Bound To Stay Bound

Bulletin for the Center... - 01/01/2013 It’s not too much of a stretch to surmise that an audacious 1876 plot to steal the mortal remains of President Abraham Lincoln would have its roots in the Civil War, but the connection is far from intuitive-fortunately, Sheinkin lays it all out for the reader in this lively true-crime story. The Civil War necessitated the issuance of paper money in lieu of gold, making the work of counterfeiting more difficult but also more lucrative. Larcenous master engravers were suddenly much in demand, and forger Ben Boyd’s arrest and incarceration sent the earnings of high-stakes scammers such as Joe Kennally into a tailspin. Joe hatches a plan to steal Lincoln’s corpse (vulnerable in its crumbling, lightly guarded Springfield, Illinois mausoleum) and demand a ransom of $200,000 and the release of Ben Boyd. The plan’s first iteration fails due to the loose lips of a drunken conspirator, and the second plan, in which Lincoln’s coffin is actually pried partly out of its sarcophagus, goes awry due to the bungled attempt by the Secret Service to catch the culprits red-handed. While not exactly presenting the crime as a comedy of errors, Sheinkin nonetheless revels in its absurdities and delights in employing the jargon of the nineteenth-century criminal class (glossary provided). The result is a flamboyantly fun read, spun with gusto and supplemented with an introductory cast of characters to help sort the good guys from bad guys at a glance. An illustration or two is included in each short chapter, and an index and source notes are forthcoming in the final volume. This will be a first choice for all Lincoln enthusiasts and required reading for school groups and tourists making their pilgrimage to Lincoln’s tomb. EB - Copyright 2013 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois.

School Library Journal - 01/01/2013 Gr 5–9—Lively dialogue and a fascinating narrative make this an entertaining read. A true-crime thriller set in 1876, the story involves Secret Service agents on the trail of counterfeiters who hoped to spring their leader from jail by holding the body of President Abraham Lincoln for ransom. The men involved included "Big Jim" Kennally, the mastermind behind the plot; Terrence Mullen; and Benjamin Boyd. Among the lawmen are James Brooks, chief of the Secret Service, and agents Patrick Tyrrell and Elmer Washburn. The account of the body-snatching plot is interwoven with the presidential election of 1876 between candidates Rutherford B. Hayes and Samuel Tilden. There is also information about Mary Todd Lincoln and her son, Robert, who was a prominent Chicago attorney at the time. Readers also learn about the workings of the association in Springfield that operated the Lincoln Tomb. The book includes a glossary of phrases used in the dialogue. Readers will be entertained by the animated writing style, which creates a real page-turner, and learn history at the same time. An essential addition for all collections.—Patricia Ann Owens, Illinois Eastern Community Colleges - Copyright 2013 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

Booklist - 01/01/2013 With a title uniting two highly popular topics—Abraham Lincoln and ghoulish crime—this is sure to pique the interest of many readers, and Sheinkin’s gripping narrative will hold them to the thrilling climax. In 1876, a group of Chicago counterfeiters hatched a half-baked plan to remove President Lincoln’s corpse from its resting place near Springfield, Illinois, and hold it for ransom. Although there was minimum security at the grave site and little to prevent the thieves from carrying out their dastardly scheme, the fledgling Secret Service was onto them (more for their counterfeit operations than their grave-robbing conspiracy), and their plans were foiled in the nick of time. While describing this small episode, Sheinkin weaves in information about the formation of the Secret Service, the history of counterfeit operations, presidential campaigns and elections, and much more. Excellent pacing within an appealing format. Photo elements were not available for review. - Copyright 2013 Booklist.

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