Devil's Den: A Seth Armitage Novel

by Timothy Ashby

The 1923 murder of a Civil War veteran leaves a trail of conspiracy, cover-up and corruption stretching from the Battle of Gettysburg to the halls of the Harding-era Congress and the fledgling Bureau of Investigation (precursor to the FBI). Someone is killing elderly Civil War veterans and BI agent Seth Armitage must discover what links the victims in order to find the killer, unaware that the investigation is being manipulated by the Bureau's corrupt director Harry M. Daugherty(real-life Attorney General in the tainted Harding Administration) and a shadowy member of the Senate. Providing a Machiavellian counterweight to the plot is the BI's ambitious assistant director J. Edgar Hoover. The case draws Virginia-born Armitage, haunted by his memories of World War I France, to the site of the bloody battlefield where his grandfathers fought for the Confederacy. Ashby's interweaving of the two events, and his portrayal of the Civil War as a lingering tragedy for both sides of the conflict, nicely ups the emotional stakes. The beautiful daughter of a deceased Union soldier plays a pivotal role; so do young Charles "Slim" Lindbergh, the resurging Ku Klux Klan and BI colleague Gaston Means (a convicted felon in real life). Real people, real events and the still-charged reverberations of the Civil War provide a provocative framework for a 1920s-era mystery neatly told with meticulous historical detail and enjoyable twists.

ebook

First published March 21, 2011

About the author

Timothy Ashby worked in Washington, D.C. as a counter-terrorism consultant to the U.S. State Department, and a senior official at the U.S. Commerce Department. He held two Top Secret security clearances and worked with a number of colorful characters, including members of the U.S. military’s Joint Special Operations Command.

Before and after his career in Washington, Ashby led a peripatetic life. Born in the USA, he spent his teenage years in Grenada, where he learned to surf, sail and dive, and where his lifelong passion for history and archaeology was inspired.

It was also in Grenada that he became passionate about writing, having the good fortune to be mentored by authors Martin Woodhouse and Dudley Pope. Mr. Pope named one of the characters in his Lord Ramage series “Captain Ashby,” in honor of the teenage Tim Ashby.

After moving to in Spain and then the UK, Ashby returned to Grenada in his early 20s. There he served as a director of various businesses until the Communist Revolution of 1979. Ashby received his PhD in International Relations from the University of Southern California. In the 1990s, he lived in the UK, earning an MBA degree at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland, and working in Central and Eastern Europe on a variety of privatization and economic development projects. He also has a law degree, and is a licensed attorney in Florida and Washington, D.C. He has been a successful entrepreneur, serving as CEO of several global companies that he founded. He is the author of Time Fall, Devil’s Den, Missed Opportunities, The Bear in the Back Yard, numerous articles, and the prize-winning ghost story, “Warrior’s Return.”

Reviews

[Harold Kasselman · Rating 5 out of 5]

If I could give this book a 10 I would. this was absolutely superb. It has everything you could want in an historical fiction work. This is an imaginative plot about a conspiracy which spans 60 years. While you may correctly guess the conspirators' ultimate aim, getting there is superbly done. The author brings to life the 20's in the context of a story that begins during the Civil War. The gross misconduct and corruption of the Harding administration, especially its Justice department, are exceptionally well depicted. The racial strife of the times, the power of the KKK at its height, and the dogged pursuit of a southern G-man dedicated to finding justice, all combine to deliver a knock out punch of a story and conclusion. There is even a romantic sub plot that is tastefully done and is not merely a throw in for romance fans; there is substance to their relationship I can't imagine why this isn't a best selling novel. It deserves to be.

[Frcs]

Exciting debut novel. Works as a "cliffhanger" mystery novel as well as a historical action adventure with a a strong romance vein. Excellent writing throughout - reminded me of Frederick Forsyth and Wilbur Smith. Timothy Ashby is a writer to be watched - would love to see more of his work.

[Claire · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an engrossing read set in the Harding presidency. Post Civil War and Post WW I. The main character is a shell shocked WW I veteran who is working for the Bureau of Investigation. The Bureau at this time is a corrupt den of cover ups and lazy agents. He is sent off to solve the murder of a Civil War Veteran on Cemetery Hill at Gettysburg, where he discovers that this murder is just the tip of the iceberg and he has been thrown into a massive conspiracy which goes back to the battle itself.

There a number of intriguing plot twists along the way, one of which involves J Edgar Hoover and his quest to become Director of the Agency.

There is a second book which involves the disappearance of Quentin Rosevelt's body from his grave in France. I will be reading that one too

[M. Sprouse · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fine historical mystery with a little something for every reader. I was drawn in not only by the two time periods of focus, but also by the characters and solving both ends of the mystery. I enjoyed this more that the other Timothy Ashby book, "Time Fall" I read last year, which wasn't bad, just too predictable. Ashby does justice to both the civil war period and the early 1920s with almost complete historical accuracy.

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maybe a little too long, but the author's weaving of the Civil War with 1923 Washington DC was interesting.

[Ken Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good historical fiction that interweaves the early 1920s with the Civil War. Enjoyed how author worked historical figures (Hoover, Lindbergh) who were early in their lives in to the story. Descriptions of Gettysburg were accurate and made feel as though I were in the scenes. Look forward to more works from Timothy Ashby.

[Craig S. · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very good book. I enjoyed the characters,the plot,and the mystery. Recommend