September 1, 1970
Second in Parry's praised Civil War series (after Faded Coat of Blue), this uncommonly engaging historical drama, the second to feature Abel Jones--Union officer, reluctant detective, and loyal confidential agent for President Lincoln-- stirs the imagination with its vivid color, gripping suspense and wartime historical accuracy. In the winter of 1862, Major Jones, an immigrant Welshman now in the Union Army, is sent to northern New York to investigate rumors of an Irish insurrection among those who oppose the war. Two federal undercover agents have already been brutally murdered, and Jones knows this will be a delicate and dangerous mission. He boldly sets out for the prosperous town of Penn Yan, N.Y., with no disguise or cover story, proclaiming to all that he is there to investigate the murders and the rumors of rebellion. His presence is at once feared and welcomed, and he naturally becomes the target of the Irish troublemakers, members of a group called Whiteboys. The Irish insurrection, however, is only the front for a larger operation, and Jones soon finds himself in even deeper personal and professional danger. Aided by beautiful Nellie Kildare, who is either a madwoman or a mystic, and thwarted by the manipulative man who passes as her father, Jones and his thieving and conniving friend, Jimmy Molloy, uncover a plot that threatens to cripple the North. Jones is an endearing literary character who should gracefully weather further sequels. He is a war hero who hates war almost as much as he hates horses, admits he does not understand women and thinks the ancient Greeks were a bad sort. Bright but not brilliant, flawed but not troubled, Jones is an ordinary man with an extraordinary sense of duty. Parry has created a thoroughly likable and believable character and engages him here in a riveting adventure.