Book Beginnings: Duel with the Devil

Book Beginnings on Friday is a meme hosted by Gilion at Rose City Reader. Anyone can participate; just share the opening sentence of your current read, making sure that you include the title and author so others know what you're reading.

Duel with the Devil: The True Story of How Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr Teamed Up to Take on America's First Sensational Murder Mystery by Paul Collins

"Andrew Blanck had just been sitting down to lunch with a horsebreaker when Elias Ring and Joseph Watkins showed up and battered at his door."

Elias's wife's cousin. Elma, was missing. The young Quaker girl had been staying with them at their boarding house, and had gone out one night and not returned. Mr. Blanck has a key piece of evidence, although he doesn't realize it.