House of the Patriarch, by Barbara Hambly (Severn House)
This latest
“Benjamin January” mystery begins with yet another commission to find a missing
daughter. In this case, the lost girl is a young lady from a modestly
well-to-do white family, recently introduced into society but given to fanciful
questions. The last thing Ben wants is to leave his family and put himself at
risk of being nabbed by slave-catchers, or worse. But the fee will mean his
family’s security during a long lean season.
That said, House of the Patriarch stands apart in
its depiction of the social experiments that flourished at the time.
Spiritualism (séances, communicating with the dead), communal living,
charismatic leaders, all abounded. The Mormon church and others trace their
beginnings to this time. The “House” to which Ben ventures is the resident of
one such leader. Since the leader has also a reputation for helping escaped
slaves on their route to Canada, Ben disguises himself as such and quickly
infiltrates the hidden areas of the house. Needless to say, plot twists and
dark secrets abound.
Hambly marries her
knowledge of history and social customs to a pitch-perfect story of human fears
and longing.
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