"A murder aboard a steamboat forces Abraham Lincoln to make a fateful choice--one on which the future of the nation may hang, if his client doesn't first--" -- provided by publisher.

"Newly minted trial lawyer Abraham Lincoln is riding the circuit, traveling by carriage with other lawyers and a judge to bring justice to the remote parts of Illinois. Meanwhile, Lincoln's close friend Joshua Speed steams up the Mississippi River aboard a steamboat owned by Speed's father. Suddenly, his journey is interrupted when a crooked card game turns to violence -- and then murder. Speed enlists Lincoln to defend the accused, but they soon come to discover that more than just the card games are crooked aboard the Speed family's ship. As the day of judgment hurtles toward them, Lincoln must fight to save the life of his client while preserving the cause he holds so dear" -- provided by publisher.