Lincoln's Grave Robbers (Scholastic Focus)

About this book

A true-crime thriller — the first book for teens to tell the nearly unknown tale of the brazen attempt to steal Abraham Lincoln's body. Reissued in Scholastic Focus, with an exciting new cover.

The action begins in October of 1875, as Secret Service agents raid the Fulton, Illinois, workshop of master counterfeiter Ben Boyd. Soon after Boyd is hauled off to prison, members of his counterfeiting ring gather in the back room of a smoky Chicago saloon to discuss how to spring their ringleader.

Their plan: grab Lincoln's body from its Springfield tomb, stash it in the sand dunes near Lake Michigan, and demand, as a ransom, the release of Ben Boyd — and $200,000 in cash. From here, the action alternates between the conspirators, the Secret Service agents on their trail, and the undercover agent moving back and forth between them. Along the way readers get glimpses into the inner workings of counterfeiting, grave robbing, detective work, and the early days of the Secret Service.

The plot moves toward a wild climax as robbers and lawmen converge at Lincoln's tomb on election night: November 7, 1876.

A dynamic and thrilling tale from critically acclaimed author Steve Sheinkin.

Reviews

Praise for Lincoln's Grave Robbers:

* "This meticulous and tremendously suspenseful account of the attempted heist of Abraham Lincoln's body in 1876 reads like a smartly cast fictional crime thriller, with a skillful buildup of tension and sharp character portrayals. . . . A sizzling tale of real-life historical intrigue." -- Publishers Weekly, starred review

"Sheinkin's gripping narrative will hold [readers] to the thrilling climax. . . . Excellent pacing." -- Booklist

"Sheinkin takes a little-known sidebar of American history and lures readers in with the sheer weirdness of his tale. . . . A good, ghoulish read." -- Kirkus Reviews

"Lively dialogue and a fascinating narrative make this an entertaining read. . . . A real page-turner." -- School Library Journal