Reviews & Articles
Monday, June 06, 2011
Lincoln’s Hand by Joel Fox
I’m just now catching up on some of the books I learned about at Left Coast Crime. Joel Fox was one of the debut mystery authors who spoke at the New Authors’ Breakfast, and I found the premise of his book, Lincoln’s Hand, intriguing. I was right. Fox’s Zane Rigby is an appealing protagonist with a great deal of potential for future books.
Just when FBI Agent Rigby thinks he has the Monument Bomber in his sights, he discovers he fell for a decoy, and the bomber attacked a different American monument. Rigby’s boss, the new FBI director, feels he made the whole agency look foolish when he failed to get the bomber, so she reassigns him to Springfield, Illinois, on what appears to be a fool’s errand. He’s to be there when Abraham Lincoln’s tomb is opened to make sure he’s in it. An Illinois congressman sponsored a bill ensuring that any time a case involving historical significance is being investigated, the feds are to be a part of it. Since the Director received a hand, accompanied by a note asking for ransom for the rest of Lincoln, there’s the possibility the body isn’t there. So, Rigby is assigned to confirm that Lincoln is in his tomb.
Leave it to Zane Rigby to get involved with a bombing, two murders, and an old girlfriend. Who knew Springfield, Illinois could have all that excitment, along with the possibility of a missing body, and conspiracies surrounding the body? Oh, yes, and there’s still that Monument Bomber out there, taunting the FBI.
Joel Fox combines an ethical man determined to find justice, even if he has to do it on his own, with an intriguing historical puzzle. It’s easy to root for Zane Rigby, an FBI agent with a sense of humor, along with his dedication to his job. One way or another, he’s determined to find answers. And, the reader will be just as eager to learn the truth. Let’s hope FBI Agent Zane Rigby has a long career.
Joel Fox’s website for the book is www.lincolnshand.com
Lincoln’s Hand by Joel Fox. Echelon Press.©2010. ISBN 9781590806746 (paperback), 313p.
“Lincoln’s Hand is a great story, a page-turner from start to finish.” –Arnold Schwarzenegger
From the Los Angeles Business Journal
The LA Business Journal reports on my leap from politics to writing mystery novels in an article titled, “Does the Great Emancipator Rest in Peace or in Pieces?”
From the Sacramento Bee’s Capitol Alert
Joel Fox writes novel about Abraham Lincoln’s grave
Joel Fox, a veteran California anti-tax campaigner and honcho of the Fox&Hounds political website, has found the time to write a mystery novel centering on questions about whether President Abraham Lincoln’s body is actually buried in his Springfield, Ill., grave.
“If you like mystery and suspense, I think you’ll enjoy ‘Lincoln’s Hand,’ ” Fox said in an item on Fox&Hounds, which he describes as “shameless self-promotion.”
“Take a break from California politics and business when you read ‘Lincoln’s Hand.’ There is not a word about California politics in it.”
Echelon Press is publishing the book, whose official publication date is next Saturday.
-
From Book Suite Reviews:
“This one has everything a reader could ask for—history, mystery, and a man with a mission. Lincoln’s Hand has an interesting depth that makes it easy to read and truly enjoyable.”
To see the entire review go to Book Suite Reviews.
“Give author Joel Fox a great big hand–more than Lincoln’s–for turning out a nifty read. Fox blends history with mystery as his FBI agent, Zane Rigby, pulls the past into the present in pursuit of a ‘Monument Bomber’ and the truth about the body buried in Honest Abe’s tomb…”
—Robert S. Levinson, bestselling author of “The Traitor in Us All” and “In the Key of Death”
Lincoln’s Hand will make you look twice the next time you take out a five dollar bill … filled with historical twists and turns that spill over into the all-too contemporary threat of terrorism, this is a gripping, suspenseful thriller, to be savored by anyone with an interest in American history. — Kelli Stanley, award winning author of “Nox Dormienda” and “City of Dragons”
Has the Great Emancipator been emancipated from his own tomb? LINCOLN’S HAND provides the thrilling answer with a creative blend of 19th century skullduggery and contemporary intrigue. Check it out! –Mark Coggins, award-winning author of THE BIG WAKE-UP and THE IMMORTAL GAME.
-
