Reviewed by Annette Gisby, author of Silent Screams

Set during the aftermath of the American civil war, Mercer's Manor tells the tale of Dan Mercer, ex-military captain and a changed man after his time in captivity as a prisoner of war. Days after his release, camping out, he surprises an interloper trying to steal his horse. He attacks the would be horse thief, only to discover that it's a woman, Glory B. Sthal.

Glory too has had her fair share of problems, her family has been murdered by mercenaries, the women including herself have all been raped. She too would have been killed, except that the ex-soldiers get drunk on her father's moonshine and she runs into the woods where she comes across Mercer.

Thinking she would be safer travelling with him, Glory tags along with Mercer, determined just to use him and leave when it suits her. They come across a dilapidated farm, held at gunpoint by the ten year old boy whose family live there. Mercer decides he could stay at the farm and help out, making it a success and wants Glory to stay with him.

Glory had decided that she would never trust another man, no matter who they were and Mercer is no exception. Just as he was getting used to having her around, she ups and leaves with no mention of where she is going. Mercer is distraught and throws himself into making the farm a success, but Glory is never far from his thoughts. Will he ever see her again?

Mercer's Manor is an interesting story, dealing with the terrible things that happen during and after war, some of it a little uncomfortable to read, especially the rape scene. I did not want to know what the soldiers were thinking or feeling as they raped and killed Glory's family, as what they were thinking and feeling was nor particularly nice.

Parts of the narrative are a little disjointed, with a lot of it told in flashback rather than a linear tale. But by the end of the book, as we have struggled along with the characters, we are left in no doubt that whatever problems they had faced in the past, Glory and Mercer emerge as strong survivors and not victims.

If you like westerns and historicals it's worth a read.

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