Chickahominy Fever

A Civil War Mystery #4

by Ann McMillan

Assisting efforts at confederate hospitals in Richmond, which have been overwhelmed by the Seven Days Battle, Narcissa Powers, aided by friends Judah and Brit, becomes suspicious when local supplies of morphine start disappearing and a mysterious patient dies. 12,500 first printing.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Historical Mystery, Mystery, Fiction, Civil War

224 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2003

Reviews

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

The use of the Richmond and Church Hill landmarks makes for an intriguing read for those who live in modern Richmond. Elizabeth Van Lew, name changed to Luisa Ferncliff, is a complicated character for sure.

[Robert A · Rating 2 out of 5]

Dribble

[LJ · Rating 2 out of 5]

CHICKAHOMINY FEVER – Ok
Ann McMillan – 4th in series
Penguin Books, 2003 - Paperback
It is 1862, and Richmond is surrounded by the Union Army. Nurse Narcissa Powers is attempting to locate the body of a missing Confederate soldier, while Judah Daniel, a free black herbalist, searches for the mother of an abandoned infant. A crucial letter, which could change the course of the war, brings these two together.
*** I found the plot of this fragmented and although loosely based on an actual incident, improbable. The red herrings, rather than being effective, made the protagonist seem naïve. The only thing that saved this book, for me, was the history, but that’s not enough for me to recommend it as a mystery.