Reviews
“[Solomon has] a gift for mining fascinating nuggets from my city’s past.”—George F. Will, columnist at The Washington Post
“Solomon skillfully blends historical fact with plausible fiction.”—The Buffalo News
“Historian Solomon’s meticulous details and the real-life figures woven into the narrative make it both informative and entertaining.”—Kirkus Reviews
“Hay is a fallible, engaging character with interests in boxing and poetry as well as sleuthing, and his narration brings to life a time and place as it unravels a crime.”—Booklist
“Historical mystery fans who relish rich period details will be eager to see Hay again.”—Library Journal
“An inherently riveting historical mystery by an author who is a master of the genre…”—Midwest Book Review
“… a splendid tale of mostly fiction set in the first year of TR’s service as president.”—New York Journal of Books
Praise for The Murder of Willie Lincoln
“Solomon offers a deeply imagined and entirely plausible account of the Lincoln White House at its saddest…You won’t guess whodunit until the final, suspenseful page.”—Doris Kearns Goodwin
“Well-plotted, beautifully researched and gripping to the final page.”—Daniel Stashower, author of The Hour of Peril: The Secret Plot to Murder Lincoln Before the Civil War
“Vivid, captivating, and, dare I say, seductively plausible.”—John Taliaferro, author of All the Great Prizes: The Life of John Hay, from Lincoln to Roosevelt
“An original plot, plausible characterizations of historical figures, and solid prose combine to make this historical fiction debut a winner.”—Publishers Weekly
“The puzzle is plausibly immersive, the solution heartrendingly surprising…Solomon portrays Hay as an effective, likable sleuth and compelling political player.”—Booklist
“An engaging roman a clef…here’s hoping that Mr. Solomon finds something else for John Hay to apply his fertile mind.”—The Washington Times
“The pace and characterizations in this mystery are superb.
The historic backdrop is expertly painted, and everyone’s talk rings true: slave, free, secesh, Lincoln, even lascivious Kate Chase. But do not expect the expected ending.”—James M. Cornelius, Curator, Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library & Museum, Springfield, Ill.