Schlussel's Woman (Paperback)

~ J. R. Lindermuth (Author)
Key Phrases: John Richard Lindermuth, Schlussel's Woman, Captain Schlussel (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Early in the 19th Century, expanding markets for Pennsylvania's anthracite coal created a smaller scale prelude to the later California gold rush. It was an era as wild as any the West ever knew-yet it has been rarely depicted in history. A native of the Coal Region and avid student of its history, the author has attempted to provide an accurate sense of this particular time and place in a story probing the cost of unrestrained ambition.Many of those who flocked to the region were ambitiously ruthless in pursuit of this "black gold." Captain Isaac Schlussel is typical of the breed, though he approaches his goal of wealth by supplying the blasting powder needed to develop deep mining rather than by grubbing in the earth.Then, Schlussel is felled by an assassin's bullet. His greed has provided a multitude of suspects who are introduced in chapters which flash back and forth in time to reveal his history and his obsession with the beautiful woman who is both his wife and the unintentional source of his downfall.

About the Author

A retired newspaper editor/writer, John Richard Lindermuth has published articles, stories and illustrations in a variety of magazines. He is currently librarian of the Northumberland County, Pennsylvania, Historical Society. His interests include mysteries (natural and unnatural), the outdoors and history.

Product Details

• Paperback: 204 pages
• Publisher: IUniverse (October 22, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0595299296
• ISBN-13: 978-0595299294
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.1 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #3,223,547 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Who shot Captain Schlussel?, September 11, 2004

By	Allbooks Review (Canada) - See all my reviews

Category: Fiction
SCHLUSSEL'S WOMAN
Author: John Richard Lindermuth

Captain Isaac Schlussel ruthless and nasty, manufactures gunpowder in early 19th Century Pennsylvania. While belittling a debtor, he is ironically felled by a bullet from an assassin's gun. Isaac spends his final moments bedridden and tormented as he ponders his life and all that it has encompassed. Wealthy and powerful beyond his dreams, with a young desirable wife and countless enemies, he wonders what his life really represents.

Surrounding Pennsylvania's anthracite coal is a mining town of unsavory characters, any one of which may be the assassin. Schlussel's Woman is the story of the Captain and his past alliances, some good and most not, with numerous possible suspects. Who shot him? This is the question poised by author John Lindermuth as we are introduced to Nan, the Captain's beautiful wife, Aaron Inch the trusted servant who smiles when he learns of the Captain's demise and Titus Kuhns, artist and lover of the lovely Mrs. Schlussel. Page after page the reader encounters a number of possibilities as they meet the vengeful, unforgiving and sometimes cruel characters in this enticing plot.

In depth research of the era, bring the past to life for the reader. The author's own association with the area as well as his love of history provide vivid descriptions and believable characters as he takes the reader in search of the culprit. The use of the dialogue of the day throughout, helps create the atmosphere. Well researched and cleverly written, this book is highly recommended.
(...)

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A risk- taking society, unconstrained by fear of failure, August 31, 2004

By	Betsie's Literary Page (United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Schlussel's Woman (Hardcover)

August 29, 2004

Considered the spawn of Satan, Captain Isaac Schlussel is a wealthy dominant dictator. Despised by most, if not all, within the village he himself created. So much, that during a meeting on the night of April 15, 1830 this ruthless man is shot.

Nancy Ann Cadwallader Schlussel, the captain's young wife considers herself as much property, as the slaves that maintained the enormous estate.

Unafraid and with life hanging by a string, Schlussel contemplates his very existence and the man that had summoned the courage to fire the fatal blow, destroying his dreams, plans and future. Guilt ridden, Nancy keeps vigil by his bedside for two nights.

With a cast of shady, suspicious characters only one-question remains: Who fired the gun? And why?

With well-done research author John Richard Lindermuth has woven an exceptional tale, and it shows in his depictions of this time period. Schlussel's Woman will not only give a glimpse into the "gold rush" days, entrepreneurial capitalism but also of the men who helped mold it. There are no illusions about the cynical and ruthless nature of this era. This is certainly one book you won't want to miss!

Reviewed by Betsie

4.0 out of 5 stars A Quiet Little Mystery, September 16, 2007

By	Floyd M. Orr "Nonfiction in a Fictional Style" (Austin, TX United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Isaac Schlussel has always been a man driven to succeed in life, at least from the standpoint of money, possessions, and business deals. Morality, legality, and emotions such as love have had little influence upon Schlussel. Someone shoots him in the opening of the book, and the reader learns how just about everybody else in Schlussel's town have good reasons to want him dead. He had built the town to support the business of coal mining in the early 1800's, and the story begins in a series of flashbacks in 1830 after Schlussel has been mortally wounded.

John Richard Lindermuth is very familiar with the time, place, and subject matter of his short novel of historical fiction. The characters speak in the dialect of the time, accurately placing the reader in the small, pioneer town in Pennsylvania coal country. The realism of the story slowly crawls off the pages as the whodunit unfolds. Schlussel's Woman is a quiet character study explained in an historical context by an experienced writer. Schlussel's Woman is not a flashy, action-packed adventure for kids. It is a quiet little mystery involving love, betrayal, envy, jealousy, greed, and murder. The setting adds flavor to the stew.