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Title: The First Assassin

Author: John J. Miller

Narrator: Kevin Stillwell

Format: Unabridged

Length: 13 hrs and 40 mins

Language: English

Release date: 12-11-12

Publisher: Brilliance Audio

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 110 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

Washington, D.C., 1861: As the United States teeters on the brink of civil war, Colonel Charles P. Rook organizes security in the nations capital and monitors the death threats pouring into the White House. He surrounds Abraham Lincoln with bodyguards, covers rooftops with sharpshooters, and investigates rumors of conspiracy fomented by secessionists. Yet amid the chaos and confusion, a mysterious killer slips into the teeming city.

Hired by a wealthy Southern planter to eliminate President Lincoln and destroy the Union once and for all, the assassin catches Rooks attention by cutting down anyone who gets in his way. As the bodies begin to pile up, Rook realizes he is caught in a dangerous game of cat and mouse with a cold-blooded killer who will stop at nothing to complete his mission. Rooks only hope is Portia, a runaway slave who holds the key to the assassins identity - if she can stay alive long enough to deliver it.

Packed with dynamic characters, rich period detail, and a chillingly sinister villain, The First Assassin is a riveting thriller for fans of historical fiction.

Members Reviews:

a Brilliant Story

I found myself really enjoying this book. The author does a wonderful job of storytelling and building up the plot, but I thought he could have done a little bit more to bring it to life by describing the sights and sounds a bit more to bring them to life. The characters are interesting and enjoyable. The pace is a bit slow but that just helps to bring the story to the forefront.

Mr Stillwell does great on his pacing and characterization I really enjoyed his narration.

Entertaining start for a little known writer

"For people who like this sort of thing, this is just the sort of thing they'll like" - Book review by Abe Lincoln

You'll need to be patient and stick through the first 1/4 of this book- in the beginning there is quite a bit of "explaining the situation" by Miller, and not a lot of showing. It's obvious the author has a rabid passion for historical fact, so it takes him a while to settle into his tale.

That said, if you stick with it, you won't be disappointed. Miller does a fantastic job of setting the stage and presenting his characters. Eventually he seems to hit his stride and is better able to share the historical tidbits naturally in the course of the story. Well worth a listen.

Play it at 1.25x and it sounds normal

Enjoyed it overall; I found the narration a bit to slow, as was the plot, but the narrator handled the accents and characterizations very well, and the author did give a convincing sense of the location, notable landmarks make appearances without feeling forced, and the writing felt reasonably period-appropriate.

My only annoyances were that it felt unfortunately predictable, and developments that seemed obvious were often reiterated without adding anything to the narrative.

Regarding the production; there's a wide dynamic range here, so headphones or a quick volume adjustment might be needed. There's also no pause between chapters, which is jarring but never really confused me since the change was obvious.

I wanted to finish it but, I wanted to like it but

Would you try another book from John J. Miller and/or Kevin Stillwell?

Yes, after reading reviews and did some research I would try another. I listened as much as I could but I couldn't finish it. I wanted to love it because I love Lincoln. The narrator was very good.