Let's Just Declare Intellectual Bankruptcy and Shut This Whole Thing Down

I hate to judge a book by its cover, but ...

Henry David Thoreau leaves the seclusion of Walden Pond to help investigate a series of murders in the first in B. B. Oak's fascinating new historical mystery series, set against the bucolic backdrop of 19th century New England.

Wha --

Angered by the injustice, Adam and his lovely cousin Julia Bell agree to assist Thoreau in investigating. Adam notes in his new friend all the makings of a great detective—an encyclopedic knowledge of the natural world, uncanny observational skills, a sharp instinct for detecting human foibles. As the case progresses, the mysteries only deepen and there is no mistaking the brutal slaying of a womanizing army captain as anything other than the coldest murder. Journeying from their tranquil village to Boston’s most disreputable district, they gradually uncover the monstrous truth -- even while a vicious killer prepares to end their inquiry for good.

In the sequel, "Frazer Is Killed," Thoreau teams up with his former lover, Union super-spy Emily Dickinson, in a race against time to discover the identity of the shadowy Southerner known only as "Booth."