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Will Rees Mysteries #9
Death in the Great Dismal
Finding themselves in a slave community hidden within the Great Dismal Swamp, Will Rees and his wife Lydia get caught up in a dangerous murder case where no one trusts them.
September 1800 , Maine . Will Rees is beseeched by Tobias, an old friend abducted by slave catchers years before, to travel south to Virginia to help transport his pregnant wife, Ruth, back north. Though he's reluctant, Will's wife Lydia convinces him to go . . . on the condition she accompanies them.
Upon arriving in a small community of absconded slaves hiding within the Great Dismal Swamp, Will and Lydia are met with distrust. Tensions are high and a fight breaks out between Tobias and Scipio, a philanderer with a bounty on his head known for conning men out of money. The following day Scipio is found dead - shot in the back.
Stuck within the hostile Great Dismal and with slave catchers on the prowl, Will and Lydia find themselves caught up in their most dangerous case yet.
September 1800 , Maine . Will Rees is beseeched by Tobias, an old friend abducted by slave catchers years before, to travel south to Virginia to help transport his pregnant wife, Ruth, back north. Though he's reluctant, Will's wife Lydia convinces him to go . . . on the condition she accompanies them.
Upon arriving in a small community of absconded slaves hiding within the Great Dismal Swamp, Will and Lydia are met with distrust. Tensions are high and a fight breaks out between Tobias and Scipio, a philanderer with a bounty on his head known for conning men out of money. The following day Scipio is found dead - shot in the back.
Stuck within the hostile Great Dismal and with slave catchers on the prowl, Will and Lydia find themselves caught up in their most dangerous case yet.
224 pages, Hardcover
First published January 5, 2021
6 people are currently reading
3289 people want to read
About the author
Eleanor Kuhns
21 books1,260 followersEleanor is a lifelong librarian. She wrote her first story at the age of ten and hasn't stopped since. She lives with her husband and dog in New York State.
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
April 27, 2021
Locked in Mystery
3.5 Stars rounded up
Eleanor Kuhns brings the reader into a community of escaped slaves living not to far from the plantations they once worked. Tobias, Will Rees and his wife, Lydia journey to Virginia to assist Tobias' wife, Ruth in her escape to Maine where she will join Tobias. Will Rees is white and believes his skin will protect him from serious harm but he is soon disabused of his assumption. Though questioned several times for traveling with a black man (Tobias), his demeanor toward Tobias doesn't present a convincing picture of slave and master.
Meanwhile, upon arriving in camp, many of the escaped slaves are very suspicious of Will because he has white skin. Will is even threatened by two of the men, eventually Will comes to somewhat understand the trauma these men have experienced.
When a murder occurs soon after their arrival, one of the woman begs Will to solve it. This is the true focus of the story. Then another bites the dust, then another one (I'm channeling music group, Queen) nearly does as well. Will must try and connect the dots as he is suspicious that the motives are connected. Solve it he does.
I truly enjoyed what was quite similar to a cozy mystery. I didn't solve the murder. It was intriguing. I would have awarded five stars but for a few sticking points. The author did well to present the characters and made an effort in character development for Will and Lydia, however the other characters were intentionally flat so that you wouldn't solve the mystery. Furthermore, some of the sentences were unclear and though I do believe an editor worked on this, there were parts that were still rough and challenging to fully comprehend. Though this alone didn't interfere with the general direction of the novel, it slowed the reading down taking away from the enjoyment.
Throughout the book, one character has never learned English. Mistakenly, Ms. Kuhn says he speaks Ibo (repeatedly so it wasn't a typo) when it should be Igbo, this is a big error. Furthermore, she repeats many of the same phrases to the point, I wished I had counted the times they were written, the redundancy of these phrases I found crazy making.
This is my first read by Kuhns and I did think it was a first novel due to the writing structure. I am sure most readers would overlook it, I am picky, I'll admit. Still this story is definitely worth the time.
3.5 Stars rounded up
Eleanor Kuhns brings the reader into a community of escaped slaves living not to far from the plantations they once worked. Tobias, Will Rees and his wife, Lydia journey to Virginia to assist Tobias' wife, Ruth in her escape to Maine where she will join Tobias. Will Rees is white and believes his skin will protect him from serious harm but he is soon disabused of his assumption. Though questioned several times for traveling with a black man (Tobias), his demeanor toward Tobias doesn't present a convincing picture of slave and master.
Meanwhile, upon arriving in camp, many of the escaped slaves are very suspicious of Will because he has white skin. Will is even threatened by two of the men, eventually Will comes to somewhat understand the trauma these men have experienced.
When a murder occurs soon after their arrival, one of the woman begs Will to solve it. This is the true focus of the story. Then another bites the dust, then another one (I'm channeling music group, Queen) nearly does as well. Will must try and connect the dots as he is suspicious that the motives are connected. Solve it he does.
I truly enjoyed what was quite similar to a cozy mystery. I didn't solve the murder. It was intriguing. I would have awarded five stars but for a few sticking points. The author did well to present the characters and made an effort in character development for Will and Lydia, however the other characters were intentionally flat so that you wouldn't solve the mystery. Furthermore, some of the sentences were unclear and though I do believe an editor worked on this, there were parts that were still rough and challenging to fully comprehend. Though this alone didn't interfere with the general direction of the novel, it slowed the reading down taking away from the enjoyment.
Throughout the book, one character has never learned English. Mistakenly, Ms. Kuhn says he speaks Ibo (repeatedly so it wasn't a typo) when it should be Igbo, this is a big error. Furthermore, she repeats many of the same phrases to the point, I wished I had counted the times they were written, the redundancy of these phrases I found crazy making.
This is my first read by Kuhns and I did think it was a first novel due to the writing structure. I am sure most readers would overlook it, I am picky, I'll admit. Still this story is definitely worth the time.
April 5, 2021
This is the next Will Reese mystery. This time Reese is asked by his friend Tobias to go to go to Virginia and bring his wife Ruth back. While Reese is there a murder happens. This was so much more than a mystery. This book really touches on slavery and the Dismal Swamp. This was well plotted. The historical setting is eye opening. This can also be read as a stand alone. I love this series. I highly reccomend this.
December 15, 2020
This is the ninth title in Eleanore Kuhns' Will Reese series, but the first I've read. That being the case, I want to note right off that I was able to comfortably follow both the action of this novel and the trajectory of the series nonetheless. Kuhn has a deft touch and can provide background information without being heavy-handed.
The central problem of this novel is fascinating. In 1800, a white man, Will Reese, joins his Black friend, Tobias, on a journey to "the great dismal," a swamp which is home to small communities of escaped slaves. Will's wife, still distrustful of him after an unconsummated dalliance he had with a circus performer decides to accompany them. Once there, a murder occurs and Reese, who has had some experience as an amateur detective, feels he can't leave until it is solved.
The central mystery is solid, but what really makes this novel a gripping read is its presentation of the tensions of life in the slave-owning south. Will has skin privilege (he gets a last name, Tobias doesn't, among other things) and is naive enough to be regularly surprised by Black characters' distrust of him. The Black population in and around the swamp is interestingly varied, giving a sense of the many different statuses a Black person, escaped or free, might hold at this time. The village in the swamp houses both free Black and runaway slaves. A canal is being built nearby and the working crew includes both slaves "rented out" to the canal builders and escaped slaves, whose runaway status is ignored (perhaps only until the end of the work season, when they can be turned in for a reward). There's more interaction between the slave population on a nearby plantation and those (free and escaped) living in the swamp, than one might expect.
Will, no spoiler here, does solve the murder, he and his wife gradually warm to one another again, and a pair of potential couples in the swamp make progress of one kind or another in their relationship. This is a title that will have readers thinking along two lines simultaneously: the book's central plot and the variety of complicated power relationships between Black and white, and Black and Black, at that time.
I received a free electronic ARC of this title from the publisher via NetGalley. The opinions are my own.
The central problem of this novel is fascinating. In 1800, a white man, Will Reese, joins his Black friend, Tobias, on a journey to "the great dismal," a swamp which is home to small communities of escaped slaves. Will's wife, still distrustful of him after an unconsummated dalliance he had with a circus performer decides to accompany them. Once there, a murder occurs and Reese, who has had some experience as an amateur detective, feels he can't leave until it is solved.
The central mystery is solid, but what really makes this novel a gripping read is its presentation of the tensions of life in the slave-owning south. Will has skin privilege (he gets a last name, Tobias doesn't, among other things) and is naive enough to be regularly surprised by Black characters' distrust of him. The Black population in and around the swamp is interestingly varied, giving a sense of the many different statuses a Black person, escaped or free, might hold at this time. The village in the swamp houses both free Black and runaway slaves. A canal is being built nearby and the working crew includes both slaves "rented out" to the canal builders and escaped slaves, whose runaway status is ignored (perhaps only until the end of the work season, when they can be turned in for a reward). There's more interaction between the slave population on a nearby plantation and those (free and escaped) living in the swamp, than one might expect.
Will, no spoiler here, does solve the murder, he and his wife gradually warm to one another again, and a pair of potential couples in the swamp make progress of one kind or another in their relationship. This is a title that will have readers thinking along two lines simultaneously: the book's central plot and the variety of complicated power relationships between Black and white, and Black and Black, at that time.
I received a free electronic ARC of this title from the publisher via NetGalley. The opinions are my own.
September 21, 2023
Thank you to Booklist for the ARC and the opportunity to review this title!
January 1, 15 issue:
William and Lydia Reese are asked to accompany a friend on a rescue mission into the pro-slavery state of Virginia. Upon arrival in the Great Dismal Swamp, one of the residents is murdered, and William is tasked with finding who committed the heinous act. Then a second body is found. Tensions are high, and trust is running low. Kuhns' ninth entry in the Will Rees series provides a fictional account of a little-known, real-life event from the early 1800s. At the time, The Great Dismal Swamp was a haven for runaway slaves, the dense and tangled landscape offering a protective area. Kuhns' vivid portrayal of the community that developed inside the swamp captures a group of naturally cunning and vigilant people who provided a family for one another when most had none. The mystery itself is drawn out and a bit dry, but the story shines for its historical backbone and atmospheric details. Those factors make it perfect for readers of Margaret Lawrence's Hannah Trevor novels and Eliot Pattison's Bone Rattler series.
January 1, 15 issue:
William and Lydia Reese are asked to accompany a friend on a rescue mission into the pro-slavery state of Virginia. Upon arrival in the Great Dismal Swamp, one of the residents is murdered, and William is tasked with finding who committed the heinous act. Then a second body is found. Tensions are high, and trust is running low. Kuhns' ninth entry in the Will Rees series provides a fictional account of a little-known, real-life event from the early 1800s. At the time, The Great Dismal Swamp was a haven for runaway slaves, the dense and tangled landscape offering a protective area. Kuhns' vivid portrayal of the community that developed inside the swamp captures a group of naturally cunning and vigilant people who provided a family for one another when most had none. The mystery itself is drawn out and a bit dry, but the story shines for its historical backbone and atmospheric details. Those factors make it perfect for readers of Margaret Lawrence's Hannah Trevor novels and Eliot Pattison's Bone Rattler series.
June 30, 2021
Great great historical fiction, great characters, good strong plot
December 17, 2020
Will, a weaver, married into Lydia's Shaker faith and has found himself occasionally restless but never so much as now. This is the latest in an intriguing series but will be fine as a standalone because Kuhns provides good background (but not too much for those who have read the earlier books). His friend Tobias, a former slave, beseeches him to help retrieve his wife Ruth from the South. Lydia, using the argument that they can pose as a couple with two slaves on the return, insists on going with them (she's also keeping an eye on Will, whose own eye was turned a bit by a circus performer in the last book). Unfortunately once the trio arrives in the Great Dismal swamp and find Ruth, they also find themselves embroiled in the murder of Scipio, an escaped slave who had a number of enemies. Will is very much an outsider but somehow manages to solve the crime. This isn't, to be honest, the best of the series but it's an ambitious effort to take Will outside his comfort zone and explore the issues which faced escaped slaves. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. I'm looking forward to the next one.
March 24, 2021
The strength of Kuhn's fiction is the setting of each novel and her attention to detail. I knew nothing about the Great Dismal Swamp. I appreciate learning much about escaped slaves living in the swamp, their society, customs and rituals. They became experts on the trails and islands in the swamp. Some had cabins while others lived underground. They learned to evade the slave catchers as well as the deadly cottonmouths. An Author's note gives additional historical information.
The setting is woven into a murder plot. Rees is a reluctant sleuth yet a methodical one. He has a thoughtful way of pursuing his ideas, noting clues and inconsistencies to ultimately reveal the murderer.
While this novel is part of a series, it reads rather well on its own. To fully understand the tension between Rees and his wife we see in this novel, read the previous one, A Circle of Dead Girls.
I received a complimentary digital copy of this book through Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours. My comments are an independent and honest review.
The setting is woven into a murder plot. Rees is a reluctant sleuth yet a methodical one. He has a thoughtful way of pursuing his ideas, noting clues and inconsistencies to ultimately reveal the murderer.
While this novel is part of a series, it reads rather well on its own. To fully understand the tension between Rees and his wife we see in this novel, read the previous one, A Circle of Dead Girls.
I received a complimentary digital copy of this book through Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours. My comments are an independent and honest review.
April 17, 2021
Will Rees and his wife Lydia prepare for a trip to help their friend Tobias bring his wife home. You can find out more about why Lydia doesn’t trust him to go alone if you read A Circle of Dead Girls first.
They have no idea of what’s in front of them. They also have no idea of how difficult it will be to get to the Great Dismal.
They waded into a murder filled swamp. Now they can’t leave until Will solves the murders. He’s made a promise he’s unwilling to break. No matter how dangerous it gets.
He’s not even sure Tobias’ wife is even willing to go home with them.
Thank you, Ms Kuhns. I’ve been enjoying the Will Rees mysteries.
They have no idea of what’s in front of them. They also have no idea of how difficult it will be to get to the Great Dismal.
They waded into a murder filled swamp. Now they can’t leave until Will solves the murders. He’s made a promise he’s unwilling to break. No matter how dangerous it gets.
He’s not even sure Tobias’ wife is even willing to go home with them.
Thank you, Ms Kuhns. I’ve been enjoying the Will Rees mysteries.
December 10, 2020
1800 Maine. Will Rees is asked by old friend Tobias, to travel to Virginia to help bring his pregnant wife Ruth back to the north. On arriving at the Great Dismal Swamp, place of a small community of absconded slaves, they are soon embroiled in a murder, and Tobias is the main suspect. But then there is another murder, can Will discover the motives and the murderer.
An enjoyable and interesting slow-paced historical mystery with its well-rounded main characters.
Another good addition to this series.
An ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
An enjoyable and interesting slow-paced historical mystery with its well-rounded main characters.
Another good addition to this series.
An ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
January 24, 2021
Thanks to the author for the copy of the book. The story takes place in the 1800s, a story of a white man Rees asked by his friend Tobias who is a black man, to travel with him and help him get/bring back his wife who is in a black 'community' hidden in swamp area of Virginia. Shortly after arriving, 2 murders take place and Rees promises to solve their murders. The story is more than that of murders but also presents some of the struggles of being black at a time when slavery continued.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 26, 2021
Subtly plotted, gorgeously descriptive and about a place and time that deserve more attention. I had never heard of Virginia's Great Dismal Swamp, where many runaway slaves hid at the beginning of the 1800s. I enjoyed seeing that setting through Will Rees' eyes as he and his wife, Lydia, solve the mystery at the core of this book. This was a great addition to the Will Rees mystery series, and I love the major role Lydia's plays in this book.
March 12, 2021
So pleased that the latest book in one of my favorite series is as well written, skillfully plotted and carefully researched (this time 1800 in Maine and the Great Dismal in Virginia) as the earlier books. Interesting to have Will’s wife, Lydia, join him in his travels.
April 7, 2021
The Dismal swamp down south inhabits run away slaves gators and cotton mouthed, To ias seeks out his friends will and Lydia to help him find his wife, a long enduring journey. Murder, no trust and people trying to gather the slaves, a historical mystery. Enjoy, but step high
April 12, 2021
I thought this was as good as the first on the series. Can’t wait for the next.
March 29, 2025
Death in the Great Dismal is the ninth book in the Will Rees Mystery series written by Eleanor Kuhns and this one will have you scratching your head ....
In Death in the Great Dismal Will is asked by his friend Tobias to travel to the Great Dismal Swamp in Virginia to help bring his pregnant wife back to Maine. Will knows that he shouldn't go because he and his wife Lydia are having marital problems and he really needs to deal with that. But Lydia surprises him by telling him he needs to go but she is going with them.
Once they get to the little village where Ruth is living, things do not go as planned at all. Shortly after arriving one of the men from the village is found dead in the woods, murdered, shot in the back. It seems that two of the villagers, Jackman and Aunt Suke, are the ones that are in charge and when they ask Will to find out who murdered Scipio he cannot say no.
Besides the murder delaying their departure, it seems that Ruth is not sure if she wants to leave with Tobias or stay in the village. Will and Lydia try to help the couple out but they are also trying to work through something within their marriage .... but they never seem to find the time to talk about that.
Will is going to have a difficult time trying to find Scipio's murderer seeing as he knows nothing about the people in the village and the members of the village do not trust him at all.
Readers cannot help getting pulled into this book, or any of the others in this series. You will fall in love with the characters and even though this story takes place somewhere new and completely outside of anyones's comfort zone, you will be turning the pages as fast as you can to see what happens next because you never know what Kuhns will throw out there .....
In Death in the Great Dismal Will is asked by his friend Tobias to travel to the Great Dismal Swamp in Virginia to help bring his pregnant wife back to Maine. Will knows that he shouldn't go because he and his wife Lydia are having marital problems and he really needs to deal with that. But Lydia surprises him by telling him he needs to go but she is going with them.
Once they get to the little village where Ruth is living, things do not go as planned at all. Shortly after arriving one of the men from the village is found dead in the woods, murdered, shot in the back. It seems that two of the villagers, Jackman and Aunt Suke, are the ones that are in charge and when they ask Will to find out who murdered Scipio he cannot say no.
Besides the murder delaying their departure, it seems that Ruth is not sure if she wants to leave with Tobias or stay in the village. Will and Lydia try to help the couple out but they are also trying to work through something within their marriage .... but they never seem to find the time to talk about that.
Will is going to have a difficult time trying to find Scipio's murderer seeing as he knows nothing about the people in the village and the members of the village do not trust him at all.
Readers cannot help getting pulled into this book, or any of the others in this series. You will fall in love with the characters and even though this story takes place somewhere new and completely outside of anyones's comfort zone, you will be turning the pages as fast as you can to see what happens next because you never know what Kuhns will throw out there .....
April 6, 2022
Will is asked by his friend, Tobias, to accompany him to Virginia to Virginia to get his wife and bring her back to Maine. Will’s wife, Lydia, is still a bit distrustful of Will so she accompanies them to the Great Dismal Swamp. In the swamp, there is a town of escaped slaves (also known as maroons, which means “flee”) who are hiding from the townsfolk and the slave catchers. These towns are on drier islands within the swampland. When they arrive in town – basically huts around a fire – they are immediately met with distrust.
Shortly after their arrival, someone is murdered and Rees is asked to investigate at Aunt Suke’s request. She is the healer of the group. Because he is white, these escaped slaves aren’t quick or very willing to answer his questions. Eventually, they come around to Rees and Lydia and see that they are trying to help.
This was yet again an interesting story in this series. At the end of the book, Kuhns briefly describes the swamp and some of the forestry and wildlife one would find in the swamp and describes some facts about slave life in Virginia in the 1800s.
Shortly after their arrival, someone is murdered and Rees is asked to investigate at Aunt Suke’s request. She is the healer of the group. Because he is white, these escaped slaves aren’t quick or very willing to answer his questions. Eventually, they come around to Rees and Lydia and see that they are trying to help.
This was yet again an interesting story in this series. At the end of the book, Kuhns briefly describes the swamp and some of the forestry and wildlife one would find in the swamp and describes some facts about slave life in Virginia in the 1800s.
September 16, 2021
When Will Rees's old friend Tobias asks him to accompany him to Virginia, to help bring back his wife, Ruth, Will is reluctant, since both Tobias and Ruth are black. Although they had been born free in Maine, slave catchers had taken them south. But eventually Will agrees, and his wife Lydia insists on going along. But, of course, it is not quite as simple as just collecting Ruth and returning home. In the process, Will learns several unexpected lessons. Absolutely fascinating. A very unusual setting combined with good characterization make this book hard to put down. Recommended.
February 6, 2022
Just don’t like it as much as the previous. I get that Will Rees is used to traveling, but wandering around Maine and parts of New England is very different than taking off for Virginia.
The mystery itself is pretty good, just not as good as the previous.
The mystery itself is pretty good, just not as good as the previous.
August 8, 2021
Wow!!! Great book!!! Loved it I have to get the first 8 in the series! Love the book!!!
September 2, 2021
So much better than the previous couple of books. I'm glad Kuhns moved away from making the Shakers look like a murderous cult.
April 22, 2023
This book was amazing. I loved the setting. I did not guess the murderer.
August 13, 2024
Very odd that I happened to pick up two novels over the past few months that discussed the passage of slaves through the swamp.
February 11, 2025
I like this series, but this book was a tough read. Although none of them are 'action-packed', this one seemed to drag.
January 29, 2023
“The Great Dismal Swamp maroons were people who inhabited the swamplands of the Great Dismal Swamp in Virginia and North Carolina after escaping enslavement. Although conditions were harsh, research suggests that thousands lived there between about 1700 and the 1860s.” Source: Wikipedia
This slow moving and moody series continues with a departure from the usual Shaker connections. This time Lydia insists that she accompany Rees when their friend Tobias comes seeking their help to convince his wife to join him. There is still leftover tension from the prior book where Rees gets enticed by a rope dancer leaving Lydia deeply wounded. Kuhn’s does an excellent job to bring these two closer; it is not a cliché type of resolution.
The setting of the Great Dismal was certainly a unique part of this book, as were the exploration of race, slavery, and the greed that leads to murder. Rees and Lydia experience the terror these escaped slaves lived with daily and it was a sobering reminder of the price of freedom.
This slow moving and moody series continues with a departure from the usual Shaker connections. This time Lydia insists that she accompany Rees when their friend Tobias comes seeking their help to convince his wife to join him. There is still leftover tension from the prior book where Rees gets enticed by a rope dancer leaving Lydia deeply wounded. Kuhn’s does an excellent job to bring these two closer; it is not a cliché type of resolution.
The setting of the Great Dismal was certainly a unique part of this book, as were the exploration of race, slavery, and the greed that leads to murder. Rees and Lydia experience the terror these escaped slaves lived with daily and it was a sobering reminder of the price of freedom.
September 29, 2025
Interesting view of the early days of slavery and abolitionists.
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews