From Publishers Weekly
In his fourth adventurous outing (after 2002's The Ironclad Alibi), Pinkerton spy Harrison Raines and fellow detective Joseph "Boston" Leahy travel to territorial New Mexico to uncover the plans of the Confederacy in the West. Separated from his partner, Raines arrives in Sante Fe to find the hero of the Battle of Glorieta Pass mysteriously shotgunned-and Leahy accused of the crime. A new sidekick, an Indian named Tantou, offers not a single kemo sabe, but livens up every page he appears on by keeping the bumbling spy alive through the perils of the West, including a shootout in an Anasazi ruin. Once again Kilian's delightful characters propel readers through the Civil War, with much fun on the way. Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Book Description
Historical mystery based on the Civil War's Battle of Glorieta Pass.

Harry Raines and his partner Joseph "Boston" Leahy are assigned to uncover Confederate operations in the West. But when their contact is murdered--and Leahy is accused of the crime--Harry must root out the killer and the intelligence vital to the Union cause.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

"Dispatched to the territory of New Mexico, Harry Raines and his partner Joseph "Boston" Leahy have been assigned to uncover how the Confederate Nation plans to expand its domain all the way west to California. Awaiting their arrival in Santa Fe is their contact Don Luis Almaden y Cortes, the Union army's key asset in its struggle to stop the Rebels at Glorieta Pass." Separated from Leahy, Harry makes his own way to Santa Fe, only to discover that Almaden has been murdered - and his partner stands accused of the crime. Now, with the help of Almaden's striking, strong-willed daughter, and an Indian scout he befriended in the desert, Harry must root out the real killer, clear Leahy's name, and gather the intelligence Almaden had that was vital to the Union cause.

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly

In his fourth adventurous outing (after 2002's The Ironclad Alibi), Pinkerton spy Harrison Raines and fellow detective Joseph "Boston" Leahy travel to territorial New Mexico to uncover the plans of the Confederacy in the West. Separated from his partner, Raines arrives in Sante Fe to find the hero of the Battle of Glorieta Pass mysteriously shotgunned-and Leahy accused of the crime. A new sidekick, an Indian named Tantou, offers not a single kemo sabe, but livens up every page he appears on by keeping the bumbling spy alive through the perils of the West, including a shootout in an Anasazi ruin. Once again Kilian's delightful characters propel readers through the Civil War, with much fun on the way. (Jan. 7)

Kirkus Reviews

A little-known 1862 battle provides the jumping-off point for Kilian's fourth Civil War mystery (The Ironclad Alibi, 2002, etc.). Harrison Raines has been sent by his boss Allen Pinkerton, along with fellow agent Joseph "Boston" Leahy, to Mexico (now New Mexico) to evaluate the war climate. When they arrive, the Confederate army is approaching, though Union forces are still holding them at bay. Allegiances are blurry, and Harry and Leahy employ a handful of identities to smooth their progress. Meanwhile, influential landowner Luis Almaden, helped by neighbor Don Carlos Martinez, prepares for a Confederate takeover by caching his valuables. He advises his hotheaded son Roberto and his beautiful daughter Isabel to travel south to safety. But willful Isabel has her own ideas. As Almaden's own odyssey begins with his arrest in Santa Fe, Harry splits from Leahy and falls in with a shrewd Meti Indian named Jack Tantou. Their frontier Hope/Crosby routine counterpoints Almaden's darker pursuit by a Confederate squad led by sneering Major Pyron. (There's also the obligatory saloon scene in which irate patrons try to oust Tantou because he's an Indian.) Midway through the story, Harry and Tantou cross paths with Isabel, and the detective falls hard for the Mexican beauty. When Almaden and Martinez are reported murdered, Harry has ample incentive to find their killer, especially since Leahy is charged with the murders.