October 10, 2011
Graham’s paranormal Civil War romance is a ponderous, preposterous read. Pinkerton detective Finn Dunne and Confederate spy Tara Fox are half-vampires. He thinks she’s involved in a conspiracy to kill President Lincoln, but in fact, her visions lead her to believe only she can stop the assassin. Tara’s efforts to run the blockade from Key West to Washington, D.C., are thwarted when her ship and Finn’s Union vessel shipwreck on an island. The misunderstandings are resolved, but the return to safety is hindered by attacks from rogue vampires, possibly orchestrated by the mastermind behind the assassination conspiracy. Graham’s heavy prose style and Tara’s lengthy visions slow the narrative, and the ridiculous premise and stereotyped side characters are downright exploitative of the war and its cultural context. Agent: Aaron M. Priest.