Perish from the Earth: A Lincoln and Speed Mystery #2. Jonathan
F. Putnam. Crooked Lane Books. July 11, 2017. 304 pp. ISBN #: 9781683311393.
Meet
the characters who just might be responsible for the murder of a man who was
angry over losing the possible love of his life:
The
Gambler – a man who deals cards with an unheard-of speed and who sweats up a
storm when one person figures out his tricks and lets others know.
A
Drunken Fool – a man who is mourning something but not sober enough to speak
about what it is but drunk enough to lash out at anyone who approaches him.
A
young Artist who can sketch anyone’s facial image or a focused setting in
moments but who can’t seem to make a living beyond that skill.
A
Barkeep doling out drinks and scanning the crowd for trouble and maybe
something or someone else.
A
Dandy dressed “to the nines” with a Negro servant quietly knitting but also
watching everyone quite carefully.
A
vivacious Actress dressed in red who graces all with her becoming, fluttering
eye glances.
The
victim – John W. Jones of Ames Manor, Nashville, TN of the doughy face and
passionate nature.
Joshua
Speed – the investigator who assists Abe Lincoln in solving the crime of
Jones’s murder
Abraham
Lincoln- lawyer, fierce advocate of abolition of the slaves, who with Speed
investigates the murder.
As
legal cases in Nashville are heard on a “circuit” system, Lincoln and Speed
have little time to solve the murder mystery or the accused perpetrator will
have to wait almost another year before going on trial, a year in a jail that
is cold and cruel enough to kill anyone.
It
turns out Speed’s father owns the ship where these nefarious characters are
traveling and interacting. The card game
is obviously rigged but for what purpose.
The money Speed is supposed to collect is supposedly unavailable and so
one realizes there’s something about this steamboat and its members that’s
hiding something nefarious. Speed must
clear his own name since it’s guilt by association. One also notices that guilt is quickly assigned
based on the conjectures of both witnesses and acquaintances of any of these
characters.
Perish from the Earth… is a fine mystery that keeps the interest
consistent through the whole tale and makes the reader want to read more about
this duo who have sharp sleuthing skills and a passion for ending
wrongdoing. Lincoln’s passion for ending
slavery is a subplot that only adds to the suspense. Nicely done, Jonathan F. Putnam!
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