Death at Bitterwood Clearing (A Civil War Mystery)
The US Civil War acquits itself well as a historical mystery venue. Stress and danger are everywhere, and murder notches up the tension. Mackay-Smith’s polished debut conjures its northern Virginia setting so distinctly you’ll look up from the pages expecting to be there. In autumn 1861, with husband Tom fighting for the Confederacy, Adair Stanford is distraught to learn Tom’s cousin, Will, was killed in the woods near her home. By him lies the body of another young man. An interfering neighbor proclaims him a Yankee spy, but with their wounds, it doesn’t make sense they could have killed each other. A photograph tucked into a Bible found at the scene, depicting the pair alongside a stranger, arouses Adair’s curiosity. Days later, that very man’s appearance on Adair’s doorstep chills her. What does he want?
The stranger’s perspective alternates with Adair’s, their narratives perfectly in tune, as a multifaceted story about deception, family, betrayal, and freedom unfolds. Considered a Northern outsider, especially by Tom’s frosty Aunt Eugenia, Adair has a unique backstory as a mother of three and woman of abolitionist beliefs who, against her intentions, married into a Virginia slave-owning household and is now complicit in maintaining it. She feels very real, sometimes uncomfortably so.
The other characters are mostly carefully drawn, particularly Aunt Eugenia’s frail husband, William, and Adair’s adorable toddler daughter, Susannah. The Stanfords’ enslaved people are clever and outwardly respectful but have their own lives and plans. Another character’s daring act is undeniably risky, though understandable. True to the era, we observe the discomfiting fact that Southern hospitality and the cruel institution of slavery coexisted without apparent conflict in many people’s minds. Hints at a motive, and other secrets, create a plot that gains momentum as Adair and the stranger weigh whether they can trust each other and various threats escalate. A sequel would be welcome.
