Far from the cries and smoke of combat, forty murdered slaves hang at a crossroads and only one man insists on justice. Major Abel Jones investigates a dark world of midnight savagery, ritual murder, and sudden combat, as desperate men and women struggle to survive the fury of a divided nation in this Owen Parry novel of the Civil War.
From Booklist
Starred Review Dispatched to the battle-scarred ridges of Tennessee by President Abraham Lincoln, Federal Agent Abel Jones endeavors to solve an exceedingly heinous crime steeped in racial hatred and teeming with biblical overtones. When Union troops discover the brutal massacre of 40 runaway slaves, General Grant worries that abolitionists, endangering the war effort at a particularly critical juncture, will politically exploit the slaughter. Commissioned as Grant's emissary, Jones seeks safe passage across enemy lines to confer with Confederate commanders equally worried that publication of the vile nature of the atrocities will weaken European support for their cause. Teaming up with an aristocratic Southern officer, Jones must cross both physical and emotional borders in order to comprehend the shockingly twisted logic that prompted the senseless bloodletting. In addition to expertly capturing the elegant cadence of Civil War-era dialogue, Parry has also authentically evoked the horror, confusion, and chaos that characterized the conflict between the states. Realistically detailed, bristling with intelligent suspense, and featuring a stoically introspective hero, this superb piece of period fiction will appeal to both Civil War buffs and fans of historical mysteries. Margaret Flanagan
Copyright ยฉ American Library Association. All rights reserved
Review
A gripping story...astounding battle scenes...this novel stands out. -- Publishers Weekly
Vibrant...haunting...evocatively written...Parry's knowledge of the era is nicely on display here. -- Kirkus Reviews