The Lincoln Conspiracy

"The Lincoln Conspiracy is . . . relentlessly fun to read. Meltzer and Mensch are refreshingly unpretentious authors who prove gifted at providing essential context to the main storyline—they deftly paint a picture of 19th-century America, taking deep dives into Lincoln's life and the prevailing attitudes toward race and politics at the time. It's an expertly crafted book that seems sure to delight readers with an interest in lesser-known episodes of American history."—NPR

"Think you know everything about Abraham Lincoln? Well, think again. The Lincoln Conspiracy not only revitalizes history, it transforms it, turning its principal player into a flesh and blood defender of everything the republic stands for, and the target of a malevolent cabal that went awry long before the ill-fated night at Ford's Theatre. Fantastic. You’ll never look at Abraham Lincoln the same way again."—Les Standiford, bestselling author of Last Train to Paradise and Meet You in Hell

"Takes a little-known true story about the first plot to kill Abraham Lincoln and turns it into a first-rate nonfiction thriller. Filled with amazing American history, secret societies, incredible research, and a shocking conspiracy to murder Abraham Lincoln at the dawn of his presidency. A brilliant combination of edge-of-your-seat history and superb storytelling."—James L. Swanson, bestselling author of Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln’s Killer

“Brad Meltzer and Josh Mensch have found and rescued the harrowing story of Abraham Lincoln under assault by lurking would-be assassins (long before John Wilkes Booth). Every page is mesmerizing and eye-opening.”—Douglas Brinkley, the Katherine Tsanoff Brown Chair in Humanities and Professor of History at Rice University and author of American Moonshot: John F. Kennedy and the Great Space Race.

“Abraham Lincoln. Secret Societies. A deadly plot. And it all really happened! You won’t be getting any sleep tonight. This book is dynamite. Meltzer does it again. History at its very best.”—Brian Kilmeade, bestselling author of Sam Houston and the Alamo Avengers

“Energetic . . . A brisk political thriller centered on a nefarious plot to murder Lincoln before his inauguration . . . A sharply drawn episode.”—Kirkus Reviews

"A delightful addition to popular literature on the Civil War era."—Booklist

"Meltzer and Mensch maintain suspense despite the known outcome of the story, and convincingly counter claims that Pinkerton made the whole thing up for publicity purposes. Readers new to the 'Baltimore Plot' will appreciate this comprehensive and well-written overview."—Publishers Weekly