THE COUNTERFEIT WIFE

Two spies try to uncover a counterfeit ring in Becker’s Revolutionary War–set murder mystery, the finale of a two-volume series.

In 1780, Philadelphia is so awash in counterfeit paper money that George Washington himself sends Becca Parcell and Daniel Alloway, two agents, to investigate. Failure looks imminent for the embattled colonists fighting for independence, and the war effort is in dire need of financial support, which is only complicated by the ubiquity of counterfeit money. Becca and Daniel pose as husband and wife, a dangerously scandalous imposture given the strict sexual morality of the late 18th century. Daniel, a former printer, takes to exploring that industry, which is generally closed to outsiders, posing as a businessman on the lookout for shady opportunities. Meanwhile, Becca makes friends with the Ladies Association of Philadelphia, a group of wealthy and powerful women raising money for the war. The pair quickly come to suspect Edmund Taylor, a prominent merchant with a reputation for unscrupulousness. But he’s murdered by Hannah, a woman who turns out to be Becca’s mother, who she was led to believe died when she was a child. Becker has crafted a riveting and unpredictable crime drama that also works as an affecting love story; Becca and Daniel are clearly drawn to each other romantically, but both are also wounded by past experiences. Becca, in particular, is terrified of abandonment, a fear the author believably conveys: “Becca felt the now-familiar tug of connection between them, a braided rope of trust and attraction. But she heard an almost silent pop, as if a single thread of that rope had frayed. She knew what the imaginary sound meant. It was a reminder that everyone she cared about left.” One needn’t read the series opener in order to fully appreciate this engaging novel.

An entertaining blend of American history and fictional drama.