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Final Resting Place: A Lincoln and Speed Mystery
by Jonathan F. Putnam

Published: 2018-07-10
Hardcover : 282 pages
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Twenty-nine-year-old Abraham Lincoln has spent his entire adult life running from his past?from the poverty of the dirt-floor log cabin where he was raised, from the dominion of his uneducated father, and from a failed early courtship. But now, Lincoln’s past is racing back to haunt ...
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Introduction

Twenty-nine-year-old Abraham Lincoln has spent his entire adult life running from his past?from the poverty of the dirt-floor log cabin where he was raised, from the dominion of his uneducated father, and from a failed early courtship. But now, Lincoln’s past is racing back to haunt him.

It is the summer of 1838, and Springfield is embroiled in a tumultuous, violent political season. All of Springfield’s elite have gathered at a grand party to celebrate the Fourth of July. Spirits are high?until a prominent local politician is assassinated in the midst of fireworks. When his political rival is arrested, young lawyer Lincoln and his best friend Joshua Speed are back on the case to investigate.

It’s no ordinary trial, however, as Lincoln and Speed soon face unwelcome complications. Lincoln’s ne’er-do-well father and stepbrother appear in town and threaten Lincoln’s good name and political future. And before long, anonymous letters start appearing in the local newspapers, with ominous threats that make Lincoln fear for himself and his loved ones.

As the day of reckoning arrives, the threats against Lincoln continue to escalate. Lincoln and Speed must identify the culprit and fast, before Lincoln loses the race to outrun his past in Final Resting Place, the brilliant third installment of Jonathan F. Putnam’s acclaimed Lincoln and Speed mysteries.

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Excerpt

“Then we’ll do it your way,” Truett said. He reached underneath the flared folds of his frockcoat and drew out a compact belt pistol.
All hell broke loose.
The man standing closest to Truett knocked the pistol out of his hand. The two men fell to the floor. At the same moment, Early hurled his chair at Truett. It crashed onto the floorboards, breaking apart into several large pieces. Swearing, Early dove at Truett. Men rushed toward them from all directions. Lincoln charged into the melee and began pulling men from the seething, squirming pile. ... view entire excerpt...

Discussion Questions

1. Does Speed’s younger sister Martha get enough credit from Lincoln and Speed for her role in solving the mystery?

2, Did Lincoln’s father and stepbrother deserve to be treated the way they were by Lincoln?

3. What roles did women play at the tent meeting (religious revival) and why were they so prominent in that setting?

4. How did people in the 1830s treat the death of a loved one differently than we do today? Are there aspects of the 1830s practices that you would adopt in today’s world?

5. A lawyer is obligated to put his/her client’s interests ahead of everything else, including their own interests. Do you think Lincoln met this standard in the book?

6. What are the most interesting differences between courtroom trials in the 1830s, as depicted in the novel, and trials today?

7. Compare the state of politics on the American frontier with today’s climate. Were you surprised about how nasty and violent politics were in the early 19th century?

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