Friend of J. Wilkes Booth? Rebel deserter? Inspiration for a great novel written by his military judge, General Lew Wallace?

Known as Lewis Paine, he was hanged for the unspeakable crime of being the paid companion of Lincoln’s killer! With shocking accuracy, a twisted version of Romeo and Juliet unravels on these pages. Patron of young rebel soldiers, the notorious matinee idol enlists the 18-year old fearless Confederate in a conspiracy against President Abraham Lincoln.

An American myth haunts and scandalizes, as it explodes into final moments of guilt and horror!

WESTERN CLIPPINGS - Feb.2004 (Review by Terry Harris) Jan Merlin, the excellent character actor who appeared in numerous western movies and TV series, usually in villianous roles, is also an author who has written several books. His latest, with co-author William Russo, THE PAID COMPANION of J.Wilkes Booth, focuses on the life of Lewis Paine, the man who conspired with John Wilkes Booth to overthrow the Federal Government at the end of the Civil War. The novel deals with the events leading up to Paine’s attempted assassination of Secretary of State William Seward, Paine’s capture, trial, and execution by Federal authorities. What Merlin and Russo do so well is to take a potentially repugnant character, Lewis Paine, and present him in such a way the reader is rendered sympathetic to him. The Civil War and its effects on the teenage Paine make him an object of compassion. As Merlin says, “Slavery made him immoral, war made him a murderer, and necessity, revenge and delusion made him an assassin.” In many ways, Paine is like us, except he was taught to believe things we know to be wrong, were right. The novel’s searing indictment of the dehumanizing evil effects of a vicious Civil War onma a young man’s psyche is compelling and sticks in your mind long after finishing the book. Highly recommended, deserves to be ranked among the best of Civil War novels. Available with a special discount ($18.69) direct from the publisher Xlibris