A compelling tale of revolutionary times with charming main characters.
A romance-tinged espionage adventure set during the American Revolutionary War.
Philip Parcell was spying for England before he realized that he could make more money selling the names of his fellow spies to Gen. George Washington of the colonial army. Caught by British soldiers in the middle of this endeavor, Philip dies aboard the British ship Jersey, but not before he beseeches fellow prisoner Daniel Alloway to locate Philip’s wife, Becca, and the list of spies’ names. Daniel cleverly escapes the Jersey and heads to Morristown, New Jersey, in search of Becca—more out of a desire for money than any moral obligation. Becca, meanwhile, is living with her mother-in-law, Lady Augusta, when rumors that she ratted out her husband begin to spread through town. This, in turn, leads Washington to ask her to spy for him in New York in exchange for protection. Soon, Daniel agrees to help under the condition that he receive free passage to make “a fresh start somewhere far from here.” Becca and Daniel travel to New York City, where they resume their search for the list—and maybe find some romance along the way; they’re accompanied by Lady Augusta and Annie, the Parcells’ servant. In her debut novel, Becker’s shining prose (“The skulls of the ship’s dead lined the beaches as thick as pumpkins in an autumn field”) pairs well with historical details, such as how New York City became an epicenter for Loyalists due to its British occupation. Familiar figures, such as Washington and Alexander Hamilton, appear alongside fictional players. The relationship between Daniel and Becca has plenty of charm; Becca is shown to be a fierce, smart, and often brave woman who never fit into the society into which she married, while Daniel is painted as clever and humorous even as he grapples with a traumatic past. Becker’s secondary characters are also distinctively portrayed, such as gang leader John Mason, who has ears “shaped like pitcher handles.” Overall, Becker’s thrilling, romantic story will appeal to lovers of early American history.
A compelling tale of revolutionary times with charming main characters.Pub Date: Feb. 16, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-953789-28-0
Page Count: 308
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: Sept. 22, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2021
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
Checks all the boxes on the way to the happiest of endings.
An amateur detective is approaching happily-ever-after with her beau, but she’s committed to one last case as a way to support a murdered man she let down in life.
While some might picture the life of a librarian for Mayville Heights Free Public Library to be normcore, Kathleen Paulson’s is anything but. Not only has she had a hand in solving a string of mysteries in her small Minnesota suburb, but the helpers she’s relied on in doing this work have ranged from her fiance, Det. Marcus Gordon, to her two magical cats, Owen and Hercules. Owen, originally from an unusual cat colony on Wisteria Hill, has the ability to disappear and reappear seemingly at will, and Hercules can walk through walls and other solid objects. Both are pretty handy to have around when mystery calls, as it does once again when Kathleen finds that Will Redfern has broken into the library and been killed mid-burglary. A fighter for the underdog, Kathleen vows to solve Will’s murder as a way of caring for someone society had given up on. She also continues her mentorship of Riley Hollister, a bright young girl whose family hasn’t been there for her time and again. With Kathleen’s wedding to Marcus just two months away, her schedule is full of cake tastings and bridesmaid dress approvals, but she can’t help but try to solve Will’s murder, maybe this time with Riley’s help.
Checks all the boxes on the way to the happiest of endings.Pub Date: Sept. 3, 2024
ISBN: 9780593548738
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Berkley
Review Posted Online: July 4, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2024
Variations on a theme that works a lot better at the beginning.
A group of friends who share the same name shifts gears to solve the murder of one of their own.
Even though she was warned by Brian, her ex-fiancé, that it would take ages for her to find a new community when she moved from Vermont to Minneapolis after dumping him, Sarah Jones has discovered a group of friends she fits in with perfectly, and not just because they’re being Minnesota nice. Her new buddies haven’t sought out Sarah because of her skills as a personal trainer—she’s the new director at LifeSport Fitness—but because of her name. The robust group of friends all share a common moniker, whose cultural frequency has led to shared lifetimes of misdirected mail and emails, and now is the common denominator in the social group dubbed “The Sarah Jones Project.” The group’s members range in age from a boisterous, troublemaking 17 to a very determined 69. Each of the Sarah Joneses is nicknamed with her age in order to differentiate group members, something that’s especially helpful when they’re all on the same text chain. The newest Sarah Jones, aka Thirty, hits it off immediately with Twenty-Seven, and is particularly relieved that Twenty-Seven is okay after hearing the news that a local Sarah Jones has been murdered. As the group resolves to unravel the mystery of what’s happened to their fallen member, Thirty is the obvious person to lead the charge because of the interest of a new FBI agent who seems to want to help her.
Variations on a theme that works a lot better at the beginning.Pub Date: June 10, 2025
ISBN: 9780593335536
Page Count: 432
Publisher: Berkley
Review Posted Online: April 4, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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