By Carol Cox
Published by Bethany House
ISBN#978-0-7642-0955-0
350 Pages
Back Cover:
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?
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?
Review:
Shakespeare said, “All the world is a stage, and all
the men and women are merely players; they have their exits and their
entrances, and one man in his time plays many parts…”
These words explain the premise of this book perfectly. In enters
main character Ellie Moore a starlet wannabee, who is a wardrobe, make-up and
hair stylist person in the theatre for a well known actress. Ellie takes her
job seriously and watches the leading ladies so she can learn to be the best
when it was her turn to be on stage.
Well Ellie gets that big break but it’s not exactly the part
of her dreams. Her break comes to her in the most bizarre way and she uses the
world as her stage literally. She needed
a job and she would make this part work, even if it killed her. It just might! Ellie was a gal that could think on her feet –
she learned this from her years in “live” theater when the unexpected happened
all the time.
I was thankful for the review copy of this book that
introduced me to Carol Cox. I hadn’t read a book by her before. This book was a
fun, suspenseful, mystery story I adored. It was a refreshing female lead with
an interesting plot and lots of unexpected twists.
Since my husband and I were around theater for years it was
interesting to read that some things never change and how things were done in
the 1880’s with live theater. If your looking for a fun summer read, a
historical suspense story with a little romance this is the book for you. If
you are looking for your next book club pick, look no further. Love In Disguise
will bring about great discussion and lots of laughs. I highly recommend this
novel for a great summer read and a featured book club selection.
Reviewed by: Nora St.Laurent
The Book Club Network
Bonus Review:
Carol Cox has found her niche with her latest novel, Love in Disguise, a mystery set in the Wild West with a romantic flavour. With an independent and determined heroine and a fun plot, Carol provides an entertaining and unique read that is sure to appeal to readers of Mary Connealy and Karen Witemeyer. Incorporating the early days of the Pinkerton Agency and the interesting history of the Arizona silver mines, Carol’s story provides a effortless history lesson as she draws you into Ellie’s adventure which soon takes an unexpected and dangerous turn. I enjoyed the twist of Ellie posing as two different women and the opposing reactions of the townspeople to Lavinia and Jessie. While the pacing dropped off a little for me in the middle of the book, I remained intrigued by Ellie and Steven’s journey and was keen to uncover the silver thieves and their motives. I’m looking forward to Carol’s further offerings.
Bonus Review:
Carol Cox has found her niche with her latest novel, Love in Disguise, a mystery set in the Wild West with a romantic flavour. With an independent and determined heroine and a fun plot, Carol provides an entertaining and unique read that is sure to appeal to readers of Mary Connealy and Karen Witemeyer. Incorporating the early days of the Pinkerton Agency and the interesting history of the Arizona silver mines, Carol’s story provides a effortless history lesson as she draws you into Ellie’s adventure which soon takes an unexpected and dangerous turn. I enjoyed the twist of Ellie posing as two different women and the opposing reactions of the townspeople to Lavinia and Jessie. While the pacing dropped off a little for me in the middle of the book, I remained intrigued by Ellie and Steven’s journey and was keen to uncover the silver thieves and their motives. I’m looking forward to Carol’s further offerings.
Reviewed by: Rel Mollet
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