When a rich Santa Barbara collector acquires a newly discovered Abraham Lincoln document, he asks detective Greg Evarts and UCLA professor Patricia Baldwin to authenticate it. Their research launches them into a dangerous struggle with a secret society formed during Reconstruction. Before they can solve the mystery surrounding the Lincoln manuscript, a shocking murder forces them to run for their lives.

As they race across the country, they discover a Civil War secret that could upset the balance of power in North America. Now Evarts and Baldwin must unravel the 150-year-old conspiracy before it's too late . . . and before they are silenced for good.

I first picked out this book, because it has a cool title and Lincoln on the front cover. I expected it to be historical fiction and maybe a little dry. What it is, instead, is a thriller/detective story centered around preinaugural papers of President Abraham Lincoln. The author has done an excellent job of building the story. I wanted to know more about the secret societies, more about the Sherman family, and more about the resolution. The ending is abrupt and, to me, not very satisfying. It is a good, quick read with some exciting historical teasers. Commander Greg Evarts of the Santa Barbara Police Department is drawn into a strange cat and mouse game by his friend and collector of Lincoln documents. Professor Patricia Balwdin, an expert on Lincoln documents, is similarly recruited. It appears that anyone with knowledge of certain papers is being bumped off. The unknown enemy has the power to frame Evarts and demolish his career. Evarts and Baldwin are on the run, trying to find out any information that can be used as leverage. Professor Baldwin knows more than she lets on and may not be trustworthy. Evarts has family connections of which he was unaware. The conspiracy is far reaching and more complex than just a coverup of the Lincoln documents. The document they were shown gives no indication of the conspiracy or why they are being hunted. They need to learn what the Shut Mouth Society protects before they can know whose side they are on. There is some discussion about Lincoln - his yokel facade and other aspects of his image, his intentions concerning the Civil War and slavery, and his mastery of communication and politics. --bookadvice.net, July 6, 2009 book Advice

One of the bad guys -- and there are plenty -- in James D. Best's "The Shut Mouth Society" sneeringly calls Greg Evarts a "city policeman," making it clear that he thinks the Santa Barbara, CA police detective is an easily handled lightweight. What a mistake! Evarts is a veteran of a top secret army unit, an expert in decoding ciphers and a good friend of multimillionaire Abraham Douglass, a descendant of black anti-slavery pioneer Frederick Douglass. Abraham Douglass is a collector of Lincoln and Civil War documents and wants Evarts and UCLA Lincoln expert Professor Patricia Baldwin to authenticate an Abraham Lincoln document in his possession. At stake is nothing less than the balance of power in present-day North America. After a murder, Greg and Patricia travel the country, driving to New York City, Boston, Des Moines, Iowa and Omaha, Nebraska where more violence reveals the impact of the Shut Mouth Society on present-day events. The plot reminds me of Dan Brown's "The Da Vinci Code," which has a similar pairing of an academic -- a male in Brown's novel -- and a female French police officer. The secret society in Brown's novel is matched by one that's even more brutal in "The Shut Mouth Society." "The Shut Mouth Society" is a fast-moving, well-written novel that is of particular interest in this bicentennial year of Abe Lincoln's birth. --By David M. Kinchen Huntingtonnews.net Book Critic

James D. Best is the author of The Shopkeeper, Leadville, and Murder at Thumb Butte in the Steve Dancy Western series. His other books include Tempest at Dawn, Principled Action, The Shut Mouth Society, and The Digital Organization. Tempest at Dawn is a dramatization of the 1787 Constitutional Convention and Principled Action is a non-fiction companion book. James has written monthly columns for two magazine and numerous journal articles. He lives with his wife, Diane, in Paradise Valley, Arizona.

You can learn more about James and his books at jamesdbest.blogspot.com