A dishonest banker brought me to Chicago, and a pickpocket I met there saved my life.

That simple sentence packs a lot of foretelling into it. The individual who thought that line was Joshua Speed, Abraham Lincoln’s best friend. A HOUSE DIVIDED marks the fourth Lincoln and Speed mystery, which is one of the best historical fiction series on the market.

It is December 1839, and Speed has traveled from Springfield to Chicago on business. It is in the Windy City where he runs into a shady banker named Brown. On his way out of town, searching for some place to rest for the night, he travels on his trusty horse, Hickory, through some seriously depressed areas. The ironic thing is that Chicago tantalized hundreds of new Irish immigrants from the ports of New York City with the promise of jobs that never materialized. It is mostly these Irish immigrants who Speed comes across, giving out whatever small change he has on his person in an effort to help feed some of these families. He wants to do more, and intends to raise the plight of these displaced immigrants to his friends in Springfield, when he realizes that someone has pinched his money purse.

"A HOUSE DIVIDED is a highly enjoyable novel that once again allows readers to peek into the years of the great Abraham Lincoln long before he became President. This is historical fiction at its finest."

The following day, a man approaches Speed and is in possession of the “lost” purse. He is Archibald Trailor, a carpenter with whom Speed is familiar. Even though the purse is slightly lighter than when he last held it, it is once again back on his person and still contains the priceless locket that he keeps tucked inside it. Running into Trailor is no coincidence as he soon will be at the center of a huge murder trial featuring Lincoln as one of the defense attorneys.

A man named Flynn Fisher has gone missing, and authorities, under the direction of Mayor Big Red May, appear to have found his remains. Witnesses come forward to claim that Flynn was done in by two of the three Trailor brothers, one of whom is Archibald. Big Red is seeking to take advantage of his popularity with voters by pushing for a quick verdict of guilty. However, Lincoln and Speed put their heads together to come up with some way to get the Trailors off the hook. Assisting with the defense is another able attorney, James Conkling.

The book’s title comes from one of President Lincoln's famous speeches from a civil war that is still years away. As for the hidden meaning it has for this novel, I believe it represents the schism formed between the two lifelong friends. They are roommates, and when you are in each other’s company as much as they are, there are bound to be squabbles. Of course, at the center of their issues is a woman: Mary Todd. Lincoln has his eye keenly on her but has yet to make any serious moves towards courting her. Speed has not been afraid to admit that he fancies her as well. Lincoln misinterprets a meeting between Speed and Mary, which erupts into a fistfight between the two men. They continue on with the trial as professionals, but do not speak to each other outside of the courthouse and only when absolutely necessary. It is difficult to read about their troubles as they are so good together.

Meanwhile, the trial of the Trailor brothers is in full force, and things are not looking good for the defense. Another disreputable banker, Belmont, enters into the fray and allegedly has a shipment of gold he is looking to get his hands on. Lincoln does not trust Belmont but wants to keep him close as he feels that his presence has something to do with Flynn’s murder.

Jonathan F. Putnam deftly juggles all of these narrative balls in the air and neatly wraps them up in an unpredictable ending. A HOUSE DIVIDED is a highly enjoyable novel that once again allows readers to peek into the years of the great Abraham Lincoln long before he became President. This is historical fiction at its finest.