Something in Madness (Darkhorse Trilogy)
In November 1865, Durksen Hurst, along with two of his remaining partners from DarkHorse plantation, Big Josh and Long Lou, two former slaves, are returning to Turkle, Mississippi after fighting for the Union. They are accompanied by young Caleb, a 13-year-old boy who lost his parents in the war. Durk’s purpose in returning to Turkle is to regain his rights to DarkHorse; Big Josh wants to help educate the freedmen; and Big Lou wants to travel to the Carolinas and look for his family, separated during slavery.
Antoinette DuVallier, a widow, returns to Turkle to be with Durk, with whom she has fallen in love. She wants to obtain ownership of the French plantation that belonged to her mother. Durk, with an attorney’s background, tries to help her. Devereau French, currently imprisoned in the North, escapes and heads for Turkle. Dressed as a man, she hopes to legally obtain the rights to the French plantation as the only surviving male beneficiary.
This book is the third installment in the DarkHorse trilogy. The roots of modern racism were prevalent in the Deep South after the Civil War. The life of the freedmen smacks you in the face with racism from the first page to the last. Black Codes designed by Whites were to keep the “Negro” in his “place.” I have read the previous two books in the trilogy and found this book can stand alone. A prologue summarizes what transpired beforehand. This is a character-driven novel, and their interactions are exceptional. In this entertaining read, the reader can feel the pain and share the grief of the characters. Tension builds until the final page.
