I was dying, ha ha, to read Ms. McMillan's book and got tired of waiting for the paperback, so I ordered online, used, from Amazon.[com] I was not disappointed. Her Civil War mystery series is getting more in depth.
This time the story seemed to focus more on Narcissa and less on Judah; it seems like the last book had more of Judah and less Narcissa; which I suppose is as it should be. Poor Brit Wallace isn't mentioned in the attempts to get you to interested in these mysteries (jacket cover, publisher summaries, etc)---however, as the newspaperman from Britain in Richmond, he is just as much a "detective" as the other two.
I kept going back and forth between Brit and Cameron Archer; which would be the better suitor for Narcissa? Theres plenty of tentative romance to keep us on tenterhooks for a few more books; do we have to wait that long?
The story does have more of the hospital and nursing aspects; we learn about smallpox in the city of Richmond and the possible threat of an outbreak when a contaminated jacket is stolen.
Ms. McMillan kept me guessing but I was grateful that I could actually figure out "whodunit" before she let us in on it.
Isn't that the goal of every mystery reader? To figure it out before the author lets you in?
Anyways. Very good. She has a way of writing that makes you feel like you're really there. I don't know what it is. Thats why I was a bit out of sorts at the end---I thought it ended abruptly.
Is that another typicality of a mystery series?
Looking forward to buying a used hardback of the next book! :)

Smallpox breaks out in an American city. The country is at war, and the ethics of combat in question. Has the horrid disease been loosed intentionally? And by which side? Have children been enlisted in this war? The plot lines in "Civil Blood" could be lifted from today's headlines, but this is a mystery about Civil War Richmond (published months before 9/11/01). For all its eerie relevance to the present, this book is rooted unerringly in its era. Ann McMillan's well-drawn characters never warp out of the 1800s. They deal with the anguish of their own war and their own time. A mystery of substance. Another brilliant installment in McMillan's series.

In 1862 the American Civil War heats up with the Northern Army nearing the Confederate capital of Richmond. However, a greater threat to the lives of military in the area and the citizens of Richmond occurs when small pox is the cause of a death. Soon other deaths and accusations of germ warfare follow.

Southern nurse Narcissa Powers, English reporter Brit Wallace, and former slave healer Judah Daniel look for the source of the deadly disease. As they separately dig deeper, each one shares the findings with the other. No segment of the city from the elite to the slums or of the two armies escape their evaluation as the trio tries to prevent an epidemic from happening.

Fans of Civil War novels will, upon reading CIVIL BLOOD, play trumpets in tribute to the author for an entertaining historical who-done-it. The story line starts off very powerfully as a vividly graphic opening hooks the audience while introducing the lead characters. The tale slows down a bit during the investigation because the key players literally exchange notes from their respective interviews even though that technique smoothly blends into the main theme. However, the story line ends with an incredible finish that will fully satisfy the audience, sending them marching to the nearest bookstore to purchase Ann McMillan's previous historical mysteries.

Harriet Klausner

I was one of the kids who wrote letters for the book 4 years ago, and it was an amazing thing to me to be a "published author." A lot of my friends got to read their letters on Oprah and other TV shows. I really enjoyed reading my copy of this book. I would definitely recommend it to everyone, child and adult.

Saw the book featured on Oprah's show on Martin Luther King, Jr., and bought it. Have bought three more for all grandchildren. Touching, funny, revealing and very well designed. Every kid, of any age, should have one.

This was a wonderful book that starts off in the beginning slow and boring but as you read on everything starts to unfold, and you will see how the life and times of Virginia in the 1860s really were. For instance, the people in this story treated blacks as though they were dogs, with little if any respect at all, but back in Cival War times, that's how it was. Civil War fans should enjoy ANGEL TRUMPET. The plot of the mystery is well written but a little complex as many people have motives and opportunities to commit the murders. Ann McMillan has written an awesome story that to me was very good. I have read better stories in my life-time, but I did love the novel, because I am a fan of the fascinating facts of Cival War History.

In addition to being a rousing good mystery, Ann McMillan's Angel Trumpet, is also one of the best summaries of the slave rebellions around Richmond, a story not often told around here. It's hard enough to develop a good plot; to re-create Richmond as it was in 1861 is difficult indeed. But McMillan shines in both her story telling and her setting. Her meticulous attention to historical detail is a delight and a relief from the romanticized Confederate sterotype. Her African charaters, freed and slave, are richly alive. Judah Daniel has taught me as much about herbal remedies as Euell Gibbons. You'll not find a better Civil War series, a better historical novel, or a more enjoyable mystery. She's 2 for 2. I can't wait for the next installment.

After reading McMillan's sparkling debut mystery, "Dead March," I waited eagerly to see if her second book would match that high standard. She did not disappoint. "Angel Trumpet" takes the engaging characters from Book I and propels them further into this fascinating time and place, Civil War Richmond. The mystery plot is woven in a tapestry of meaning and sub-meaning that gives the reader something lasting -- as well as a thrilling read. Narcissa Powers and Judah Daniel dig deep to solve a gruesome slaughter, and their world is populated with a remarkable cast of allies and suspects. The historical detail, once again, is adroitly handled and utterly believable. Book III can't come soon enough for me.

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!

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.

Im 10 years old and i read this book. i thought it was really good. very creepy too. Ü hee hee