A dazzling debut that will appeal to Civil War buffs as well as fans of mysteries, medical thrillers, and historical fiction

Dead March is the first in an exciting new mystery series that takes place during the Civil War. It is the spring of 1861. Though the War Between the States is in its infancy, Richmond, Virginia, is not free of violent death, as two astute and courageous women from opposite ends of society discover when a grave is robbed, yielding the murdered body of a young slave woman. The silk scarf left carelessly with her body leads to suspects from every echelon of Richmond society--and to more deaths. Narcissa Powers, a young white widow, begins to investigate and is soon aided by Judah Daniel, a free black herbalist and conjure woman. As the War's casualties begin to pour into the city and the "Dead March" echoes through the streets, the mystery deepens, and Narcissa and Judah must risk their lives to find the killer--or killers--and save the life of an innocent child. With its well-paced suspense and fascinating characters, Dead March is both an elegant mystery and a moving evocation of the Old South.

"This highly auspicious debut is marked by McMillan's. . . first-rate mystery plot and by her penetrating analysis of the era's Southern culture." --Publishers Weekly

"This is a book you'll have trouble putting down." --Richmond Times Dispatch