Amazon.com: Five Star First Edition Westerns - The Reluctant Assassin: A Western Story (9781594141515): Preston Darby: Books

Buy Used
Used - Good See details
$3.92 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details

or
Sign in to turn on 1-Click ordering.
 
   
Have one to sell? Sell yours here
Five Star First Edition Westerns - The Reluctant Assassin: A Western Story
 
See larger image
 
Tell the Publisher!
I'd like to read this book on Kindle

Don't have a Kindle? Get your Kindle here, or download a FREE Kindle Reading App.

Five Star First Edition Westerns - The Reluctant Assassin: A Western Story [Hardcover]

Preston Darby (Author)
4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)


Available from these sellers.


Textbook Student FREE Two-Day Shipping for students on millions of items. Learn more


Book Description

December 14, 2005 1594141517 978-1594141515 1
"In fifty years of medical practice I had encountered many peculiar experiences, but the most bizarre event occurred soon after I retired. It involved a man long dead, a man known to history as John Wilkes Booth . . ." The discovery of the mummified body of a man in a hidden room in an abandoned barn starts what turns out to be an intriguing investigation. The mummified body is found to hold a heavy thick rectangular-shaped object wrapped in oiled leather in its emptied abdomen. The object purports to be the diary of J.W.B., the man who assassinated President Abraham Lincoln. It takes the reader into the mind of a man who was a master of disguise and a link in the chain of a murder conspiracy that points to the very highest echelons of the Lincoln government. The suspense and mystery intensify when it is found that the body does not belong to Booth . . .

Preston Darby was born and raised in Columbia, South Carolina and received his medical degree there. He served in the Air Force as a flight surgeon and an internist before moving into civilian practice in Big Spring, Texas until he settled in San Angelo upon retirement.


Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

In modern Texas, a man renovating an old structure finds the mummified remains of a man and a diary. The diary seems to have been written by infamous assassin John Wilkes Booth. An investigation subsequently reveals the body not to be Booth's, but the diary, which forms the bulk of this intriguingly speculative novel, may be the real thing. The original plan, the diary reveals, had been to kidnap Lincoln and ransom him for the Confederacy's independence, but at the eleventh hour, the more radical elements of the cabal forced Booth, through threats to him and his family, to kill the president. Of course, as we know from history, Booth completed his diabolical deed, but the journal indicates he survived to live a relatively long life. This may remind readers of Max Allan Collins' Nate Heller series, in which the aging detective looks back on his career to present the real solutions to famous crimes. Wes Lukowsky
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Product Details

  • Hardcover: 242 pages
  • Publisher: Five Star; 1 edition (December 14, 2005)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1594141517
  • ISBN-13: 978-1594141515
  • Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 5.9 x 0.9 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces
  • Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,871,448 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

 

Customer Reviews

2 Reviews
5 star:
 (1)
4 star:
 (1)
3 star:    (0)
2 star:    (0)
1 star:    (0)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.5 out of 5 stars (2 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars I loved it!, February 22, 2006
This review is from: Five Star First Edition Westerns - The Reluctant Assassin: A Western Story (Hardcover)
The Forrest Gump scenario is applied to John Wilkes Booth in this really entertaining book. Booth interacts with significant characters of the era giving insight into himself and Mark Twain, Wyatt Earp, Noel Coward, and assorted others. The Post Civil War era of the West is brought into clear focus through the complex mind of a misunderstood villain. I loved it!
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews 
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No


4.0 out of 5 stars Great "what if" story, February 10, 2006
By 
L. R. Duncan (Nashua, NH, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
This review is from: Five Star First Edition Westerns - The Reluctant Assassin: A Western Story (Hardcover)
I wouldn't usually pick up a "western" novel to read, but I'm glad I did this time. The title intrigued me enough to read further and I wasn't dissapointed. As I read through Booth's exploits, I wondered what all he hadn't done after he fled Ford's Theater. He sure left his relunctancy behind. This is a quick-reading story full of amazingly exciting (yet improbable and, alas, fictional) tales.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews 
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No

Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
 
 
 
Only search this product's reviews



Tag this product

 (What's this?)
Think of a tag as a keyword or label you consider is strongly related to this product.
Tags will help all customers organize and find favorite items.
Your tags: Add your first tag
 

Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store

If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store. Learn more

Customer Discussions

This product's forum
Discussion Replies Latest Post
No discussions yet

Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight
Start a new discussion
Topic:
First post:
Prompts for sign-in
 


Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
Search all Amazon discussions
   
Related forums


Listmania!


Create a Listmania! list

So You'd Like to...


Create a guide


Look for Similar Items by Category


Look for Similar Items by Subject