Customer Reviews

Murder at Manasses (Harrison Raines Civil War Mysteries, Book 1)

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

In an effort to curry favor with Caitlin (his love but not, alas, his lover) Harrison Raines joins the throngs of Washington D.C. residents who plan to see the rebellion broken and the Union restored. The (First) Battle of Bull Run/Manassas turns out differently, however. In the retreat, a Union Major is killed--well out of range from Rebel forces. Raines is called on to solve the mystery, keep his lady's favor by protecting her friends, and keep himself from being arrested as a spy.

The historical details in MURDER AT MANASSAS are both convincing and well integrated into the novel. As a former Washington resident, it is enjoyable to read about the city as it was then, and compare it to what it is now (in many ways it hasn't changed a great deal).

Where the novel fell short was in the mystery and in the characters themselves. Other than Raines, I did not feel that any of the characters were fully developed. Instead, they were caricatures playing a role and then vanishing. Raines' obsession with Caitlin was not especially sympathetic, reducing the readers understanding of Raines' motivations.

After a lengthy and exciting set of investigations, Michael Kilian wraps up the mystery rather abruptly and, to my mind, unsatisfactorally. That said, overall, I enjoyed this book and would strongly recommend it to mystery fans with an interest in the American Civil War or in Washington D.C.

MURDER AT MANASSAS is an especial treat for people familiar with the Washington, D.C. area.

Michael Kilian has faithfully recreated what the city, its residents, politicians, soldiers, and Civil War culture were like in the 1860's.

As a former American History teacher, I couldn't put Murder at Manassas down. I'm looking forward to upcoming titles based on other Civil War battles.

Kilian does a great job of researching the era and setting for his novels as both MURDER AT MANASSAS and MAJOR WASHINGTON demonstrate. He works a lot of historical people into his fiction, fleshing out characters you know such as John Wilkes Booth and others who may be new to you such as Confederate spy Belle Boyd.

A quick and enjoyable read.

Harrison Raines has found himself in a hard spot. A Virginia native, he's loyal to his state and family. But he also opposes slavery. Living in Washington doesn't make finding his desired neutrality any easier to find.

When a friend insists on going to watch the first, and certainly the only, battle in the Civil War, Harry reluctantly accompanies her. Instead of a quick victory, they are shocked when the Union soldiers flee right past them. The next morning, the retreat is being blamed on one Major shot down during the last moments of the battle. But Harry is convinced that the man was really murdered. He's hired by the man's family to learn the truth and redeem his name. With his carefully guarded neutrality on the line, Harry sets out to find the truth, wherever that may lead, including a smuggling plot that the victim may have been involved with.

I was very impressed with this mystery debut. The story is obviously well researched; I was completely transported back to 1861 while reading it. The plot moves forward at a leisurely pace, but throws some great twists in as the story progresses. Still, it is possible to follow exact what happens if you're paying attention. The characters were interesting and realistic, and the use of real people added just the right amount of fun to the proceedings without being too far fetched.

As a fan of US history, I'm looking forward to more books in this series that is part mystery and part political intrigue. The mix looks to be just right for many more entertaining books.

Murder at Manassas is an absorbing page turner of a Civil War mystery, and I can hardly wait for the next volume in the series. Killian has obviously done his homework in researching the corruption so rampant during the war. Self serving polititians and officers, after profit regardless of the cost of lives, were as much a part of the era as the battles. The protagonist of the story, Harrison Raines, is not a detective to equal Cadfael, Holmes or Poirot. However, he is a very likeable character and one with whom a reader can be truly sympathetic. Harrison's very fallability is endearing. He has poor eyesight, cannot shoot, and he faithfully, jealously, and relentlessly pursues unrequited love. Harrison also manages to muddle through to make a number of erroneous deductions. The supporting fictional cast include an actress, who Harrison loves, and a former slave. Both come through nearly as strongly and their often witty repartee with Harrison add to the pleasure of a great read. The concept of a single murder amid the slaughter a battle field, while not totally new, was treated with imagination and skill. The kinds of evidence that Harrison eventually puts together in the story are almost ingenius.

By July 1861, Fort Sumter is part of the history books and the country is preparing for the battle that will mark the savagery of the Civil War. Everyone knows that a battle is set for Manassas, but there is a festive atmosphere surrounding the upcoming event. Both sides plan victory parties and entourages make the fight appear to be a carnival not a bloody engagement.

Harrison "Harry" Raines is a Virginia blue blood who broke ranks with his family over the slavery issue. He observes the battle with a different perspective because he knows hell is about to enter the no longer United States. He watches a northern major George Pleasants act the role of hero, but the South wins and the man is dead. The DC crowd blames George for the debacle. However, some powerful individuals ask Harry to discover the truth about how George really died.

Michael Killian has triumphantly opened his Civil War mystery series at the BATTLE OF MANASSAS. The story line reflects strong research that includes trivia that adds period depth to the plot. The flawed and guilt-ridden Harry is a wonderful hero who sub-genre fans will adore. Civil War buffs will gain much pleasure from this novel. The author's Herculean task to write a series of mysteries that chronologically follow the war to its conclusion gives this series a fascinating twist.

Harriet Klausner

This is a delightful read for anyone familiar with Washington, DC and northern Virginia. Having lived there for a great many years, I had great fun following along with the adventure. And, it is a good story! I couldn't put it down; really wanted to know how it would turn out. I did not find it too ridiculous to include so many known people. As a gambler and man about town it seems reasonable the hero would be acquainted with a wide range of characters in what was a relatively small community at the time. And, he only claimed acquaintance! Recommend it highly and intend to send it to some of my friends back in VA.

As a history teacher and Civil War buff, I was intrigued by the premise of a mystery set during the Battle of Manassas. Needless to say after reading this book, I felt let down. It starts off well, with interesting characters and a readable plot. But, after the third chapter I started to laugh at the number of famous people the main character knows or just happens to run into along his journey to solve the crime. The name dropping got ridiculous after a while. The book would have been much better if it had not been "littered" with so many famous names such as Belle Boyd, Alexander Gardner, John Wilkes Booth, and Abraham Lincoln. Even though Washington City was smaller during the war, ther is no way one person could have known so many famous people without being someone of note himself as the protaganist is not in this book. I look forward to the next book in the series just to see if the author continues this practice of "historical name dropping." The challenge of writing a first rate mystery set during the Civil War is daunting. I admire the author and his use of historical fact to complement the mystery, but it might be more difficult this way instead of using entirely fictitious characters because most Civil War buffs (his audience, I assume) know so much about the real people it becomes distracting to the story. It did for me.

I wanted to like this book but the number of coincidences was unbelievable. How the main character could run into everyone he needed to see in the middle of the battle was ludicrous. I liked Caitlin but she disappeared after the first few pages. I wanted very much to travel back in time as the writer promised but it was a waste of my money. Buy Owen Parry's book, Faded Coat of Blue. He is a master.

This is a very good book and I really enjoyed reading it. I suggest that any civil war buff or mystery lover buy it and buy it now. This book really kept me interesed in it and I couldn't put it down. I don't think I have ever read a book as fast as I did this one. I'am not a mysery lover but this book was a goodin. I just had to know the ending. The author definetly did his homework on the sunject, to better bring to life the characters and the struggles of their time period. It's not the greatest but is one of the best I've read. I suggest buying this book. It one's of my favorites.

This is good solid mystery. Michael Kilian paints a good picture of the times. Everything is well researched and the novel is historically accurate. I am no expert but I read books about the Civil War and Kilian seems to hit the mark. The language and the tone of the story are also as I would expect of the 1860s.

Probably the best elements about this story are the characters. The character of Harrison Raines, the protagonist detective, is written well. He behaves exactly how we would expect a gentleman from the south to behave. The other minor characters are also well researched. The characters we are treated to: a joke-story telling President Lincoln, a cowardly and traitorous John Wilkes Booth, a drunken photographer and oddball Matthew Brady, etc. There is no lack of historical figures with each page.

However, as far as the mystery goes, I found myself wanting a little more details. The scandal of the black-market shoes is a little convoluted and could have been more straight forward. Additionally, since I neither live in the Beltway nor reside in Virginia, Maryland or Pennsylvania the lack of maps was my only other complaint.