Candice Proctor has beautifully weaved a suspenseful murder mystery set in 1862 New Orleans at the time it was occupied by enemy union soldiers under the command of General Benjamin Butler during the Civil War. Emmanuelle de Beauvais, French born and widowed, hates the union soldiers who have taken over her city.
The story begins with Emmanuelle and friend, Dr. Henri Santerre, visiting deceased relatives' tombs in the now famous St. Louis Cemetery. While there, Henri Santerre is murdered by a bolt shot from a crossbow.
Major Zachary X. Cooper, U. S. Cavalry, is assigned by General Benjamin Butler to investigate the murder. Zach Cooper wears the uniform and serves the war Emmanuelle abhors.
Being the sole witness to the murder, Zach interviews Emmanuelle. As the investigation progresses, the body count and the number of suspects increase. As enemies on opposite sides of the war, Emmanuelle's and Zach's mutual distrust keep complicating the budding romance that is trying to take root. As the distrust is slowly and painfully peeled away layer by layer, the sexual tension between them slowly escalates until they can no longer contain their long denied urges and desires.
Emmanuelle and Zach are realistically portrayed as dynamic characters who have deep seated demons with which they must grapple and closely guarded secrets which they must not allow to be revealed. Even the secondary characters are interesting, exciting, and realistic. My favorite is Captain Hamish Fletcher, a tall man "with a flowing mane of fiery hair and a splendid pair of handlebar mustaches" who served as a New York City police officer before the war. Captain Hamish is Zach's assistant in the murder investigation and serves as Zach's fact gatherer, gopher, and conscience and provides comic relief when the tension has mounted.
Every page is filled with suspense and intrigue and most chapters end with exciting cliffhangers that held me captive from the very first page to the absolute last page. Two-thirds of the way through the book, the plot reveals surprises that escalate an already suspenseful and exciting murder mystery to a new and higher level. Candice Proctor is truly "A Consummate Storyteller" as the book's cover describes her. This is the third book that I've read by Candice Proctor and it's not going to be the last. I can't wait to start the next one.
If you like murder mysteries, historical romance, suspense romance, or just a plain old good read, Midnight Confessions will satisfy. I highly recommend it.