…. Lively, entertaining, and historically compelling, with a final clever twist.” —Kirkus Reviews

“A novel that blends scrupulous historical storytelling with a dash of what-if? suspense. That premise is a grabber…dramatizing the wonders and dangers hinted at in Lewis and Clark’s journals. [Private Nathan] Luck’s narration is crisp and clear…. Lovers of realistic frontier adventure will feast.” —Publishers Weekly

“A brilliant, seamless blend of actual and fictitious events…. Immerses the reader in an atmosphere of tension and curiosity…. If there’s anything better than traveling, it’s being transported back in time through novels that are rich in historical and cultural details like Impossible Journey. An absolute must-read!” —Chicago Book Review

“What [Martin does] is add texture and color to the dormant past, turning these men [of the expedition] from names in a book into real people…. The enormity of the journey is well summed up by Martin’s book’s title—impossible.” —Billings Gazette

“Impossible Journey represents the best of historical fiction. Martin combines an appreciation of history along with mystery with his captivating novel. The unknown but vindictive vandal among the group’s ranks [adds] to an already gripping narrative. This is a book not to be missed.” (5 Stars) —Portland Book Review