Brothers of Cain [Paperback]

Miriam Grace Monfredo (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 3, 2002

In 1862, while troops prepare to capture Richmond, undercover agent Bronwen Llyr begins her own battle: to free her brother from prison. But as time escapes her, so does hope.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The Virginia Peninsula campaign of 1862 serves as backdrop for Monfredo's latest Seneca Falls mystery, a smooth blend of romance, history and suspense, though familiarity with the previous book in the series, Sisters of Cain (2000), is essential to a full understanding of the action here. Series heroine Bronwen Llyr, a Union spy, faces the challenge of saving her brother, Seth, after he's captured by Confederates and confined in Richmond's notorious Libby Prison. Recognized as Bronwen's brother, he's accused of spying and sentenced to hang. Seth's attempted rescue forms the spine of the plot, which also hinges on the safe movement of English tobacco from Richmond warehouses. In the meantime, the other Llyr sister, Kathryn, a nurse in the Sanitary Commission assigned to the Union army, goes about her grisly duties in field hospitals where amputations are almost the only surgery. As the sisters move through the ubiquitous mud between Union and Confederate territory, they encounter various historical figures, both major and minor, who add to the authentic background. The author tends to simplify the business of spying, and her pacing can be uneven in particular, she crowds too much into the novel's final 50 pages (in which the resourceful Bronwen's ability to throw a knife from a distance to pin an assailant's arm comes in handy). But if there are some hasty explanations and unresolved issues at the end, Monfredo's fans can look forward to further enlightenment in the next installment of this generally well-crafted series with a provocative feminist take on the Civil War era.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Miriam Grace Monfredo is a former librarian and a historian. This is her eighth Seneca Falls Historical Mystery. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Berkley (September 3, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0425186385
• ISBN-13: 978-0425186381
• Product Dimensions: 6.9 x 6.4 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.9 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #906,623 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Bring Back Glynis, January 22, 2003

By A Customer

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Brothers of Cain (Paperback)

I've read all of Monfredo's book. In my opinion, the best ones focused on Glynis and Seneca Falls although Glynis' trip to the south was an excellent view of plantation life from a northern woman's point of view.

I guess I haven't reviewed Brothers of Cain, though. It's hard because I can't help comparing these later books with Blackwater Spirits and Northstar Conspiracy. I'd like to see Monfredo background the nieces and get back to her original characters, who were much, much more believable and even more likable.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars historical mystery that is very exciting, September 5, 2001

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Brothers of Cain (Civil War Mysteries) (Hardcover)

In 1862, the War Between the States turns ugly as members of the same family may be fighting on different sides. This is not the case for the Llyr family who is staunchly pro-union. Kathryn is a nurse in the Volunteer Sanitary Commission, giving aid to anyone who is wounded. Her sister Bronwyn is an espionage agent working for the Treasury Department. They are both watching the wounded depart when a union private tells them that the Confederacy captured their brother Seth.

Bronwyn is determined to free her brother before they can connect him to her and hang him as a spy. Their superiors, including President Lincoln, recognize her determination and will let her try to free her brother while she completes her real assignment in Richmond where her brother is being kept. She has to somehow get the tobacco the English and French paid for out of confederate hands and into the buyers. This is needed so that the two European nations will think twice before enlisting on the side of the Confederacy. Spies, double agents, and treachery surround Bronwyn as she tries to do her jobs while keeping her skin intact.

Civil War buffs and fans of historical mysteries will not want to miss BROTHERS OF CAIN, a novel that stirs both the blood and the intellect. It's obvious that Miriam Grace Monfredo has done meticulous research in order to give a realistic depiction of this phase of the war. Readers will believe they are part of the action in this historical espionage thriller.

Harriet Klausner

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A fast paced thriller chocked full of historical detail, October 3, 2002

By 

Siobhan Noble (San Francisco, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Brothers of Cain (Paperback)

This is the second installment in Monfredo's 'Cain' series which focuses on heroine Bronwyn Llyr and the Civil War. This was a great fast-paced thriller, chocked full of historical detail as are all of Monfredos books. It would be helpful to have read the first book, but it is not entirely necessary. The historical quotes at the beginning of each chapter were fascinating and added another level of depth to the book. I enjoyed the subplots going on within Bronwyn's family-- including the budding romance between Bronwyn's sister and Dr. Travis, Bronwyn's brother's experiences as a prisoner of war Libby Prison, as well as the sad goodbye Bronwyn's Aunt Glynis must say to her longtime 'friend' Cullen Stuart. I was surprised to see a kinder and gentler agent O'Hara in the second installment, as I thought his unabashed male-chauvinism served merely as a foil to the liberated Bronwyn in the first novel. He was back, and provided some comic relief as well as a point of tension for Bronwyn who is unsure of his trustworthiness.

I am always happy to find that Monfredo has continued to focus on women's experiences of history. Feminists will probably particularly enjoy this novel, but it should bequite accessible and enjoyable to a wider audience.