Holly is a gripping crime novel — one that's very close to the traditional King horror aesthetic. The author hasn't been shy about his politics, but this is one of his most political books to date.
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These new tales offer up eerie magics, mysterious buildings, tentative friendships, and a whole lot of excellent excuses for why someone's homework didn't get done.
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UnCovered Review by Frank Tomasello, ACLS Mays Landing Branch
Most Americans are aware that the 16th President, Abraham Lincoln, was an attorney before becoming President. Basically self-taught, with a practice limited to the then frontier of Illinois, little is made of his remarkable legal career. One of the last cases Lincoln tried before moving on to running for President is the subject of this work, LINCOLN’S LAST TRIAL by Dan Abrams and David Fisher.
By a fortunate twist of fate, a transcript of the 1859 murder trial of Quinn “Peachey” Harrison was found in the garage of one of his descendants in 1989. Transcripts were rare at that time. The book focuses extensively on the stenographer Robert Hitt who created the transcript. He had been a Chicago courtroom stenographer whom Lincoln befriended. Lincoln was so impressed with Hitt that he hired him to transcribe all of his now well-known debates with Stephen Douglass. It should be noted that the steno machine we associate with court trials was many years in the future, and transcripts were at that time done by hand. It was Lincoln himself who hired Hitt for this case, anticipating the possible need of an appeal.
Defendant Harrison was accused of murder after stabbing Greek Crafton (who ironically had been studying Law under Lincoln and his partner Herndon). Quinn had been heard to make insulting remarks about his brother-in-law, William Crafton, Greek’s brother. Greek Crafton had vowed to punish Harrison physically to uphold the Crafton family honor. Harrison, a much smaller and weaker person, made it known he did not wish to fight Greek and began carrying a knife for protection. Inevitably, a confrontation occurred, and Harrison stabbed Crafton, who lingered a short time until succumbing to the injury.
In defending Harrison, any lawyer would need the greatest of skill. The events all took place in a small town where everyone knew one another, and emotions were running high. Harrison’s fate would be decided by Lincoln’s skill in presenting a somewhat dubious claim of self-defense.
This book is a fascinating look at Abraham Lincoln the lawyer, as well as a riveting courtroom drama.
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