Into Enemy Arms

by Rex Burns

Young, but newly widowed, Lydia Sensabaugh struggles to make a living on her farm. Her husband had attempted to revitalize the worn-out soil with new chemicals. But he died of swamp fever before his experiment could be proven. Now, in 1861, the farm’s quiet isolation is invaded—first by mysterious lights and nighttime trespassers then by rumors of secession and war. When the Union Army occupies the Delmarva Peninsula, Lydia finds herself drawn into the conflict between Rebel and Loyalist neighbors. Adding to the social complexity and tangle of emotions, she finds herself attracted to a Union officer who has classified her as “the enemy,” but with whom she develops a deepening epistolary courtship. She learns hard lessons of war by following news of the bloody fighting on the Mainland, by participating in the dangerous activity of smuggling supplies to Lee’s army, and by witnessing the war’s effects on hospitalized soldiers in the Federal City of Washington. As the war grinds on, her world reflects the age’s philosophical shift from Emerson to Social Darwinism, and promises outcomes that are both unclear and terrifying…

374 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 10, 2017

About the author

Rex Burns (b. 1935) is the author of numerous thrillers set in and around Denver, Colorado. Born in California, he served in the Marine Corps and attended Stanford University and the University of Minnesota before becoming a writer. His Edgar Award–winning first novel, The Alvarez Journal (1975), introduced Gabe Wager, a Denver police detective first working in an organized crime unit, then in homicide. Burns continued this hardboiled series through ten more novels, concluding it with 1997’s The Leaning Land. His second series (3 volumes) features Devlin Kirk and "Bunch" Bunchcroft, a private investigator series set in Colorado. The third series, beginning in 2013, follows the adventures of a father/daughter private detective team. The first, "Body Slam," focuses on the world of professional wrestling. The second, set in England and the Middle East, deals with theft from an oil tanker. His short story series, appearing in "Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine," features Aboriginal Constable Leonard Smith of the Western Australia Police.

Reviews

[Frances Berger · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a thoroughly engrossing read. I felt pulled into the story almost instantly. The vivid descriptions of surroundings, of daily tasks & tools, the alive feel of the characters
created a full reality to jump into. The plot lines and character constructions were believable and absorbing. The whole book held a clear flow and a tight construction that allow the reader to participate in the thoughts, feelings and actions of the characters.
I felt fully satisfied with how the story worked itself out, with completion for each scenario and all the people involved.
It was a very practical, detailed view of daily life at the time - I liked that a lot. And I read it as we began our Covid Quarantines. It was oddly similar in feel, with unsure attacks from unknown quarters...
Altogether an Ace Pick for Summer Reads!

[William Lovejoy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding research applied to the appropriate language for the time. The author’s plotting is exceptional, and his people draw the reader right into the story. Keep turning those pages.