I was born and raised around Baltimore, educated at Harvard College, and became a journalist in Boston and Washington, D.C. I was a prize-winning White House correspondent for National Journal and am currently a contributing editor at The Atlantic.
I've written three nonfiction books that read like fiction, and now three novels that stay close to nonfiction. My trilogy of John Hay mysteries showcases my detective at different stages of his life--the latest, "The Murder of Andrew Johnson," has Hay at age 36, recently a husband and newly a father, getting used to both.
I live in Arlington, Virginia, with my loving wife. I'm a proud father of two children who live nearby (lucky us!) and grandfather to three little guys (and a fourth on the way). I've started playing the violin of late, with more enthusiasm than talent.