South of Shiloh

March 31, 2008
Tension between the Union and the Confederacy lives on in this fast-paced stand-alone thriller from Logan (Homefront). When Minnesotan Paul Edin is killed during a re-enactment of the battle of Kirby Creek near Corinth, Miss., local law enforcement quickly declares his death a tragic accident. But when Paul's widow, Jenny, learns that the bullet may have been meant for deputy Kenny Beeman, she's determined to uncover the truth. Reconnecting with John Rane\x97her ex-lover and the biological father of the child she raised with Paul\x97Jenny persuades John to go to Corinth and investigate. A photographer and former cop known for taking risks, John joins forces with Kenny in Mississippi and attempts to unravel a complex web of family feuds. John soon realizes that the upcoming re-enactment of the battle of Shiloh could end up as bloody as the original. Despite a few plot holes, Logan skillfully immerses the reader in the traditions and eccentricities of the men who meticulously recreate every aspect of the Civil War.

Starred review from March 1, 2008
Minnesota Civil War buff Paul Eden's death at a reenactment of the Battle of Kirby Creek near Corinth, MS, is the result of a sniper's bullet gone wrong, but the incident is ruled an accident for lack of evidence, although locals have their suspicions. Tensions rise when John Rane, a news photographer from St. Paul, arrives a week later with Eden's reenactment gear, a rare Civil War rifle, and camera equipment he doesn't use and seeks out Deputy Sheriff Kenny Beeman, the sniper's intended victim. Together, Rane and Beeman plot a showdown at a reenactment of the Battle of Shiloh scheduled for the next weekend. As the men lay their plans, they gradually reveal their pasts, their motivations, and their temperaments. Meanwhile, the sniper's life takes a series of unexpected turns, which makes the outcome of the showdown as uncertain as the Battle of Shiloh 145 years earlier. Logan ("Vapor Trail; Absolute Zero") has penned a tightly woven, low-key thriller that is fascinating for its historical theme, attention to detail, and analysis of the opposing psyches of North and South. An intensely gripping story of greed, manipulation, family dysfunction, and murder; highly recommended.Thomas L. Kilpatrick, formerly with Southern Illinois Univ. Lib., Carbondale

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