Assassin of Shadows
It’s September 1901 in Buffalo, New York, and US President William McKinley is shot by assassin and anarchist Leon Czolgosz. The initial prognosis is positive, but days later the president dies of his wounds. Two tough-as-nails US Secret Service agents spring into duty with their mission to determine how large the conspiracy was or whether the killer acted alone. Because of the suspicious ease with which the assassin was able to get so close to McKinley with all the security surrounding him, they’re not sure who to trust. The investigation takes them to Buffalo, Cleveland, New York, Chicago and Washington, D.C. They must interview politicians, anarchists, police officers and others. Through a series of unlikely coincidences and extraordinary good luck, they hone in on the real culprits.
The book reads quickly with a good narrative cadence and occasional bits of dark humor. However, in addition to novels, the author is also a writer of political commentary, and this perspective permeates the story. Police in the big cities all seem to be fat, thuggish and stupid. Anarchists are idealistic, principled and misunderstood. The one priest mentioned is abusive, and nuns are not to be trusted. Capitalists, especially financiers, are the root of all America’s ailments. Because of this tendentious and ultimately boring overriding theme, I was able to determine the approximately correct conclusion of the book after the first several chapters. Not a good harbinger for a “mystery” novel. Still, there may be readers who find it appealing. In his endnote, the writer cautions he doesn’t endorse his version of events as true. Nevertheless, for me, this book was less of a historical novel and more of a dismal historical fantasy.
