Lincoln's Ghost: Houdini's War on Spiritualism and the Dark Conspiracy Against the American Presidency

Brad Ricca

Preorder
Book cover for Lincoln's Ghost: Houdini's War on Spiritualism and the Dark Conspiracy Against the American Presidency
Image for variant 9781250338921
Book cover for Lincoln's Ghost: Houdini's War on Spiritualism and the Dark Conspiracy Against the American Presidency
Image for variant 9781250338921

Lincoln's Ghost: Houdini's War on Spiritualism and the Dark Conspiracy Against the American Presidency

Lincoln's Ghost: Houdini's War on Spiritualism and the Dark Conspiracy Against the American Presidency

Brad Ricca

View full details

Description

The incredible untold story of how the world's greatest magician, Harry Houdini, waged war upon Spiritualism, uncovering unknown magic, political conspiracies, and surprising secrets along the way.

You won't live forever, Houdini. You've got to DIE. I put a curse on you . . .

During a séance in 1924, Houdini--the greatest entertainer in the world--was cursed by a vengeful spirit, who said his days were numbered. Houdini laughed. He believed talking to the dead was impossible. By 1926, Houdini was dead.

This is the untold story of the last performance of Harry Houdini, who--inspired by his hero Abraham Lincoln--devotes himself full-time to a personal crusade against Spiritualism, the practice of speaking to the dead. In a spellbinding journey across Jazz Age America, haunted by the aftermath of the Great War and a deadly pandemic, Houdini encounters modern-day haunted houses, warlocks, and monsters, and uncovers a shocking conspiracy that stretches all the way to the American presidency--and to the House of Houdini itself.

In a compelling dual-timeline narrative alternating between Houdini's 1926 dramatic courtroom testimony before Congress and the last otherworldly cases he takes on that lead him there, Lincoln's Ghost is a powerful examination of deception, love, politics, the afterlife, and the very nature of magic itself.

About the Author

BRAD RICCA is the author of the Edgar Award-nominated Mrs. Sherlock Holmes, True Raiders, Olive the Lionheart, and Super Boys, winner of the Ohioana Book Award for Nonfiction. He won the St. Lawrence Book Award for American Mastodon. Ricca lives and works in Cleveland.

Critical Reviews

"Lively... A highly readable work of social history that, courtesy of Harry Houdini, takes us into odd realms indeed." --Kirkus Reviews

"A gripping historical tale." --Library Journal

"In Lincoln's Ghost, Brad Ricca gives us a mesmerizing mix of ghost story, political thriller, conspiracy theory, and romance. As fascinating and informative as it is entertaining, the book will make you wonder: which is more perplexing, the world beyond or the one we inhabit?" --Tracy Daugherty, New York Times bestselling author of The Last Love Song and Larry McMurtry

"Original and provocative... entertains with the verve of a true showman." --Daniel Stashower, New York Times bestselling author of American Demon

"History has provided Brad Ricca with a marvelous array of fascinating characters, and he makes the spellbinding most of them in Lincoln's Ghost. His briskly paced, painstakingly researched non-fiction book expertly works its magic with a cleverly constructed narrative approach that is as immediately engaging as it is intriguing. Here is a haunting slice of history that reads like a page-turner of a mystery thriller." --Mark Dawidziak, author of A Mystery of Mysteries: The Death and Life of Edgar Allan Poe and Everything I Need to Know I Learned in The Twilight Zone

Praise for Brad Ricca:

"A spellbinding true crime history that reads like a novel. It will be enjoyed by aficionados of Victorian crime novels as well as true crime fans." --Library Journal (Starred) on Mrs. Sherlock Holmes

"A fascinating account of Grace Humiston, a pioneering attorney in the early 20th century...Her incredible life story, superbly portrayed by Ricca, is more proof that truth is stranger than fiction." --Publisher's Weekly on Mrs. Sherlock Holmes

"[An] astonishing story... Rapid, compelling storytelling informed by rigorous research and enlivened by fecund imagination." --Kirkus Reviews (starred) on Mrs. Sherlock Holmes

"The story of the expedition has the elements of a good thriller--desperate characters, hidden tunnels, an ancient code, and intrigues among the treasure hunters themselves--and aims for a cinematic feel." --Wall Street Journal on True Raiders

"True Raiders represents the best kind of rollicking adventure true-life tale, lively engaging prose based on what did happen, not wild speculation bordering on fantasy." --New York Journal of Books

"Such a fun read.... Ricca manages to keep readers hooked with this true story that reads like a novel." --Associated Press on True Raiders

Publishing Information

Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Pub date: 2026-10-27
Length: 320 pages

The Allstora Membership

Membership Perks:

  • Save 30% on all online store purchases
  • Exclusive access to author's content
  • You pay less, but authors still earn double

Membership Terms:

First Month: $0.00
Monthly price: $5.00
  • To access membership discount simply log in and add to cart, discount applied automatically.
  • One month free trial, cancel anytime. Membership renews on the 15th of each month.