March 2009 In a new tale starring New York shopkeeper, Steve Dancy, this plenty tough Easterner is soon involved in helping out his friend, a Pinkerton agent. Joseph McAllen has been guarding Wells, Fargo ore shipments out of Leadville when he learns his daughter has been kidnapped. A novel of fast-paced adventure, there's gun play enough to satisfy the biggest fans of the shoot-'em-up style. But it's also a story of friendship and loyalty. I like the cast of characters eating, drinking, and staying in the finest hotels while making plans to live on cold water and hardtack and sleeping on the ground when they go into action. Once again, Best has penned a fine read. When New York City shopkeeper Steve Dancy moved west to experience the frontier, he wound up embroiled in a deadly feud...a feud that he was forced to settle with guns. Now, all he wants to do is follow up on a few business interests, write about his adventures, and continue his exploration of the West. But in the autumn of 1879, Joseph McAllen asks Dancy for help. Ute renegades have abducted a young girl near Mesa Verde, Colorado, and the Pinkerton captain wants him to join the rescue party. Surprisingly, the trail doesn't lead into the San Juan Mountains, but to Leadville—a rich mining town teeming with the worst elements of a raw frontier. Bitter feuds, vendettas, and greed turn the affair into a bloody conflict that spans the state. Dancy has proved that he can handle himself in rough mining towns. But can this shopkeeper survive a dangerous mountain wilderness?

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.ReviewI 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 AdviceOne 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 About the AuthorJames 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

As featured on The Glenn Beck Show. Tempest at Dawn is on the Glenn Beck Reading List.The United States is on the brink of total collapse. The military has been reduced to near extinction, economic turmoil saps hope, and anarchy threatens as world powers hover like vultures, eager to devour the remains. In a desperate move, a few powerful men call a secret meeting to plot the overthrow of the government. Fifty-five men came to Philadelphia in May of 1787 with a congressional charter to revise the Articles of Confederation. Instead they founded the longest lasting republic in world history. Tempest at Dawn tells their story.ReviewThe novel captures the real drama that ensued behind closed doors as they hammered out what is now the oldest living constitution. Read it for its historical value. Read it for its dramatic value. But read it! --Bookviews, by Alan CarubaIt's a truly great read and is one of the few books I've picked up in the past year that I ended up reading more than 200 pages from in one sitting. --Militant ReviewsThe dialog will surprise the reader with its eloquence and understatement. Any reader conversant with history will have both his affection and appreciation for the Constitutional Convention deepened. --What Would The Founders Think? by Martin SielaffI find hope and confidence in the wonderfully written Tempest At Dawn, by James D. Best. Mr. Best sheds light on a time when it was necessary to revise the Articles of Confederation. He does it with eloquence. I wanted to read Tempest At Dawn, from cover-to-cover, after reading the first couple of pages. As I read Tempest At Dawn, I felt as though I was present at the proceedings of the Convention and the private meetings of James Madison, George Washington, Robert Sherman, and others. You cannot help but feel pride as an American, as Tempest At Dawn reminds us of the impeccable integrity of our Founding Fathers. The delegates regarded one another with utmost respect and civility.If you want to know the truth about the character of those gentlemen and you want to learn about the evolution of one of the greatest documents ever created by man--the Constitution of the United States--relax in your bed, favorite chair or recliner, and enjoy Tempest At Dawn, by James D. Best. --Beaufort Observer, Ballpoint column by Allen Ball About the AuthorJames 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, The Shut Mouth Society, andThe Digital Organization. Tempest at Dawn is a dramatization of the 1787 Constitutional Convention. 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