REVIEW: Murder in the Lincoln Whitehouse

Murder in the Lincoln White House
Author: C.M. Gleason

It's March 4, 1861.  Tension is riding high between the northern and southern states. War will soon break out, but for now, it's just rumblings and quiet threats. Newly elected President Abraham Lincoln has been sworn in, and a crowd has gathered for the Inaugural Ball. Fears of assassination or other violence are high....so security around President Lincoln is tight. Allan Pinkerton, head of Lincoln's security team, and three other guards watch the crowd for signs of trouble. Adam Quinn, recovering from a wound he suffered while in the Kansas Territory, has been hired for security and also to act as a Jack-of-all-Trades for Lincoln. Quinn sees a man in the crowd acting strangely, but he is waylaid by women wanting him to dance, reporters and others at the ball, never making it over to the man. By the time he returns to the raised dais to check in with Lincoln an his entourage, something grave has happened. A man has been stabbed to death. Custer Billings, a banker, is dead, two knife wounds in his chest. Quinn quickly starts investigating the killiing. Was this a political killing? Related to Lincoln? Or a random act?

This book is a nice blend of mystery and historical fiction. The author obviously did quite a bit of research to capture the tensions, political climate and issues of 1861. I did have just a twinge of incredulity that Quinn would have paired up with a female reporter and a free black man to investigate this murder. I doubt there were many female reporters in Washington D.C. in 1861. For a moment, it felt like forced diversity for PC purposes....but I liked the characters and felt they meshed together as investigators. So, it was a momentary twinge only.

The story is an enjoyable, believable read. The mystery has plenty of action, twists and suspects. This is the first book in a series....great start! I can't wait to read more!

The second book in the series, Murder in the Oval Library, will be out in August 2018.

C.M. Gleason is a penname used by author Colleen Gleason. She writes action/adventure novels under C.M. Gleason, and paranormal and YA books under Colleen Gleason. To learn more about the author, check out her websites: http://www.cmgleason.com/ and http://www.colleengleason.com/

**I voluntarily read an advanced readers copy of this book from Kensington via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**