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Assassin of Shadows
Just after 4 p.m. on September 6, 1901, twenty-eight year old anarchist Leon Czolgosz pumped two shots into the chest and abdomen of President William McKinley. Czolgosz had been on a receiving line waiting to shake the president’s hand, his revolver concealed in an oversized bandage covering his right hand and wrist. McKinley had two Secret Service agents by his side, but neither made a move to stop the assailant. After he was apprehended, Czolgosz said simply, “I done my duty.”
Both law enforcement and the press insisted that Czolgosz was merely the tip of a vast and murderous conspiracy, likely instigated by the “high priestess of anarchy,” Emma Goldman. To untangle its threads and bring the remaining conspirators to justice, the president’s most senior advisors choose two other Secret Service agents, Walter George and Harry Swayne. What they uncover will not only absolve the anarchists, but also expose a plot that will threaten the foundations of American democracy, and likely cost them their lives.
As in his other brilliant novels combining history and fiction, Lawrence Goldstone creates a remarkable and chilling tableau, filled with suspense and unexpected turns of fate, detailing events that actually might have happened. As Publishers Weekly observed in its starred review of the “exceptional thriller,” Deadly Cure, “Goldstone again blends fact and fiction seamlessly.”
Both law enforcement and the press insisted that Czolgosz was merely the tip of a vast and murderous conspiracy, likely instigated by the “high priestess of anarchy,” Emma Goldman. To untangle its threads and bring the remaining conspirators to justice, the president’s most senior advisors choose two other Secret Service agents, Walter George and Harry Swayne. What they uncover will not only absolve the anarchists, but also expose a plot that will threaten the foundations of American democracy, and likely cost them their lives.
As in his other brilliant novels combining history and fiction, Lawrence Goldstone creates a remarkable and chilling tableau, filled with suspense and unexpected turns of fate, detailing events that actually might have happened. As Publishers Weekly observed in its starred review of the “exceptional thriller,” Deadly Cure, “Goldstone again blends fact and fiction seamlessly.”
352 pages, Hardcover
First published June 4, 2019
7 people are currently reading
159 people want to read
About the author
Lawrence Goldstone
36 books199 followersLawrence Goldstone is the author of fourteen books of both fiction and non-fiction. Six of those books were co-authored with his wife, Nancy, but they now write separately to save what is left of their dishes.
Goldstone's articles, reviews, and opinion pieces have appeared in, among other publications, the Boston Globe, Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, Miami Herald, Hartford Courant, and Berkshire Eagle. He has also written for a number of magazines that have gone bust, although he denies any cause and effect.
His first novel, Rights, won a New American Writing Award but he now cringes at its awkward prose. (Anatomy of Deception and The Astronomer are much better.)
Despite a seemingly incurable tendency to say what's on his mind (thus mortifying Nancy), Goldstone has been widely interviewed on both radio and television, with appearances on, among others, "Fresh Air" (NPR), "To the Best of Our Knowledge" (NPR), "The Faith Middleton Show" (NPR), "Tavis Smiley" (PBS), and Leonard Lopate (WNYC). His work has also been profiled in The New York Times, The Toronto Star, numerous regional newspapers, Salon, and Slate.
Goldstone holds a PhD in American Constitutional Studies from the New School. His friends thus call him DrG, although he can barely touch the rim. (Sigh. Can't make a layup anymore either.) He and his beloved bride founded and ran an innovative series of parent-child book groups, which they documented in Deconstructing Penguins. He has also been a teacher, lecturer, senior member of a Wall Street trading firm, taxi driver, actor, quiz show contestant, and policy analyst at the Hudson Institute.
He is a unerring stock picker. Everything he buys instantly goes down.
Goldstone's articles, reviews, and opinion pieces have appeared in, among other publications, the Boston Globe, Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, Miami Herald, Hartford Courant, and Berkshire Eagle. He has also written for a number of magazines that have gone bust, although he denies any cause and effect.
His first novel, Rights, won a New American Writing Award but he now cringes at its awkward prose. (Anatomy of Deception and The Astronomer are much better.)
Despite a seemingly incurable tendency to say what's on his mind (thus mortifying Nancy), Goldstone has been widely interviewed on both radio and television, with appearances on, among others, "Fresh Air" (NPR), "To the Best of Our Knowledge" (NPR), "The Faith Middleton Show" (NPR), "Tavis Smiley" (PBS), and Leonard Lopate (WNYC). His work has also been profiled in The New York Times, The Toronto Star, numerous regional newspapers, Salon, and Slate.
Goldstone holds a PhD in American Constitutional Studies from the New School. His friends thus call him DrG, although he can barely touch the rim. (Sigh. Can't make a layup anymore either.) He and his beloved bride founded and ran an innovative series of parent-child book groups, which they documented in Deconstructing Penguins. He has also been a teacher, lecturer, senior member of a Wall Street trading firm, taxi driver, actor, quiz show contestant, and policy analyst at the Hudson Institute.
He is a unerring stock picker. Everything he buys instantly goes down.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
July 20, 2019
Two secret service men, Walter George and Harry Swayne are tasked with trying to find out the truth about the assassin attempt of President William McKinley. The shooter, anarchist Leon Czolgosz words after the deed is "I done my duty". But could it all be a conspiracy? That anarchism is just a pretext for something else? The more they dig the more they uncover clues that point to that Czolgosz was just the fall guy...
READ THE REST OF THE REVIEW OVER AT FRESH FICTION!
READ THE REST OF THE REVIEW OVER AT FRESH FICTION!
August 7, 2019
The primary lesson I have learned here is that I will probably not read another book by Mr. Goldstone.
The book here is a "reimagining" of the events surrounding the assassination of President William McKinley. McKinley was shot in 1901 by Leon Czolgosz (pronounced "chal-gosh") an Anarchist.
In the book the assassination is pictured as the result of a convoluted conspiracy. This sounded like an interesting story, and I suppose could have been.Instead we get a long somewhat wandering story that touches on the personal life of our protagonist and his sidekick. The loss, love-lives and so on while not my cup of tea could possibly draw in some other readers. I suspect however that these readers also may find the book a bit slow and "noncommittal". It often doesn't seem to know exactly what type of story it is some stumbles back and forth trying to find itself.
However the part that pushes the book over the line from 3 stars to 2 is for me "that is for me" the ending.
Of course I can't go into that in the open as it is a major spoiler so...spoiler upcoming. IF YOU DON'T WANT TO KNOW HOW THE BOOK ENDS DO NOT READ THE SPOILER!
Again, bottom line didn't care for it, got rid of the book, don't plan to read any more from the author.
The book here is a "reimagining" of the events surrounding the assassination of President William McKinley. McKinley was shot in 1901 by Leon Czolgosz (pronounced "chal-gosh") an Anarchist.
In the book the assassination is pictured as the result of a convoluted conspiracy. This sounded like an interesting story, and I suppose could have been.Instead we get a long somewhat wandering story that touches on the personal life of our protagonist and his sidekick. The loss, love-lives and so on while not my cup of tea could possibly draw in some other readers. I suspect however that these readers also may find the book a bit slow and "noncommittal". It often doesn't seem to know exactly what type of story it is some stumbles back and forth trying to find itself.
However the part that pushes the book over the line from 3 stars to 2 is for me "that is for me" the ending.
Of course I can't go into that in the open as it is a major spoiler so...spoiler upcoming. IF YOU DON'T WANT TO KNOW HOW THE BOOK ENDS DO NOT READ THE SPOILER!
Again, bottom line didn't care for it, got rid of the book, don't plan to read any more from the author.
May 26, 2019
thanks to the publishers and net galley for a free copy in return for an open and honest review
this book was initially a slow burner but picked up as it went along, based on the assassination of president McKinley and the plot to kill the president and the sting in the tail at the end which was slightly surprising
this book was initially a slow burner but picked up as it went along, based on the assassination of president McKinley and the plot to kill the president and the sting in the tail at the end which was slightly surprising
April 19, 2019
Really enjoyed 98% of this. Didn’t love the surprise ending. Full review coming for Shelf Awareness.
July 2, 2019
American book-buying habits being what they are, the single most complimentary thing I can say about ASSASSIN OF SHADOWS is that it reads like a Jack Reacher book. It is a minor scandal that the American public, as spendthrifty as they are in every other area of commerce, is so miserly in terms of buying books, but there we have it. As a people, we purchase books from authors we like and ignore most of the rest. But occasionally we will take a flyer on books that are similar to those we've liked, and many an author has, in their deepest reservoirs of their desiccated black hearts, aspired to be the next Clancy, the next Grisham, the next Ludlum.
I do not honestly think that Lawrence Goldstone (whose nonfiction I have read and enjoyed) is specifically trying to be the next Lee Child (not that it would be such a terrible thing if he were). The resemblance between Jack Reacher and Goldstone’s Walter George is only skin-deep anyway. George is an imposing, hard-bitten Army veteran like Reacher, but he has a respectable job, a place to live and a partner. He’s almost immediately given a job worthy of someone of Reacher’s talents: investigating the murder of President William McKinley.
The McKinley assassination is one of those nuggets of history that has fallen out of the popular imagination. Compared to Booth or Oswald or even Guiteau, the name Leon Czolgosz is scarcely remembered. The assumption made at the time --- and in this novel --- is that Czolgosz was a patsy, a dupe of some larger organization of anarchists. It is George’s job to run down this lead --- together with a Presidential directive not to pin the blame on the anarchists without evidence.
What Goldstone does most effectively in ASSASSIN OF SHADOWS is to put his hero in constant conflict with everyone around him. George is brave, determined and formidable, and surrounded by people who, for various reasons, don’t want him to do his job. But he keeps on, relentlessly, until he finds the thread of the conspiracy. This should sound familiar to any Reacher fan, and Goldstone blends the period details with the procedural format very effectively. (There is a lot of train travel in this book, as George goes back and forth from Chicago to Buffalo to Cleveland, following up on leads.)
The other main source of conflict for George is his partner, Harry Swayne, who exists primarily to needle him. The relationship between them is skewed a bit by two salient facts: Swayne was George’s superior in the Army (where they fought the Sioux in the Dakotas), and he is trying to get George to marry his sister. So there’s an odd brother-in-law dynamic between the two that is more than a little annoying. Goldstone solves this by periodically dropping Swayne out of the story.
The joke in the book, which may or may not be a joke, is that Swayne spends the time when George leaves him behind in the local whorehouse. Swayne’s presence solves a problem in the Reacher books, which are all either first-person narrations (which is fine) or third-person limited, which doesn’t work so well for Reacher because he’s so quiet. You have to put Reacher constantly around other people so he can move the story forward. Swayne is there to talk to George and help out with the fighting; when he’s not needed, he drops out of the story very efficiently.
But George is always there, doggedly pushing the case forward, running down clues, and acting honorably once they lead him down a very dark path. ASSASSIN OF SHADOWS is a close period-piece cousin to the Reacher series, but it finds its own way and reaches its own conclusions while exploring a dark --- and almost forgotten --- chapter in American history.
Reviewed by Curtis Edmonds
I do not honestly think that Lawrence Goldstone (whose nonfiction I have read and enjoyed) is specifically trying to be the next Lee Child (not that it would be such a terrible thing if he were). The resemblance between Jack Reacher and Goldstone’s Walter George is only skin-deep anyway. George is an imposing, hard-bitten Army veteran like Reacher, but he has a respectable job, a place to live and a partner. He’s almost immediately given a job worthy of someone of Reacher’s talents: investigating the murder of President William McKinley.
The McKinley assassination is one of those nuggets of history that has fallen out of the popular imagination. Compared to Booth or Oswald or even Guiteau, the name Leon Czolgosz is scarcely remembered. The assumption made at the time --- and in this novel --- is that Czolgosz was a patsy, a dupe of some larger organization of anarchists. It is George’s job to run down this lead --- together with a Presidential directive not to pin the blame on the anarchists without evidence.
What Goldstone does most effectively in ASSASSIN OF SHADOWS is to put his hero in constant conflict with everyone around him. George is brave, determined and formidable, and surrounded by people who, for various reasons, don’t want him to do his job. But he keeps on, relentlessly, until he finds the thread of the conspiracy. This should sound familiar to any Reacher fan, and Goldstone blends the period details with the procedural format very effectively. (There is a lot of train travel in this book, as George goes back and forth from Chicago to Buffalo to Cleveland, following up on leads.)
The other main source of conflict for George is his partner, Harry Swayne, who exists primarily to needle him. The relationship between them is skewed a bit by two salient facts: Swayne was George’s superior in the Army (where they fought the Sioux in the Dakotas), and he is trying to get George to marry his sister. So there’s an odd brother-in-law dynamic between the two that is more than a little annoying. Goldstone solves this by periodically dropping Swayne out of the story.
The joke in the book, which may or may not be a joke, is that Swayne spends the time when George leaves him behind in the local whorehouse. Swayne’s presence solves a problem in the Reacher books, which are all either first-person narrations (which is fine) or third-person limited, which doesn’t work so well for Reacher because he’s so quiet. You have to put Reacher constantly around other people so he can move the story forward. Swayne is there to talk to George and help out with the fighting; when he’s not needed, he drops out of the story very efficiently.
But George is always there, doggedly pushing the case forward, running down clues, and acting honorably once they lead him down a very dark path. ASSASSIN OF SHADOWS is a close period-piece cousin to the Reacher series, but it finds its own way and reaches its own conclusions while exploring a dark --- and almost forgotten --- chapter in American history.
Reviewed by Curtis Edmonds
June 11, 2019
I was the first person to check this out at my library and completely enjoyed the historical fiction tale from very early 20th century America. As far as I can tell, the part about Pres. William McKinley and his assassination at the World’s Fair were accurate. Also interesting was the part the building of the Panama Canal played in the story.
October 30, 2019
American book-buying habits being what they are, the single most complimentary thing I can say about ASSASSIN OF SHADOWS is that it reads like a Jack Reacher book. It is a minor scandal that the American public, as spendthrifty as they are in every other area of commerce, is so miserly in terms of buying books, but there we have it. As a people, we purchase books from authors we like and ignore most of the rest. But occasionally we will take a flyer on books that are similar to those we've liked, and many an author has, in their deepest reservoirs of their desiccated black hearts, aspired to be the next Clancy, the next Grisham, the next Ludlum.
I do not honestly think that Lawrence Goldstone (whose nonfiction I have read and enjoyed) is specifically trying to be the next Lee Child (not that it would be such a terrible thing if he were).
Read the rest at: https://www.bookreporter.com/reviews/assassin-of-shadows
I do not honestly think that Lawrence Goldstone (whose nonfiction I have read and enjoyed) is specifically trying to be the next Lee Child (not that it would be such a terrible thing if he were).
Read the rest at: https://www.bookreporter.com/reviews/assassin-of-shadows
January 30, 2021
NOTE TO SELF:
Solid political historical fiction
That ending....
Solid political historical fiction
That ending....
June 25, 2019
American book-buying habits being what they are, the single most complimentary thing I can say about ASSASSIN OF SHADOWS is that it reads like a Jack Reacher book. It is a minor scandal that the American public, as spendthrifty as they are in every other area of commerce, is so miserly in terms of buying books, but there we have it. As a people, we purchase books from authors we like and ignore most of the rest. But occasionally we will take a flyer on books that are similar to those we've liked, and many an author has, in their deepest reservoirs of their desiccated black hearts, aspired to be the next Clancy, the next Grisham, the next Ludlum.
I do not honestly think that Lawrence Goldstone (whose nonfiction I have read and enjoyed) is specifically trying to be the next Lee Child (not that it would be such a terrible thing if he were). The resemblance between Jack Reacher and Goldstone’s Walter George is only skin-deep anyway. George is an imposing, hard-bitten Army veteran like Reacher, but he has a respectable job, a place to live and a partner. He’s almost immediately given a job worthy of someone of Reacher’s talents: investigating the murder of President William McKinley.
The McKinley assassination is one of those nuggets of history that has fallen out of the popular imagination. Compared to Booth or Oswald or even Guiteau, the name Leon Czolgosz is scarcely remembered. The assumption made at the time --- and in this novel --- is that Czolgosz was a patsy, a dupe of some larger organization of anarchists. It is George’s job to run down this lead --- together with a Presidential directive not to pin the blame on the anarchists without evidence.
What Goldstone does most effectively in ASSASSIN OF SHADOWS is to put his hero in constant conflict with everyone around him. George is brave, determined and formidable, and surrounded by people who, for various reasons, don’t want him to do his job. But he keeps on, relentlessly, until he finds the thread of the conspiracy. This should sound familiar to any Reacher fan, and Goldstone blends the period details with the procedural format very effectively. (There is a lot of train travel in this book, as George goes back and forth from Chicago to Buffalo to Cleveland, following up on leads.)
The other main source of conflict for George is his partner, Harry Swayne, who exists primarily to needle him. The relationship between them is skewed a bit by two salient facts: Swayne was George’s superior in the Army (where they fought the Sioux in the Dakotas), and he is trying to get George to marry his sister. So there’s an odd brother-in-law dynamic between the two that is more than a little annoying. Goldstone solves this by periodically dropping Swayne out of the story.
The joke in the book, which may or may not be a joke, is that Swayne spends the time when George leaves him behind in the local whorehouse. Swayne’s presence solves a problem in the Reacher books, which are all either first-person narrations (which is fine) or third-person limited, which doesn’t work so well for Reacher because he’s so quiet. You have to put Reacher constantly around other people so he can move the story forward. Swayne is there to talk to George and help out with the fighting; when he’s not needed, he drops out of the story very efficiently.
But George is always there, doggedly pushing the case forward, running down clues, and acting honorably once they lead him down a very dark path. ASSASSIN OF SHADOWS is a close period-piece cousin to the Reacher series, but it finds its own way and reaches its own conclusions while exploring a dark --- and almost forgotten --- chapter in American history.
Reviewed by Curtis Edmonds
I do not honestly think that Lawrence Goldstone (whose nonfiction I have read and enjoyed) is specifically trying to be the next Lee Child (not that it would be such a terrible thing if he were). The resemblance between Jack Reacher and Goldstone’s Walter George is only skin-deep anyway. George is an imposing, hard-bitten Army veteran like Reacher, but he has a respectable job, a place to live and a partner. He’s almost immediately given a job worthy of someone of Reacher’s talents: investigating the murder of President William McKinley.
The McKinley assassination is one of those nuggets of history that has fallen out of the popular imagination. Compared to Booth or Oswald or even Guiteau, the name Leon Czolgosz is scarcely remembered. The assumption made at the time --- and in this novel --- is that Czolgosz was a patsy, a dupe of some larger organization of anarchists. It is George’s job to run down this lead --- together with a Presidential directive not to pin the blame on the anarchists without evidence.
What Goldstone does most effectively in ASSASSIN OF SHADOWS is to put his hero in constant conflict with everyone around him. George is brave, determined and formidable, and surrounded by people who, for various reasons, don’t want him to do his job. But he keeps on, relentlessly, until he finds the thread of the conspiracy. This should sound familiar to any Reacher fan, and Goldstone blends the period details with the procedural format very effectively. (There is a lot of train travel in this book, as George goes back and forth from Chicago to Buffalo to Cleveland, following up on leads.)
The other main source of conflict for George is his partner, Harry Swayne, who exists primarily to needle him. The relationship between them is skewed a bit by two salient facts: Swayne was George’s superior in the Army (where they fought the Sioux in the Dakotas), and he is trying to get George to marry his sister. So there’s an odd brother-in-law dynamic between the two that is more than a little annoying. Goldstone solves this by periodically dropping Swayne out of the story.
The joke in the book, which may or may not be a joke, is that Swayne spends the time when George leaves him behind in the local whorehouse. Swayne’s presence solves a problem in the Reacher books, which are all either first-person narrations (which is fine) or third-person limited, which doesn’t work so well for Reacher because he’s so quiet. You have to put Reacher constantly around other people so he can move the story forward. Swayne is there to talk to George and help out with the fighting; when he’s not needed, he drops out of the story very efficiently.
But George is always there, doggedly pushing the case forward, running down clues, and acting honorably once they lead him down a very dark path. ASSASSIN OF SHADOWS is a close period-piece cousin to the Reacher series, but it finds its own way and reaches its own conclusions while exploring a dark --- and almost forgotten --- chapter in American history.
Reviewed by Curtis Edmonds
June 27, 2019
The premise of ASSASSIN OF SHADOWS is quite intriguing and will certainly catch the attention of history buffs and suspense/thriller fans alike. President William McKinley has just been shot by anarchist Leon Czolgosz. Secret Service agent Walter George is sent to investigate and discovers rather than being an open and shut case, Czolgosz might have acted on behalf of powerful individuals who want the President dead for their own reasons.
From the description I was expecting something a bit more literary, but it was very similar to the accessible writing styles of James Patterson, Harlan Coben, and David Baldacci. There was very minimal character development throughout. I think the romantic subplot was meant to give Walter some much needed depth, but the progression of their relationship felt inauthentic and never came together for me; it would have been better to leave it out entirely. The dialogue felt too modern for the turn of the 20th century at times, which was jarring and pulled me out of the story. While the novel is more action-driven, most of it fell flat for me. There was very little in the way of suspense or excitement. I had a hard time investing in the story from the very beginning and continually had to force myself to keep reading and finish it. Even the twist ending didn't shock me very much. In all, I was disappointed because I had expected to like this one quite a bit.
I received an advanced copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
From the description I was expecting something a bit more literary, but it was very similar to the accessible writing styles of James Patterson, Harlan Coben, and David Baldacci. There was very minimal character development throughout. I think the romantic subplot was meant to give Walter some much needed depth, but the progression of their relationship felt inauthentic and never came together for me; it would have been better to leave it out entirely. The dialogue felt too modern for the turn of the 20th century at times, which was jarring and pulled me out of the story. While the novel is more action-driven, most of it fell flat for me. There was very little in the way of suspense or excitement. I had a hard time investing in the story from the very beginning and continually had to force myself to keep reading and finish it. Even the twist ending didn't shock me very much. In all, I was disappointed because I had expected to like this one quite a bit.
I received an advanced copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
July 12, 2019
A compelling combination of suspense, mystery and historical accuracy, “Assassin Of Shadows,” follows Walter George and Henry Swayne, Secret Service agents brought in to investigate the assassination of President William McKinley. While at first it seems an open and shut case, with the assassin tackled, cuffed, and put behind bars, a seemingly throw away statement made by him leads to the potential that there is much more in play. As Walter and George investigate, the spectre of a massive conspiracy soon looks to be much more than simply idle chatter.
As a history major, I loved the attention paid to be as historically accurate as possible while still engaging in an intriguing thriller. The best history should always feel like a story, and while there are obvious liberties taken in this book, it still feels like the kind of plausible story that made it seem like a true crime tale rather than fictitious storytelling. While the two agents are fairly uncomplicated, character-wise, there is enough thrust in the main story that you remain invested in their search to figure out who-did-it. There were very few moments where I felt pulled out of the story, and the twist at the end was something I did not really see coming!
Overall this is a great mix of history and intrigue broiled together and served with a delicious side of thrills. You will definitely flip the pages in this one!
(I received a free advanced reader’s ebook copy of this book, and appreciate the opportunity to leave an honest review!
As a history major, I loved the attention paid to be as historically accurate as possible while still engaging in an intriguing thriller. The best history should always feel like a story, and while there are obvious liberties taken in this book, it still feels like the kind of plausible story that made it seem like a true crime tale rather than fictitious storytelling. While the two agents are fairly uncomplicated, character-wise, there is enough thrust in the main story that you remain invested in their search to figure out who-did-it. There were very few moments where I felt pulled out of the story, and the twist at the end was something I did not really see coming!
Overall this is a great mix of history and intrigue broiled together and served with a delicious side of thrills. You will definitely flip the pages in this one!
(I received a free advanced reader’s ebook copy of this book, and appreciate the opportunity to leave an honest review!
July 5, 2019
My interest was peaked from reading the first words in Chapter One, and I quote, “A muffled click from outside the front door. Metallic. Four heads swiveled.” It was an excellent start to an interesting book. The wordplay was very well done, but unfortunately, it seemed to run out towards the middle of the book. After that it was just ‘normal’ writing.
The book kicks off on Friday, September 6, 1901 and we meet the agents Walter George and Harry Swayne. President McKinley has been shot and both George and Swayne need to get to Buffalo as they will be heading the investigation.
As the investigation progressed George and Swayne were conflicted in who they could trust. Who were the ‘good guys’ and who were the ‘bad guys’? Did Czolgosz act on his own or was it his band of fellow anarchists that put him up to this?
The book has a comfortable pace to it which made for easy reading. If you are looking for a light thriller, this book is for you.
I received an advance review copy for free from BookSirens, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
The book kicks off on Friday, September 6, 1901 and we meet the agents Walter George and Harry Swayne. President McKinley has been shot and both George and Swayne need to get to Buffalo as they will be heading the investigation.
As the investigation progressed George and Swayne were conflicted in who they could trust. Who were the ‘good guys’ and who were the ‘bad guys’? Did Czolgosz act on his own or was it his band of fellow anarchists that put him up to this?
The book has a comfortable pace to it which made for easy reading. If you are looking for a light thriller, this book is for you.
I received an advance review copy for free from BookSirens, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
August 18, 2019
There are historical novels and historical novels. I was glad I started with the Author's Note at the end of this book. At one end of the spectrum is an historical novel the likes of KILLER ANGELS that is a novelization of a true event. Everything except dialogue can be fact checked. At the other end are novels like this that surround a real historical event, but have little to no basis in reality.
Having that freedom, one would think the novel would be more interesting than this one. It was a tad plodding even though the basis of the mystery portion was good. Nor did it capture any real flavor of the period. One of the two main characters was very interesting, which kept it going for me.
All in all, just on the good side of mediocre.
Having that freedom, one would think the novel would be more interesting than this one. It was a tad plodding even though the basis of the mystery portion was good. Nor did it capture any real flavor of the period. One of the two main characters was very interesting, which kept it going for me.
All in all, just on the good side of mediocre.
February 18, 2020
The story kept me reading which is why I rated it three stars. However, I was let down when the motive came out of left field. There was absolutely no build-up of how they came to that realization and connection.
The ending allowed an easy closure but seemed unwarranted and could have easily been done differently. Perhaps this was to try to leave the story ending as the true life possibility.
Separately, the editing in the book made it annoying to read. Articles (a, an, the) were regularly left out and incorrect tenses were used, such as two words in a row in past tense. At first I thought that was the way the character spoke if it was a quotation but then realized the narrative portions were that way as well.
The ending allowed an easy closure but seemed unwarranted and could have easily been done differently. Perhaps this was to try to leave the story ending as the true life possibility.
Separately, the editing in the book made it annoying to read. Articles (a, an, the) were regularly left out and incorrect tenses were used, such as two words in a row in past tense. At first I thought that was the way the character spoke if it was a quotation but then realized the narrative portions were that way as well.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 3, 2019
When thinking of assassinations of US presidents, we seldom think of Garfield or McKinley. This book goes back to 1901 and the assassination of William McKinley. We get to experience two hypothetical Secret Service agents as they try to track down a possible conspiracy. With likable characters against the backdrop of the actual history and real people, the book takes us on an interesting journey. The interaction of the two long-time partners, including their personal lives, great dialog, and a plausible story make for a great read.
May 30, 2021
I actually think this was well written, especially for a historical (I read a lot of historicals for research purposes that make me positively CRINGE) and I was engaged by the story and the characters. But can somebody explain the outcome? Teddy Roosevelt conspired to have our two heroes killed in order to sweep a scandal under the carpet? Doesn't mesh with anything I've ever read about TR, therefore strikes me as being absolutely not believable. Or perhaps I got the ending wrong? But it brought the book down from four stars to three in a flash.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 27, 2019
Perhaps a 3.5?
I enjoyed this, though my reading got stretched out for longer than I think made the story enjoyable. That of course is not fault of the book's. I quite like the characters and the writing style once I was sunk into the style of the story.
I enjoyed this, though my reading got stretched out for longer than I think made the story enjoyable. That of course is not fault of the book's. I quite like the characters and the writing style once I was sunk into the style of the story.
November 14, 2019
I listened to the audiobook. Good narration (it reminded me of the dragnet characters). The story was good and kept me interested throughout. As a historical fiction read, it seemed plausible. The characters were interesting, good story, and it was well written.
July 24, 2019
Historical fiction, with historical accurate connection's to Nicaragua & Panama.
I enjoyed.
I enjoyed.
August 20, 2019
It was a good story with an interesting ending. I enjoyed it as it was not a heart racing story, but kept my attention till the end.
August 27, 2019
A fictional account of the assassination of McKinley. The Secret Service was in its infancy. Good mix of fact and fiction.
August 28, 2019
Book starts with the assassination of President McKinley. This book is fission and infers the anarchists were not guilty. Could not get a hold of theory.
September 2, 2019
A fun summer read for the assassination geek.
December 27, 2019
The assassination of William McKinley is at the heart of a novel that begins faster than it finishes.
February 20, 2020
The ending was so much better than the beginning and the middle of the book.
July 2, 2020
A good story spoiled by bad editing and an ending written by a 5th grader. Really should only be two stars, but I did finish it.
April 13, 2022
Vivid word pictures of an American political assassination at the turn of the last century... with an intriguing conspiracy
March 25, 2024
Story about the assassination of President William McKinley in 1901 and who was behind it and why. Decent period piece and novel, but as historical fiction goes, this was more fiction than history.
July 8, 2025
cool historical fiction novel set in 1901 follows the aftermath of the McKinley assassination and adds a conspiratorial element to it :)
November 22, 2019
Perhaps racism and racial slurs were common in the day; however, I don’t need to read it in this day. It was overly used and unnecessary. I couldn’t finish it.
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