The Misunderstood Mary Todd Lincoln
By Jonathan F. Putnam
July 10, 2019In stark contrast to her husband, Mary Todd Lincoln has a bad reputation.
Lincoln and Speed Mystery series
How History Shaped My Mystery: The Remarkable Rivalry of Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas
By Jonathan Putnam
July 17, 2018Stephen Douglas was a towering figure of the mid-19th century in every sense but the literal one. Standing barely five feet tall, Douglas acquired the moniker “Little Giant” early in his public life, and he kept it until his death. And his outsized life fully justified the nickname. Born into modest circumstances in Vermont and…
5 New Books to Read this Week: July 10, 2018
By Crime HQ
July 11, 2018Every Wednesday, we here at Criminal Element will put together a list of Staff Picks of the books that published the day before—sharing the ones that we are looking forward to reading the most! This week, Linda Castillo’s 10th Kate Burkholder novel combines with a thrilling debut from Ellison Cooper to highlight a crazy week of books!…
Review: Final Resting Place by Jonathan F. Putnam
By Angie Barry
July 10, 2018Twenty-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 in Final Resting Place, Lincoln’s past is racing back to haunt him. Suddenly, I heard and then felt…
Review: Perish from the Earth by Jonathan F. Putnam
By Corrina Lawson
July 11, 2017Perish from the Earth by Jonathan F. Putnam—the second Lincoln & Speed mystery—is meticulously researched and deftly plotted, revolving around a true historical murder that, while nearly forgotten today, was one of the most infamous crimes of the nineteenth century and played a key role in driving the nation toward civil war (available July 11,…
How History Influenced My Mystery: The Murder of Elijah Lovejoy
By Jonathan F. Putnam
June 26, 2017Read Jonathan F. Putnam's exclusive guest post about Elijah Lovejoy, the anti-slavery martyr that inspired his latest Lincoln & Speed historical mystery, and make sure to sign in and comment below for a chance to win Perish from the Earth! My new historical mystery, Perish from the Earth, is being published by Crooked Lane Books…
Jonathan F. Putnam Excerpt: Perish from the Earth
By Jonathan F. Putnam
June 12, 2017Perish from the Earth by Jonathan F. Putnam—the second Lincoln and Speed mystery—is meticulously researched and deftly plotted, revolving around a true historical murder that, while nearly forgotten today, was one of the most infamous crimes of the nineteenth century and played a key role in driving the nation toward civil war (available July 11,…