Crime is ever-present; you might say it’s a side-effect of humanity, an expression of the tortured soul. Most often we categorize criminals, characterize them based on behavior and beliefs, and generally store them away on the dusty shelves of history alongside others of their kind without too much after-thought. Like the names of infamous diseases, the killers echo in the minds of generations as a sort of warning. With each new crime, there comes not only a chance to educate the masses on safety, but a desire to understand and elucidate just what makes some of us break—to the point of harming our fellow man.

The argument is, after all, if we can understand the precursors, future innocents might be saved. So, what does a killer look and act like?

These are the types of questions that must have confronted Ann Marie Ackermann as she began to study the death of one Mayor Johann Heinrich Rieber. Shot multiple times from behind, Herr Rieber succumbed to his wounds within hours; however, it would take quite longer to identify his killer. In a time before current forensics and investigating abilities, resources were few—and solved cases even fewer.

Travel backwards in time and history to the small village of Bönningheim, Germany, where Magistrate Eduard Hamner is responsible for tracking down the mayor’s killer. His efforts begin with interviewing witnesses, much as is protocol these days. From homemade bullets to striking resemblances in rifling marks, Hamner revolutionizes forensic ballistics long before history mentions such a subject. While he does stumble upon some promising leads, it will be only after his death that the truth comes to light.

This gripping tale of crime, mystery, war, fate, and intrigue will keep you up late. You’ll strain your eyes to read as fast as you can to find out the killer’s name, but when you do, the suspense does not end there. Ackermann deftly influences the reader’s curiosity to follow not only the search for Mayor Rieber’s killer—but to find out exactly how fate leveled the scales. This spy tale spans continents. Even the likes of Robert E. Lee cannot escape the reaches of this crime.

I highly recommend Ann Marie Ackermann’s Death of an Assassin. Mayor Rieber’s tale is explained in great detail, with consideration for pacing and contextualization. While Ackermann does give away who the assassin is in the later part of the book, the revelation does not render the latter half inconsequential. Whether you’re a lover of history or not, this book allows you to step back in time to experience the difficulty involved in solving this murder case and the unique twists of fate that brought one German into contact with a popular American, forever changing our combined history. This fantastic work pieces together all the right elements to render a stunning tale. Ann Marie Ackermann has truly done her research and presents this incredible story in an unforgettable way. Check out Death of an Assassin and see if you can’t deduce the killer yourself!

I had never heard this true crime cases till I come upon Ann Marie Ackermann excellent book. The story begins in the German town of Bonnigheim in the year 1835 where the town is shocked by the assassination of its most respected citizen the town mayor. You follow the twists and turns of the muder investigation as they search for his killer. The investigation will eventually lead to the other side of the world to one of Americans Civil War heroes General Robert E Lee.
The author has produced an excellent well researched study of the case and I would highly recommend this to other readers .