Customer Reviews

Angel Trumpet: A Civil War Mystery

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4 star:		(4)
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2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

After reading McMillan's sparkling debut mystery, "Dead March," I waited eagerly to see if her second book would match that high standard. She did not disappoint. "Angel Trumpet" takes the engaging characters from Book I and propels them further into this fascinating time and place, Civil War Richmond. The mystery plot is woven in a tapestry of meaning and sub-meaning that gives the reader something lasting -- as well as a thrilling read. Narcissa Powers and Judah Daniel dig deep to solve a gruesome slaughter, and their world is populated with a remarkable cast of allies and suspects. The historical detail, once again, is adroitly handled and utterly believable. Book III can't come soon enough for me.

In 1861, the South recently won the Battle of Manasses. A lull before the bigger storm has set in as the fighting temporarily stops. Throughout the region, debate is common as not everyone feels war is the answer. Slave owners fear an uprising as the black population is much greater than that of the whites.

Confederate Colonial John Bretton returns home to visit his family in Manakin Plantation in Virginia. When he arrives, his worst nightmare becomes real. His parents and his wife are dead while their personal slaves hold the apparent murder weapons bloody knives. Thanks to the bravery of their nanny, John's son survives. She hid the lad before falling into a catatonic shock. To obtain the truth, family friend Dr. Cameron Archer enlists the aid of Narcissa (a white individual) and Judah (a black person). Their inquiry will soon lead to another murder with Judah being the prime suspect.

Civil War buffs and historical mystery fans will fully enjoy ANGEL TRUMPET. Through the eyes of a variety of Southerners, the story line provides a fascinating look at the early stage of the war. The structure of the mystery is well defined yet complex as many individuals have motives and opportunities to commit the slaughter. Narcissa and Judah symbolize race relations as they should be friends, but simply cannot since they are not equal. Ann McMillan has written a fascinating tale that will gain her much critical acclaim even as readers will demand more novels set in 1860's Virginia.

Harriet Klausner

In addition to being a rousing good mystery, Ann McMillan's Angel Trumpet, is also one of the best summaries of the slave rebellions around Richmond, a story not often told around here. It's hard enough to develop a good plot; to re-create Richmond as it was in 1861 is difficult indeed. But McMillan shines in both her story telling and her setting. Her meticulous attention to historical detail is a delight and a relief from the romanticized Confederate sterotype. Her African charaters, freed and slave, are richly alive. Judah Daniel has taught me as much about herbal remedies as Euell Gibbons. You'll not find a better Civil War series, a better historical novel, or a more enjoyable mystery. She's 2 for 2. I can't wait for the next installment.

As if the war weren't bad enough, all is not quiet on the home front. In Angel Trumpet, the second book of her Civil War mystery series, author Ann McMillan sets the opening scene in gruesome technicolor. Her meticulous research and medical knowledge of the period are skillfully woven into the fabric of this story. Her two protagonists provide an interesting contrast: Narcissa Powers, a young white widow, is still growing in her self-awareness and abilities, while Judah Daniel, a free black herbalist and conjure woman, is a strong and fascinating character. The unlikely duo works together to make sense of the carnage that faced John Berton, master of Goochland Plantation, when he rode home in 1861 for a respite from the war. A captivating read that leaves one wanting more.

At last! It finally came into paperback! I am too cheap to buy hardcover fiction, so I am very testy and impatient to get paperback editions. Ann McMillan did not disappoint me. Thank you, Ann! You set me back a century or two and I was oh, so comfy and fascinated. What an interesting interaction between black and white culture during "The Great Conflict," played up by the author quite believably. One reviewer here did point out that there was little to the mystery part of the story, but I think if a reader is more interested in the historical atmosphere and characters, they will not be disappointed. I picked this series up for a variety of reasons, least of all the mystery aspect. I am not a "mystery lover," thus I am unsure of what "mystery" conditions apply; but I recommend this book to anyone looking for a well written tale of women, race relations, plantations and murder all set during the Civil War.

McMillan has some wonderful, dramatic ideas in this book. However, she doesn't convey them well on paper. Her work lacks dramatic tension and emotional impact, and important plot twists go by so rapidly the reader's left going "Huh?". I like that she deals with the issue of race in 19th century America without resorting to stereotypes, and I thought her battle scene was reasonably well done. Still, the shallow nature of the writing ended up leaving me cold.

This was a wonderful book that starts off in the beginning slow and boring but as you read on everything starts to unfold, and you will see how the life and times of Virginia in the 1860s really were. For instance, the people in this story treated blacks as though they were dogs, with little if any respect at all, but back in Cival War times, that's how it was. Civil War fans should enjoy ANGEL TRUMPET. The plot of the mystery is well written but a little complex as many people have motives and opportunities to commit the murders. Ann McMillan has written an awesome story that to me was very good. I have read better stories in my life-time, but I did love the novel, because I am a fan of the fascinating facts of Cival War History.

I love Ann McMillan's two Civil War mysteries (Dead March and Angel Trumpet). The author gives a fascinating glimpse of life in Virginia at the start of the Civil War. McMillan has great respect for both her white and black heroines, and she doesn't take a simplistic view of the whites or blacks of the era. Along with the historical detail there is a great mystery to be solved and lots of continuing characters. I can't wait for book number three.

After reading McMillan's first book, Dead March, I looked forward to the continuation of her Civil War mystery series - Angel Trumpet - and I was not disappointed. I like the historical settings of the book, both in the Richmond area and in northern Virginia. I like the descriptions of the buildings and houses. I like the people in the book, especially the women, constrained by the conventions of the times and by a war, and yet managing to live their lives and solve mysteries. McMillan's historical, architectural and scientific research is detailed and remarkable. Can't wait for the third volume!

Ann McMillan has found a unique niche with her Civil War mysteries, and they just keep getting better. Angel Trumpet is her second book and a fine addition to this series.

In 1861, the Civil War has barely begun and Col. John Berton arrives at the plantation owned by his family, Manakin. His finds that his entire family (except for his toddler-son) has been brutally murdered and that the house slaves are all acting totally disoriented. Someone has made it appear as if the slaves killed the family. Dr. Cameron Archer is called in to help by law enforcement, and he takes volunteer nurse Narcissa Powers along with him to assist. The early theory is that this is a slave revolt. Narcissa and Judah Daniel (a free black woman and herbalist) are enlisted to interview the jailed slave women in order to find the truth. While most people think that the slaves are responsible for the murders, Powers has other suspects in mind. Perhaps a cousin who is set to inherit Manakin Plantation or even Colonel Berton, who may suspect that his wife is cheating on him. Powers and Daniel start investigating on their own, with the assistance of Brit Wallace, a friend and journalist from England.

McMillan deals with many important topics of this time including the Civil War, slave revolts, the abolition movement, the second-class status of women, and the non-existent rights of blacks (slave or free). There is also hypnotism, poisonings, ghosts, medical techniques and how crimes were investigated in 1861. Even without all these issues, it is just interesting to read about life in Richmond, VA during the war years.

I only wish that McMillan would be a little more prolific in her writing! As of now, I only have one more to read in this series. Hopefully there will be more forthcoming before long.