Lincoln's Ghost
"You won’t live forever, Houdini . . . "
"You've got to DIE!"
During a séance in 1924, Houdini—the greatest entertainer in the world—was cursed by an angry 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 after becoming 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 all kinds of modern-day haunted houses, warlocks, and monsters, all the way to a dramatic hearing before the U.S. Congress, and a shocking conspiracy that stretches all the way to the U.S. presidency.
And to the House of Houdini itself.
Brad Ricca
Brad is the award-winning author of seven books. His work has also appeared in The Washington Post, The Beat, LitHub, Belt, Book Riot, and on the official Star Wars website. He has appeared in documentaries on the History Channel, AMC, and has been a guest on many podcasts and radio shows, including Criminal, All Things Considered, Tenfold More Wicked, BBC Radio, and others. His independent film Last Son won a Silver Ace Award at the Las Vegas Film Festival. On the big screen, he can be seen in X-men and Dogma (in roles of under ten seconds each). He has a Ph.D. from Case Western Reserve University, where he sometimes teaches, and was awarded the Richard A. Bloom, M.D. Award for Distinguished Teaching.
He lives in Cleveland with Caroline and their three boys.
I hate these fake braggy websites -- I just want to sit down and write -- so this is for you: thank you for reading. Everything is connected.
You have that double-edged moment where the first thing that goes through your head is, there's no way this is true. And the second thing is, I really want to write about it.
-Brad Ricca
READ
"How a scrappy Buffalo newspaper saved Christmas, The Washington Post
"The first U.S. school shooting was in 1853," The Washington Post.
"When Italians were tricked into debt peonage in the south," The Washington Post.
"They called her Mrs. Sherlock Holmes," Narratively.
"Meet the Reclusive Woman Who Became a Pioneer of Science Fiction," LitHub.
"The Secret History of Chief Wahoo," Belt.
"True Raiders," History Reader.
"Love, Spies, and a Search for the Truth," History Reader.
"Star Wars America," The Beat.
"In Search of the Real Captain America," The Beat.
LISTEN
Stealing Superman on iHeart Radio
Mentor Public Library interview
Interview at San Diego Comic-Con
Interview with Cinema
Interview by Joe Pompeo (Blood & Ink,Vanity Fair) on Substack
SEE
PRESS
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TRUE RAIDERS:
"Such a fun read . . . Ricca manages to keep readers hooked with this true story that reads like a novel. ―Associated Press
"Cinematic . . . [with] a touch of glamour. Archaeology buffs will be enthralled." ―Publishers Weekly
"Ricca tops all his previous work with this page turner . . . In this case, the book is better than the movie." ―San Francisco Book Review
"Exciting . . . Secret tunnels, ancient coded messages, the biblical battle between good and evil . . . [True Raiders] has all of the elements of a classic adventure." ―Akron Beacon-Journal
"Entertainment-first storytelling." ―Air Mail
"Deliciously fun." ―Shelf Awareness
"Entertaining . . . the fascinating story of a bizarre expedition to find one of the most famous of all historical artifacts." ―Kirkus Reviews
"Desperate characters, hidden tunnels, an ancient code, and intrigues among the treasure hunters themselves . . . [it] will no doubt remind readers of the 1981 movie "Raiders of the Lost Ark." ―Wall Street Journal
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OLIVE THE LIONHEART:
“Fans of women’s history and adventure stories will cheer this engrossing account.” ―Publishers Weekly
"[Ricca] successfully conveys the powerful, nearly hallucinatory state of grief that MacLeod must have endured over the course of her journey. A swift-moving re-creation of an intrepid, rare spirit of her age."
―Kirkus Reviews
"This incredible true story of one woman's quest to find her missing fiancé is the perfect summer adventure book. ―Town & Country
"Olive the Lionheart presents an immersive portrait of a remarkable, largely unheralded individual." ―Smithsonian Magazine
"Olive the Lionheart is a harrowing and fascinating tale of a woman who broke rules and hearts as she blazed trails in a world of change." ―Bookreporter
"Excellent . . . a unique tale based on true events, and a real adventurer, who has been relegated to relative obscurity for the majority of history."
―Nerd Daily
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MRS. SHERLOCK HOLMES:
"[RIcca] returns with the astonishing story of the first female U.S. district attorney...Rapid, compelling storytelling informed by rigorous research and enlivened by fecund imagination." ―Kirkus Reviews (Starred)
"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)
"[Humiston's] story demands a hearing.... Brad Ricca makes a heroic case for Humiston, a lawyer and United States district attorney who forged a career of defending powerless women and immigrants." ―New York Times Book Review
"Fans of Erik Larson’s books will enjoy reading about Grace Humiston’s remarkable career in an era when women were still fighting for the right to vote."―Booklist
"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
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TEN DAYS:
“A beautifully hand-drawn adaptation….Sieh’s black-and-white drawings heighten the tension of Blackwell’s by casting all the doctors and nurses in imperious shadow. This graphic adaptation of reportage would appeal to fans of Joe Sacco and Sarah Glidden.” —Booklist
“Sieh’s detailed ink drawings, reminiscent of 19th-century etchings, coupled with a hard-boiled adaptation by Ricca, retell the groundbreaking journalism of Bly . . . this history bears repeating.” —Publishers Weekly
"Ricca and Sieh have done a superb job of transporting the reader back in time, evoking the era with telling details while staying true to the core of Nellie Bly’s story."
—New York Journal of Books
"Critical . . . a reminder that the fight to improve mental health is not new and has been long fought, but there’s so much further to go."
—Book Riot
SUPER BOYS:
“A wonderful book, as exciting as Michael Chabon's The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay.” ―Booklist, starred boxed review
“An admirably thorough account of Siegel and Shuter's long struggle to get their creation published...a remarkable accomplishment.” ―The New York Times Book Review
“Compulsively readable... Ricca's comprehensive biography reveals the turmoil and creative genius that led to our most enduring superhero, the Man of Steel.” ―Publishers Weekly
“Thoroughly researched... speaks to the treatment of artists by corporate America and its relationship to truth and justice. ―Library Journal
"As definitive a work as may be possible."
-The Washington Post
CONTACT
For rights inquiries, please contact Scott Mendel of the Mendel Media Group.
Tel: 646-239-9896 | Email: scott@mendelmedia.com
Site © 2025 by Brad Ricca
Above illustration @ 2025 by Courtney Sieh
