Murder in the Lincoln White House
March 4, 1861—President Abraham Lincoln has been inaugurated and has given his first address and is now joining thousands of citizens to celebrate his presidency. The inaugural ball is full of well-wishers but also those who would just as easily celebrate the death of this man who is determined to hold the Union together. He’s also seen as a slave lover and therefore a very real potential threat to Southern finance and culture. One plot to kill him had already been stymied by his secret arrival in Washington.
Now Adam Quinn, nephew of Joshua Speed, best friend of the President, is called upon to assist the President. Not far from the ballroom, a man, Custer Billings, has been found stabbed to death. Adam has recently returned from living in Kansas for five years, learning Indian skills to track animals and respect nature. He’s also repulsed by the barbaric, brutal treatment of enslaved and freed black men and women. Adam sets about the task of trying to find Billings’ killer, with the help of an unusual journalist.
What is unique about this story is the focus on division within the United States and the fact that all who wait in line for a potential job in Lincoln’s government are not necessarily friends. The division in Kansas specifically is described as paralleling that which prevails in the nation. Adam is an honorable investigator who makes this mystery compelling historical fiction. What is also obvious is the honesty and integrity of Abraham Lincoln, who demonstrates unusual perception in whom he trusts and what he knows he can expect not only from Adam but also his opponents. A fine read!