Harry is also concerned with the safety of several of his lady friends after the arrest of Southern spy, Rose Greenhow. Harry tries to help Rose and her young daughter escape to safer surroundings and has shots fired at him one night while he is leaving her house.

Harry is soon taken away on assignment and finds himself guarding Baker in the middle of a battle near Leesburg, Virginia. During one confusing moment, a shot is fired and Harry looks up and straight at a naked woman atop a horse. At the same instant, Baker falls down, shot dead and not from the battle, Harry suspects.

Before Harry has a chance to go after either the gunman or the young woman, he is hit over the head and blacks out. When he comes to, he finds himself locked in a prison, accused of murder and suspected of treason and spying. Even Pinkerton begins to doubt where Harry’s loyalties lie. Harry spends the next few months escaping from jails, being recaptured and being pursued by a would be assassin, all the while, searching for the truth behind Baker’s murder and trying to stay one step ahead of the wily female agents.

A Killing at Ball’s Bluff is a thoroughly researched historical novel, full of many of the notable figures of the era. Michael Kilian has done an outstanding job of researching and recreating the specific battles of the Civil War. While history buffs will appreciate the details, those with a passing interest in the subject may find the story line bogged down, and even wondering how Harry can be so certain murder was committed amidst such chaotic surroundings.

Harry has surrounded himself with many colorful characters and Kilian has created fictional characters that fit right in with the actual men and women as if they had been there all along. Rose Greenhow and her fellow spies provide an interesting look at a lesser known part of the Civil War, and the women masquerading as men and vice versa does create a lighter atmosphere as officers try to determine who is actually who. The mystery is sometimes lost amidst the battles, jail escapes and arrests, but historical fiction fans will be too caught up in the story to mind.

--Jennifer Monahan Winberry