Review Detail

Reminiscent of James Swanson's Chasing Lincoln's Killer, Lincoln's Spymaster is a great addition to any young reader's shelf of historical nonfiction. This part of history is not often told and is very intriguing. Seiple's book covers different investigations that occurred during the time of Lincoln and Pinkerton; from an attempt on Lincoln's life, outlaws in the wild west, and issues with the Pinkerton company.

Truth be told, although I had heard about Pinkerton in passing while reading about Lincoln and other aspects of the time period, I knew very little about the man and his company. This is a sure jumping off point for many young readers. It got me interested in learning more and researching on my own.

What left me wanting more?I thought it would go more in depth about Pinkerton's time with Lincoln, but instead it covers a broader time span. While it wasn't what I expected, I really appreciate the wider scope in the long run.

Any reader interested in time of Lincoln, crime, and investigations will love this book to help jump start further inquiry into the time period. This will definetly be on my classroom nonfiction shelf.