The assassination of President Abraham Lincoln is an incident that has been documented from different angles and perspectives. However, for this account, the author strays away from the accounts of witnesses at the murder scene or only the logistics of the ill-fated day. In line with the title, Chasing Lincoln's Killer largely focuses on the perspectives of John Wilkes Booth and his coconspirators prior to and after the assassination. It also incorporates less known facts about the killer’s motives and the subsequent manhunt from the fugitive’s standpoint. Therefore, this account intended for a younger audience offers original sources from newspapers, manuscripts, and transcripts to capture the events.
The particulars of the twelve-day manhunt of April 1865 are the least known part among the general public. The account delves into the preparation Booth and his accomplices did and the opportunities they had to execute their plans earlier. Thus, the killing of the President and those in line of succession was their final decision after contemplating the kidnapping of the president. Following the assassination of the President, it focuses on Booth as a fleeing assassin after the partially botched plan that saw his coconspirators betray the plot. It tells a tale of a man who assumed he can escape his transgression and be exonerated by those who supported his intentions. As the concluding Civil War showcased that violence is not the answer to show conviction, Booth’s case was not any different. Therefore, the author highlights the adversities he faced as a fugitive despite his intricate planning, fame, and wits.
The book dwells on the happenings before Lincoln’s death and Booth’s death to build tension on these two well-known events. Even though the reader is aware of the outcomes, the author demonstrates the imperative specifics that led up to them. For instance, the reason the manhunt took too much time considering the magnitude of the manhunt and the outpouring grief countrywide. Moreover, the narrative emphasizes the inevitability of Booth’s capture and killing due to the nation’s reaction at variance with his expectations. This version thwarts some misconceptions held and passed on through time by delivering an accessible and detailed account.
