Ho-hum. A thriller like so many others, it follows the usual formula. The maguffin in this case is a pair of diaries, one belonging to the widow of Lincoln and the other to John Wilkes Booth. The setting is Washington DC just after the assassination of Lincoln. A police detective intercepts the diaries, and then risks his life and that of his wife and friends to keep them from other armed thugs. It reminded me of the improbable TV series, "The Wild Wild West". Historical figures make appearances. There is much chasing around on horses, gun play, and fights between armed gangs. The hero and heroine get captured and escape. There are coverups, plots, and coded messages.
So it's very formulaic, containing all the required aspects of a thriller. It's not particularly convincing or even very novel. In the end, as is usually the case, the maguffin (the diaries) are not very important after all and get lost in the shuffle. There is a twist at the end (of course), but ultimately its just another historical thriller.
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