I have enjoyed Hambly’s books since reading her vampire work Those that Hunt the Night years ago, and picked this up because I enjoy Civil War period books. I was not disappointed. This book kept my attention from the very first page. The cast of characters was so well drawn they seemed like real people, and the book more of play I was watching than a novel, because I could imagine it so effortlessly.I was unsure at first if I was going to identify with January as a protagonist, having never read any of the previous books in this series, which is not supernatural other than references to voodoo. But I entered into the story with no problem understanding his previous history with the “catch up” provided by the author in the first chapter. January is a likable character: an educated man who while qualified as a doctor can’t find many people who will accept his services due to his color. He was smart, savvy, daring, and extremely likable while being responsible, loyal, and honorable, traits that aren’t often found in a protagonist without a rash of one liners, or some other tendency to trip themselves up. In every situation, he always acted with reason, and he learned from his mistakes, something I liked very much. Rose, his wife, was also likable, very smart, and their interplay made me smile. Colonel Davis, Hannibal, Cain, and the others that helped January in his quest were all excellent, though my favorite was Hannibal, whose sense of humor was amusing, especially in quoting Latin in the face of several death threats.The plot was excellently drawn, and I confess to being always one step behind in my calculations of where the money was, and who was murdering people on the boat. When everything was revealed, I wanted to applaud! Everything was explained, and fit together perfectly like the intricate puzzle it was, and yet nothing felt contrived, forced, or anything but realistic. I really liked the ending, except it left me wanting to read the next book! I also confess to having completely missed that Coronel Davis was THE Jefferson Davis, though the appendix by the author explaining a little of the history of steamboats and Davis finally clued me in.Overall opinion: The best historical mystery I have read in years!
Benjamin January and his charming wife Rose are in trouble: the bank they entrusted their savings to has been robbed, leaving them and the other investors penniless. But the president of the bank has made Benjamin an offer he can't refuse: the opportunity to hunt down the thief and recover the gold before anyone is the wiser. So Benjamin and Rose, with their opium-addicted friend Hannibal Sefton, hop on a steamboat headed upriver along with the suspect and a host of other unusual characters. But not only do they have the theft to worry about, but also slave-stealers, amorous minxes (for which Hannibal is always a target), blackmailers, and the possibility that voodooienne Queen Regine has put a curse on Ben.A delight, as always, to dip into Hambly's detailed recreation of pre-Civil War New Orleans. My only disappointment: no Abishag Shaw! I do love that unkempt Kaintuck!
What do You think about Dead Water (2005)?
3.5 stars. A good entry in this captivating historical mystery series. Benjamin and Rose are on a steamboat headed up the Mississippi River investigating a theft at first, then later the requisite murder. This is one of those nice little murder mysteries in a contained environment, with a handy map of the riverboat included.As you'd expect with Hambly, there are interesting details about river travel in the 1830's. During this off-season trip on a low river, the boat is taking passengers and cargo north, including human cargo chained to the deck between the stacks of wood needed to feed the boilers. For the sake of expediency Benjamin is posing as a slave of his frail, opiate-addicted, erudite friend Hannibal.A young Colonel Jefferson Davis is a fellow passenger and proves helpful in the murder investigation. I wouldn't have minded this fairly subtle insertion of a famous figure so much if the author hadn't felt the need for Benjamin to observe at least twice that Davis had the makings of a good politician.The ending would make this book a good series finale, and indeed I see that there was a six year gap before the publication of the the next one. I'm glad there are more, though!
—Jamie
Hambly finally cannot resist the temptation to have her main character rub elbows with a major historical figure. She even has January save the person’s life, ensuring history will plod on as written, rather than taking any sort of dramatic left turn.It’s an exciting riverboat adventure involving stolen gold (and lots of it), river pirates, the Underground Railroad, slave stealers, and even a dueling match, but I wasn’t quite as sucked in as I was with earlier adventures – for some reason this cast of characters never really gelled with me. Less main character might have been better.
—Kara
