Dead March: A Civil War Mystery [Paperback]

Ann McMillan (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 1999

A dazzling debut that will appeal to Civil War buffs as well as fans of mysteries, medical thrillers, and historical fiction

Dead March is the first in an exciting new mystery series that takes place during the Civil War. It is the spring of 1861. Though the War Between the States is in its infancy, Richmond, Virginia, is not free of violent death, as two astute and courageous women from opposite ends of society discover when a grave is robbed, yielding the murdered body of a young slave woman. The silk scarf left carelessly with her body leads to suspects from every echelon of Richmond society--and to more deaths. Narcissa Powers, a young white widow, begins to investigate and is soon aided by Judah Daniel, a free black herbalist and conjure woman. As the War's casualties begin to pour into the city and the "Dead March" echoes through the streets, the mystery deepens, and Narcissa and Judah must risk their lives to find the killer--or killers--and save the life of an innocent child. With its well-paced suspense and fascinating characters, Dead March is both an elegant mystery and a moving evocation of the Old South.

"This highly auspicious debut is marked by McMillan's. . . first-rate mystery plot and by her penetrating analysis of the era's Southern culture." --Publishers Weekly

"This is a book you'll have trouble putting down." --Richmond Times Dispatch

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Ann McMillan's Dead March is the first in what promises to be a series of Civil War-era mysteries as appealing as Anne Perry's historical procedurals. Narcissa Power, a young Virginia widow consigned to a dismal existence in the country home of her sister-in-law, receives an urgent summons from family friends of her beloved brother, Charley. Shortly after she rushes to his side, he dies of a disease that should have caused only a minor infection. The mystery of his death is compounded when Narcissa finds a fragment of a half-burned letter from Charley that someone has hidden in her Bible. Wanting to do right by her brother and avoid returning to the doldrums of her country existence, Narcissa plunges into the turmoil of Richmond in the days between Fort Sumter and the first great battle of the Civil War. A colorful collection of plausible characters gather in the parlors and back alleys of Richmond--a British journalist, a dashing but arrogant young doctor, a cruel overseer, and Judah Daniel, a freedwoman who is also the local herbalist and "conjure woman." Each will be a part of the eventual unraveling of the mystery.

Against the background of a beautiful city in turmoil, clues come fast and furious. The players converge at the hospital and secrets are shaken loose, leading to surprising and satisfying denouement. But relationships are only beginning to develop among the cast, and the reader must wait for McMillan's next volume to learn the outcome. The credible detail and authenticity of setting and scene will captivate those with a renewed interest in the American Civil War, which has been aroused by Cold Mountain and Ken Burns's PBS series. --Barbara Schlieper --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Publishers Weekly

There is much to like and admire in this Civil War mystery debut. In Richmond, Va., in 1861, the coming conflict over secession seems inevitable. Narcissa Powers, whose son died soon after his birth and whose husband succumbed to consumption not long after that, is called from her nearby home to Richmond, where her brother, Charles, is a medical student. She arrives just in time to attend his deathbed and hear some fevered words about "resurrection." A half-burned letter stuck in her Bible provides clues that Charley's death may not have been an accident. Her suspicions gradually fall on his medical teachers and on the practice of "resurrecting" recently buried corpses for medical students to use as cadavers. The sense of social isolation and legal inferiority enforced on women and blacks is forcefully captured as Narcissa circumspectly probes for the truth. Charley's death also troubles a black man whose friend, Judah Daniel, a freed black woman who is a healer and "conjure woman," joins Narcissa in their quiet investigation. This highly auspicious debut is marked by McMillan's dexterous weaving of historical detail into a first-rate mystery plot and by her penetrating analysis of the era's Southern culture. Narcissa's reflections on and dealings with the limitations of gender and race imposed in her milieu are measured, credible and promising for further richly characterized tales in this series.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 297 pages
• Publisher: Penguin (Non-Classics) (September 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0140280200
• ISBN-13: 978-0140280203
• Product Dimensions: 6.9 x 4.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.1 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,260,122 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Ann McMillan was born in Columbus, Georgia, and lives in Richmond, Virginia.

Ann's Civil War mystery short story, Castle Thunder, is now available on Kindle. Like her novels, the story tells a dramatic story of what might have happened against a scrupulously researched historical background -- in this case, the infamous Confederate prison.

"Please Dispose Of Properly" -- a short story with a modern setting (inspired by a trip to the Hanover County dump) -- appears in They Had It Comin' (Chesapeake Crimes IV).

Ann's four Civil War mystery novels set in Richmond weave together three points of view: Narcissa Powers, a white widow who becomes a Confederate nurse; Judah Daniel, a free black doctoress; and Brit Wallace, a British war correspondent.

Each novel has a medical theme. Dead March tells what happens when the "sack-'em-up boys" who rob graves to supply the medical school with cadavers dig up a murder victim. Angel Trumpet involves the hallucinogenic effects of datura poisoning. In Civil Blood, smallpox-tainted money wreaks havoc on those too greedy to destroy it, as well as the innocent with whom their lives intersect. Chickahominy Fever infects its heroine with malaria.

For more information, including a bibliography, see Ann's website, civilwarmystery.com.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Dead March is a fascinating blend of history and mystery, December 4, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Dead March (Civil War Mysteries) (Hardcover)

Dead March is a Civil War mystery that is right on target. Ann McMillan combines deadly accurate historical and medical research with excellent plotting and characters with real depth. Main character Narcissa Powers is both a woman of her century and a person today's readers can identify with. Virginians may particularly like the references to Richmond, Chesterfield, Hampden-Sydney College and the Medical College of Virginia in the 1860s, but this is far more than a local book, drawing on national, medical and social issues of the times - not to mention a page-turning mystery plot. If you're looking for a Christmas gift, for a friend or yourself, this is it. I can't wait for the sequel.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A promising debut for a Civil War-era mystery series, June 5, 2000

By 

drdebs (CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dead March: A Civil War Mystery (Paperback)

When Narcissa Powers, a young widow, is called to the deathbed of her brother (a young medical student in Richmond at the outbreak of the Civil War) she expects to find tragedy, but not information that points to illegal activities and possibly murder. The charred remains of a letter from her brother persuade Narcissa that there is more to his death than meets the eye. Through the story we are introduced to the "resurrection men" of Richmond who procure corpses for the medical school, a black conjure woman named Judah, and the character of ante-bellum Richmond society on the eve of war.

As with most historical mysteries, the plot is not completely surprising (one major exception here is the Margaret Lawrence mysteries set in Revolutionary Maine which leave you gasping) but does have interesting twists and turns. For most historical mystery buffs, the characterizations are the thing and this novel introduces us to some fascinating and complex figures. As for the historical detail all mysteries leave a lot to be desired in this department--but most US readers know more about the American Civil War than they do about 19th-century London or Medieval England, so perhaps the author's flights of fancy are more glaring. Still, McMillan is accurate about 97% of the time, which is more than most!

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is a wonderful first historical mystery., November 2, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Dead March (Civil War Mysteries) (Hardcover)

DEAD MARCH gives historical mystery readers everything they need to beg for more: Ann McMillan has created likable characters whom we want to know better. Civil War sentiments are explored just enough, and historical scientific facts are combined with interesting protagonists in a highly readable way.

Especially when young white widow Narcissa Powers interacts with Judah Daniel, an intriguing freed slave and "conjure" woman, future prospects for sequels come to mind.

Although there is the beginning of love interest (choices, yet) for Narcissa, I hope Judah too gets her just share. A conjure woman will manage that, surely.

If Anne Perry's ancestors had moved to the states, she would have written like McMillan. If Agatha Christie had any historical interest, she could have also.