A Civil War mystery set in Concord, NH, is the fare for this evening! Mark Travis, formerly a reporter and editor of the Concord Monitor, and current publisher of the Valley News, presents his first novel, Pliney Fiske. 

From filmmaker Ken Burns: "This is a wonderful novel, alive in the moment, from the first scene to the last. It rings true, too, free of the cloying sentimentality that afflicts most of our Civil War memories. This is a gritty, real world that Travis unpacks, one filled with characters particular to this story, but also universal in their familiarity and dimension. I felt like I was there." 

Read the first chapter here.

Mr. Travis is also the co-author of My Brave Boys, a history of the Fifth New Hampshire Volunteers in the Civil War. Pliney Fiske ($14.95) will be available in June, at Gibson's Bookstore.