Author: Timothy L. O'Brien
Format: Hardcover
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Publish Date: September 8, 2012
Source: HF Virtual Tours
Why You're Reading This Book:
- You're a historical fiction fan.
- You're a mystery fan.
From Goodreads.com: "A nation shattered by its president’s murder. Two diaries that reveal the true scope of an American conspiracy. A detective determined to bring the truth to light, no matter what it costs him
From award-winning journalist Timothy L. O’Brien comes a gripping historical thriller that poses a provocative question: What if the plot to assassinate President Lincoln was wider and more sinister than we ever imagined?
In late spring of 1865, as America mourns the death of its leader, Washington, D.C., police detective Temple McFadden makes a startling discovery. Strapped to the body of a dead man at the B&O Railroad station are two diaries, two documents that together reveal the true depth of the Lincoln conspiracy. Securing the diaries will put Temple’s life in jeopardy—and will endanger the fragile peace of a nation still torn by war.
Temple’s quest to bring the conspirators to justice takes him on a perilous journey through the gaslit streets of the Civil War–era capital, into bawdy houses and back alleys where ruthless enemies await him in every shadowed corner. Aided by an underground network of friends—and by his wife, Fiona, a nurse who possesses a formidable arsenal of medicinal potions—Temple must stay one step ahead of Lafayette Baker, head of the Union Army’s spy service. Along the way, he’ll run from or rely on Edwin Stanton, Lincoln’s fearsome secretary of war; the legendary Scottish spymaster Allan Pinkerton; abolitionist Sojourner Truth; the photographer Alexander Gardner; and many others."
My Two Cents:
Oh, President Lincoln is going to be a very popular subject for the near future, I can see. Between several books coming out about him recently and the Lincoln movie being in theaters now (I saw it this past weekend and it was very good), I think we're in for a very Lincoln filled 2013. No complaints here!
The death of Lincoln is still an event that captivates many minds both here in the United States as well as the rest of the world. The whole story takes place in the time period just after Lincoln's murder. The nation, having only recently signing a peace agreement between the North and the South after the Civil War, is absolutely shattered. Temple McFadden, a detective, finds two diaries that may hold the secrets to whether or not Lincoln's murder was something much larger, a conspiracy of sorts.
While I am not usually a mystery fan, I did enjoy this book, especially for the historical fiction part of it. This story is not necessarily new. While Temple is a fictional character, some believe that there really was just more than John Wilkes Booth involved in the killing of Lincoln even indirectly. Mary Surratt and Samuel Mudd are two names that come up a lot in these conspiracy theories. This book was definitely an interesting take on these theories. I loved the inclusion of a coded diary.
I also really liked the setting. I love books set in Washington. It's so cool to me to be able to look at a fictional view of my city. It was interesting how much of Temple's Washington was still familiar to me. I loved seeing 1860s Washington. You can tell that the author did a lot of research on what the city was like back then. The setting really made the book feel more real to me.
Some parts of the book were repetitive, especially when it came to the coded messages in the diaries. I wish that the book would have gone more in depth about coded messages in general rather than repeating what the messages said.
Bottom line: A good historical mystery with a great setting!
Don't Forget to Follow the Rest of the Tour (Come back to A Bookish Affair tomorrow, 11/28 for a giveaway of the book):
Monday, October 29
Feature & Giveaway at Passages to the Past
Wednesday, October 31
Review & Giveaway at The Book Garden
Feature & Giveaway at So Many Precious Books, So Little Time
Thursday, November 1
Review & Giveaway at JulzReads
Friday, November 2
Review & Giveaway at The Maiden's Court
Monday, November 5
Review at Flashlight Commentary
Review & Giveaway at Drey's Library
Tuesday, November 6
Review at So Many Books, So Little Time
Review & Giveaway at Griperang's Bookmarks
Wednesday, November 7
Review at Book Drunkard
Review at Peppermint, Ph.D.
Thursday, November 8
Review at Book Dillettante
Friday, November 9
Feature & Excerpt at Beth's Book Reviews
Saturday, November 10
Author Guest Post at JulzReads
Monday, November 12
Review at A Book Geek
Tuesday, November 13
Review at Ageless Pages Reviews
Review & Giveaway at Always With a Book
Thursday, November 15
Review & Giveaway at The Novel Life
Monday, November 19
Review at Confessions of an Avid Reader
Review at Lit Addicted Brit
Author Interview at Tribute Books
Tuesday, November 20
Feature & Giveaway at Historical Tapestry
Wednesday, November 21
Review at Crystal Book Reviews
Review at Unabridged Chick
Friday, November 23
Review at Sir Read A Lot
Author Interview at The Novel Life
Author Interview & Giveaway at Unabridged Chick
Monday, November 26
Review at Oh, for the Hook of a Book!
Review & Giveaway at Words and Peace
Tuesday, November 27
Review at A Bookish Affair
Author Interview & Giveaway at Oh, for the Hook of a Book!
Wednesday, November 28
Review at Book Journey
Review at My Reading Room
Author Guest Post & Giveaway at A Bookish Affair
Thursday, November 29
Review at The Musings of a Book Junkie
Author Interview at My Reading Room
Friday, November 30
Review at Impressions in Ink
Monday, December 3
Review at Bibliophilic Book Blog
Review at The Bookworm
Review & Giveaway at Broken Teepee
Giveaway at A Writer's Life: Working with the Muse
Tuesday, December 4
Review at Paperback Princess
Review at Cheryl's Book Nook
Wednesday, December 5
Review at Luxury Reading
Review at Stiletto Storytime
Author Guest Post & Giveaway at Paperback Princess
Thursday, December 6
Review at One Book at a Time
Review & Giveaway at Let Them Read Books
Friday, December 7
Review at A Chick Who Reads
My favorite parts of the book were the descriptions of Washington D.C. during this time, they were very interesting!
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