Harper’s Rescue: A Novel of Redemption in the Civil War, Second Edition

Sean Gabhann | Natchez Trail Press 356p, hardcover, $29.99, ISBN 978-17343974-3-7

Lieutenant James Harper perseveres and takes on an urgent new mission in the second installment of Gabhann’s ambitious Shiloh Trilogy, which continues to bring the Civil War era to vital life and showcase what it took to live through it. This entry finds its hero fresh out of a Confederate prison. Lieutenant Colonel Monroe, his commanding officer, is doing his best to sway an inquiry into Harper’s escape into a potential court-martial, thanks to his longstanding grudge, and Harper has other challenges brewing, too: he’s convinced a local house of ill repute is sending classified information to the Rebs, and he’s determined to take down its owner, Franklin Bosley.

Harper’s zeal to stop Bosley drives the story, as the lieutenant takes an undercover assignment to pose as a disgruntled Union soldier in Bosley’s establishment, in hopes of infiltrating a spy ring. Gabhann finds suspense in this story while also capturing the texture of these lives and their era, especially as Harper starts to fall for one of Bosley’s workers, Maggie, who has her own reasons to hate the Confederates—she lost her husband and son in the war, a tragedy that Harper can relate to, as his wife and child were murdered by outlaws. That sense of urgent loss in a violent world keeps the story tense as Harper and Maggie find themselves caught up in Bosley’s net, facing fresh danger, unsure if anyone can really be trusted.

Readers will find Harper more likable in this entry; his softness with Maggie, and newfound respect from his men, particularly Corporal Gustav Magnusson, gives this now-seasoned character welcome warmth and gravity. Harper’s motivations are mostly admirable, despite some rash actions, and the addition of Gustav’s sweet courtship with sex worker Katie lightens the mood. That, combined with General Grant’s return to favor and Harper’s seeming exoneration, sets up readers for more action—and maybe some romance—in the dark days ahead.

Undercover spies, betrayals, and a dash of romance heat up this vivid Civil War novel.

Great for fans of Gwen Bristow’s The Handsome Road, Bernard Cornwell’s The Bloody Ground.