The
Shiloh Sisters
A Harrison Haines Civil War Mystery
By
Michael Kilian
Michael
Kilian outdoes himself in this book about the Battle of Shiloh and
the start of the turning point of the Civil War. The story is very
poignant and thoroughly depicts events, brings in the development
of the characters and the actual battle that required a total involvement
and enmeshment into the history for that study and visual reconstruction
of this most important historic battle. Kilian gives fair portrayals
of the Generals and Officers of the Battle of Shiloh and how they
thought and worked up the nerve to do the things they had to do
to make that a decisive battle for the Union. An honest look back
at the history with a story thrown in just to keep the reader interested.
Studying history is often a boring investment of time, but if schools
had books like Kilian’s to let the students read, they would
get a lot more out of the class. I found this book to be an enjoyable
read and very full of actual dialogue and events to keep the spice.
A
Union General’s wife goes to Grant and begs passage through
enemy lines in a life or death matter dealing with her twin. She
doesn’t get far, and is murdered, with her twin sister, and
what happens next to the General (her husband) and the rest of the
troops takes the reader on a journey through Southern thinking and
actions that made the Civil War one of the hardest on families of
both Northern and Southern persuasions. It literally ripped families
apart for the loyalties of those involved. Harrison Haines is one
of the first U.S. Secret Service Agents and is brought into the
fray by General Grant to find out why the killings took place and
track down the murders. He and his partner Tantou are out in the
New Mexico Territory in their own messes trying to save a package
of gold for the Union Army and trying very hard to stay alive when
they get word they are to make haste to Grant. What happens next,
well the reader will have to settle down and hold on to a good chair
while the ride follows.
The
Shiloh Sisters is a fast paced, haunting look at actual history
that will leave the reader glad that he/she doesn’t have to
actually live it. Your toes will not be squishing through the bloody
mud nor will you have to be out in the battle torn elements that
are so realistically depicted.
Mr.
Kilian is in the second printing of this masterpiece, (the first
was in hardcover) and I hope that it finds a large audience. The
writing is superb, the history is true and factual. I had a hard
time finding time to shut out the rest of the world while I finished
this wonderful book. Excellent writing and vivid living pictures
painted by wordsmithing of the highest sort. I have never read his
other books, prior to reading this one, and I now intend to get
all of the other four. It would follow that they are all equal to
the quality of this book. The studies of the battle themselves would
be enough to propel my reading, and the mysteries thrown in for
good measure would surely prove to take some of the weightier issues
and make them a bit more palatable. |
The
Book |
Berkley Prime Crime, New York ~ Penguin Books |
January
2005 |
Mass
Market Paperback |
0-425-20004-3 |
Historical
Murder Mystery [1862, civil war] |
More
at Amazon.com |
Excerpt
|
NOTE:
Bit of gore, and hard language typical of the events, but not
more than is needed for the story |
The
Reviewer |
Claudia Turner VanLydegraf |
Reviewed
2005 |
NOTE:
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