Rating: 
Summary: Not Quite
Review: I liked a number of things about this book. It is well presented in terms of time and place. The history is accurate. Using a young widow as the heroine gives an interesting point of view. On the other hand, the characters, especially the heroine, are underdeveloped. I found I did not greatly care what happened to Narcissa, which is a problem. The supporting characters were more interesting, although they could use some development also. One character changed from a potential villain to a potentional love interest in one or two pages with very little explanation. I am interested enough to want to read the later books in the series and there is potential. However, this book is two or three revisions away from being a really good book.
Rating: 
Summary: A PLEASURE
Review: I was enjoying the historical accuracy and detail so much, the slam-bang, exciting conclusion took me by surprise. The author did an impeccable job. It's an excellent story, but no dainty hoopskirted romp, either. The scene in Richmond City at foggy, midnight where Cyrus holds the lantern and searches in the cavern under the slab for his father's body was not for the faint hearted. Patricia Cromwell grosses you out, Ms. McMillan gives you goose bumps. Perfect for me as it combines my two favorite things, i.e., civil war times and mysteries. I agree with previous reviewer who noted such even handed discussion of slavery was highly improbable. Looking forward to more books in this series.
Rating: 
Summary: Very Good BOOK
Review: Im 10 years old and i read this book. i thought it was really good. very creepy too. Ü hee hee
Rating:
Summary: Great new Civil War mystery series
Review: In 1861, both sides expect to quickly and easily win the Civil War. However, the impact of battle has not been felt and deaths have not yet increased. White Virginian Narcissa Powers rushes to the side of her dying brother Charley Wilson, a medical student. She is shocked when he dies from a minor infection. However, before succumbing, he manages to whisper the dreaded word "resurrection". Later, she finds a burnt letter form Charley in which he explains his role as a grave digger, seeking corpses for medical research. He insists one such corpse was the victim of murder and not a disease. At about the same time, Cyrus Roper hires free blackwoman Judah Daniel to investigate the deaths of Charley and the cadaver that appeared to be a murder victim. Soon, Narcissa and Judah defy society's basic tenet of their segregated society and join forces to uncover the truth. DEAD MARCH is a lively retelling of the period between Fort Sumter and the first battle of Manassas, which begins the bloody and deadly stage of the Civil War. The story line is intriguing, fast-paced, and extremely authentic; while The mystery is first rate. The prime characters are all understandable and their motives fully developed. In this debut novel, relationships remain tenuous as they should be at this point. Fans of historical mysteries and the Civil War era must read Ann McMillan's fabulous story that hopefully will be followed with more period who-done-its. Harriet Klausner
Rating:
Summary: A top-notch storyline with intriguing period information
Review: Not only is Dead March a top-notch mystery but it also rich in detail about life in the South at the start of the civil war. The character development and vivid descriptions of people, places and events put the reader squarely in the middle of the action. A very good read that held my interest from start to finish. I'm waiting for the next one.
Rating:
Summary: A mystery with power
Review: Some historical novels duck the difficult issues of the time, or distort those issues with modern interpretation. "Dead March," on the other hand, is unflinching and clear-eyed as it deals with the wrenching issues that faced Richmond, and all America, in 1861. Narcissa, the young white widow, and Judah Daniel, the free black healer, have a prickly relationship that rings true. One reveiwer complains that previous reviews characterize them as buddies, which they aren't. That's a problem with mini-review shorthand, but it's one of the virtues of the book. The mystery is well told and deftly plotted. The characters are full of life. This book has appeal far beyond Richmond. If this is really the author's first novel, it's a stunner.
Rating: 
Summary: Readable but ultimately forgettable
Review: This is a reasonably entertaining book, but there is something slight about it, and the "mystery" hinges on something that is either inaccurate or not properly explained. The basic idea is that doctors of the time, not knowing what germs were, transferred infections from one patient to the next. This is a well-known fact, but McMillan makes it sounds as though the doctors are somehow permanently tainted "Gangrene Mary"s. Of course, in reality, infection could only be passed on if the doctor's hands, bandages, etc. were tainted at the time they were used. Having said that, McMillan uses the concept pretty well to put her characters in an emotionally dramatic situation. I wish that she had included more historical detail -- I never feel that I get a real sense for the setting, as I do for the New Orleans of Hambly's 19th century mysteries. The war and military hospital scenes are reasonably well done but I wanted, again, more detail. Overall, this is readable and has some good ideas but suffers from an overall lack of intensity.
Rating:
Summary: A promising debut for a Civil War-era mystery series
Review: When Narcissa Powers, a young widow, is called to the deathbed of her brother (a young medical student in Richmond at the outbreak of the Civil War) she expects to find tragedy, but not information that points to illegal activities and possibly murder. The charred remains of a letter from her brother persuade Narcissa that there is more to his death than meets the eye. Through the story we are introduced to the "resurrection men" of Richmond who procure corpses for the medical school, a black conjure woman named Judah, and the character of ante-bellum Richmond society on the eve of war. As with most historical mysteries, the plot is not completely surprising (one major exception here is the Margaret Lawrence mysteries set in Revolutionary Maine which leave you gasping) but does have interesting twists and turns. For most historical mystery buffs, the characterizations are the thing and this novel introduces us to some fascinating and complex figures. As for the historical detail all mysteries leave a lot to be desired in this department--but most US readers know more about the American Civil War than they do about 19th-century London or Medieval England, so perhaps the author's flights of fancy are more glaring. Still, McMillan is accurate about 97% of the time, which is more than most!
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