The Surrogate Assassin

Leppek knows his stuff! Not only is the story credable in it's facts it is fast paced entertainment. I can only say words of praise of this book-- it a must read for both Sherlock fans & historical alike!

As a supreme Booth family armchair scholar, I moved mountains to find this book and would you believe it, in my curiosity to see how many pages it had, I saw the name of the "surrogate assassin" on the last page before I had even started reading the book! So as I read it, I could see the clues. Still, I enjoyed it thoroughly and recommend it to anyone with even a slight interest in mysteries, Sherlock Holmes, the Lincoln Assassination, or the Booth family.

One of the best latter-day Sherlockian works I've read--and I've read a lot of them. The author does a masterful job of portraying the Holmes and Watson we've grown to love, while placing them into a completely alien environment--the United States. Many have tried this and failed, but Christopher Leppek does a near-perfect job. The plot is appropriately dramatic and, while historically unlikely, it's skillfully constructed and has a definite ring of authenticity. It's pure fiction, of course, but a good author can persuade his reader not to care-- and I found Mr. Leppeck to be a very good author.

Skip the intro with the usual lost manuscript bumpf and dive into what must rank as the best Holmes pastiche of recent years. Leppek presents his readers with an intricately plotted and well researched story. More importantly he recreates the authentic feel of the characters. The dialogue between Holmes and Watson rings true, a rare feat in the world of the Holmes pastiche. Finally a Holmes in America novel with all the right elements! Read on...

Christopher Leppek has transplanted the great British detective to American soil to explore one of America's greatest crimes, the assassination of Lincoln. His attention to the facts in the true crime only make this story more appealing. He has played fairly with the reader by offering his fictional alternative explanation, to the point where I momentarily considered John Wilkes Booth in an entirely new light.Leppek captures the rhythms of Arthur Conan Doyle admirably. Holmes's American fans (and fans of the number of Holmes knock-offs this century) should love this story. And before it is classified as merely a mindless mystery entertainment, it should be appreciated for its expertly handled message (properly posed by a contemporary journalist): History is not always what it seems.Good work, Chris. "The Surrogate Assassin" gave me several hours of pleasureable and challenging reading.