This short story or novella is a prequel to Pearl's forthcoming novel The Technologists which is coming out in Feb 2012. Pearl is known for writing engaging historical mysteries. I've been a fan since his Dante Club came out in 2003.

The Professor's Assassin is based on true events that occurred at the University of Virginia in 1840, just twenty-one years after Jefferson founded it. Tensions are heating up over slavery and some students are rioting, demanding the right to carry arms into the classroom. John Davis, a professor, is shot one evening after the riots had seemingly tapered off for the day. He later dies from his wound.

William Barton Rogers is a young science professor at UVA who can't let Davis's murder go unpunished even though Davis himself knew his assailant but refused to name him. Rogers seeks not revenge, but to bring the murderer to justice in order to "consider the interest of society in the punishment of the lawbreaker" (Chp 7, page 2). A young slave who was committed to Davis suddenly goes missing as does the lead suspect. With the aid of a sophomore student and some of the riotous student leaders, Rogers sets out to solve the mystery.

Over all I enjoyed the story, but it didn't really take off for me until the half-way point. I am, however, used to reading novels that have more time to set the stage and draw the reading into the time period. This is the first digital short story that I've paid to download and it was completely worth the 99 cents.

It has certainly whetted my appetite for The Technologists. If the name William Barton Rogers rings a bell, it's because he's the guy who founded MIT in 1861. The Technologists revolves around the first graduating class of MIT. ( )

This short story is based on a true crime that occurred at the University of Virginia in its early years. Several nights of student rioting culminate in the shooting of a professor. When the professor later dies from his wound, fellow professor William Barton Rogers uses his scientific knowledge to catch the killer. A number of years later, Rogers would go on to found M.I.T., the setting for Pearl's novel, The Technologists.

I wish that this had been a novel rather than a short story so that there could have been more character development. I felt like I had arrived late to the party and everyone else had been introduced to each other before I arrived. I hadn't heard of this event before, and I'd be interested in reading more about it.

This review is based on an electronic advanced reading copy provided by the publisher through NetGalley. ( )

Fun short story that is a prequel to his new novel The Technologists. ( )