The Murder of Willie Lincoln: A Novel

What if the son of the sitting president died in the White House? What if his death wasn’t an accident? What if the boy was murdered? What if…

In Burt Solomon’s The Murder of Willie Lincoln, he explores the death of William “Willie” Lincoln, middle son of Abraham and Mary Todd Lincoln. In his novel, Willie dies from what is believed to be typhoid fever. However, a mysterious note left for John Hay, assistant to the President, leads him to believe that Willie was murdered. When he takes his suspicions to the President, Hay is tasked with discovering the truth, discreetly.

The concept of the book is interesting, and Solomon’s research is excellent. Almost every character was a real person, and most of the events he describes actually happened. However, Solomon’s portrayals of the Lincoln family are brutal at best. Most of characters seem flat, with no real personality or depth. Unimportant details bog down the story, and the conclusion feels rushed. I wanted to like this book. Unfortunately, the book fell far short of my expectations.

Two stars (mostly for the time and effort put into the research).