Busted Flush » (REPRINT)

Brad Smith lives in Dunnville, Ontario. His novel One-Eyed Jacks was nominated for the Dashiell Hammett Award.

Summoned by a Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, law firm, aimless Dock Bass learns that he's inherited an ancient house from a deceased relative whom he never knew existed. Renovating the home, Dock stumbles upon a treasure trove of Civil War memorabilia squirreled away in an old root cellar, including pictures and possibly even a recording of Abraham Lincoln at Gettysburg. As he's forced to defend his new find from the onslaught of collectors, history buffs, and media hounds, Dock discovers that, much like Honest Abe himself, he's the right man for the fight—independent, funny, loyal, and stubborn as a Missouri mule. When the scallywags and opportunists—including an easy-on-the-eyes television reporter with one hell of an attitude—start crawling out of the woodwork, he'll need all of that and a bit more.

The Washington Post - Donald E. Westlake

Well, now, what's a good review unless it gives away something it shouldn't? You may be wondering why Amy Morris, the important television personality who is supposed to be off in Aruba getting dirt on a congressman, is stuck week after week in Gettysburg, hanging out with this shlumpf Bass, and Amy wonders the same thing. She keeps arguing the issue with her boss, the millionaire American history buff and collector who just has to have every rare, obscure, expensive artifact he can find having to do with the first century of the United States. Oh, drat, I did it