“Delightfully Engaging Blend of Romance, Suspense, History, and Humor”
When costume-maker Ellie Moore suddenly finds herself out of a job in the middle of a bleak Chicago winter, she uses her knowledge of theatrical disguise to secure a position as an undercover operative with the Pinkerton Detective Agency. Her assignment: find the culprit behind the theft of silver shipped from the mines near Pickford, Arizona.
Disguised as Lavinia Stewart, a middle-aged widow, Ellie begins her investigation. Soon she finds she must also pose as the dazzling young Jessie Monroe, whose vivacious personality encourages people to talk.
Mine owner Steven Pierce is about to lose his business after the theft of several bullion shipments–until hope arrives in the unlikely form of Lavinia Stewart, who offers to invest in Steven’s mine. In his wildest dreams, Steven never expected to be rescued by an inquisitive gray-haired widow…or to fall head over heels for Lavinia’s captivating niece, Jessie.
But then the thieves come after both Lavinia and Jessie. Ellie isn’t safe no matter which character she plays! Will she be forced to reveal her true identity before the criminals are caught? What will Steven do when he discovers the woman he loves doesn’t exist?
My Review
The author definitely took this storyline somewhere I have never seen before. One character playing two rolls and pulling it off convincingly. I felt like there were times the plot could have gone in a forced, unrealistic way, but the author did a great job of keeping it very sensible. I also appreciated the slow way the author unfolded the story with Ellie gradually discovering the clues necessary to solve the investigation. This book had a clever premise and it was pulled off successfully.
My only critique with this book is that there were a lot of names to keep straight, however having so many interesting characters made the plot thicker and the mystery of who was stealing the silver harder to discover.
This is the second book I’ve read by this author and in both cases, the characters and plot were well thought out. This book is a slow and steady read that will be enjoyed all the way to the end.
Buy it Here
Bethany House sent me the above book for review purposes. They will allow me to keep the book. I have no other connection to and have received no other compensation from Bethany House.
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
I do believe I've ran across this book (and author) before, but haven't actually picked it up and read it – guess I need to add it to my list! it sounds really good!
Ooo, love the story premise. Thanks for the review.