The Frame Up

"The Frame Up" by Richard Harding Davis is a crime story set in New York City at the start of the 1900's, that looks at what happens when politics are corrupt, and people really want power, and shows the importance of finding fairness. The main character, a District Attorney named Wharton, finds himself in the middle of a murder case when he gets a secret note that claims to know who killed someone. Wharton follows the clues, he gets caught in a web of lies that puts his job at risk and might even involve his rich brother-in-law. With trouble brewing with Tammany Hall and characters like Ida Earle trying to trick him, Wharton has to face some hard facts and stick to what's right, even when it means dealing with problems in his own family. The story has lots of unexpected turns, making the reader think about what it means to be loyal, fair, and honest when things are crooked.