Revolutionary War Mysteries #1
by Mally Becker
GENRE : #historical-cozy-mystery
My rating: ★★★★☆
Actually 3,5 rounded up to 4 of 5 stars is my real rating
I chose this book because I like spy stories, I love historical fiction and if there is also a touch of romance, then it is the perfect mix for me.
Unfortunately it took me the entire first half of the book to get into the story, there were no twists and the characters weren't developed enough to win me over.
-----> What saved the book's rating was the second half where action and twists finally engaged me and made me turn the pages with more interest than the first part.
___ THE PLOT ___ Set during the darkest days of the American Revolution.
1780. It's been a year since Daniel Alloway escaped from the British prison ship in New York City harbor.
Now he needs money and remembers that another prisoner confessed to him that he had left an important list of spies' names to his wife Rebecca Parcell who lives in Morristown, New Jersey. By selling the list to General Washinton it is possible to get a nice reward.
Unfortunately Rebecca knows nothing about it and is branded by the village minister as a traitor and accused of having handed her husband over to the British.
Despite being two strangers, Daniel and Rebecca find themselves entangled together in a dangerous mission imposed on them by General Washington, to find the precious list, otherwise they will both be left completely broke and without a future.
_________________
__HISTORICAL CONTEXT AND CHARACTERS WHO REALLY LIVED __ as I have already said, we are in the years of the American Revolution in which the British colonies in America want to become independent from the empire.
The war has lasted longer than expected, food is scarce and people are at the end of their strength and endurance.
There are no great historical notions in the book and not even historical notes from the author, but it was fun to see two great characters actively participate in the story: General Washington and his right-hand man Alexander Hamilton.
A few final jokes are also reserved for Washington's wife.
One thing I particularly liked was that the author highlighted how in the revolution (in this one and all revolutions and wars), although they fought for freedom, in truth both sides were oppressors:
--> The British would have taken everything from those who were not loyal and even Washington had no qualms about taking away lands and possessions from those who did business with the British or worse collaborated with them.
Every revolution, even if moved by a just ideal, then imposed the same arrogance of the previous oppressor in order to achieve its goal, therefore also using an iron fist and blackmail (for example like the French revolution and also the Russian one...).
___ SPY AND MYSTERY ___ perhaps the first part served more to introduce events and characters, I understand this, but for me it was too boring, while finally from 50% onwards the action moments and the plot between the suspects and the suspenseful scenes finally made me enjoy the story.
One of the culprits is quite predictable, but there are 3 others that I really never would have imagined!
___ CHARACTERS AND ROMANCE ___ in my opinion the author could have done a better job in developing the two main characters and should have dedicated a little more time to their interaction and the romantic story.
Otherwise she could have avoided the romantic hint altogether, to me it was the worst part of the book.
The impression I had was that a romantic part was not foreseen and that halfway through the book the author decided to add attraction and a future love story between the two characters.
While reading it seemed to me that the author had inserted, here and there and only at a later time, sentences that were supposed to foreshadow a love interest between Daniel and Rebecca, but these sentences were totally disconnected from the rest of the plot and did not evoke any emotion in me.
I use read several clean romances and even the description of a touch of a hand or a sweet thought from the other person can evoke butterflies in the stomach and give goosebumps if well described, but this was not the case.
After 50% of the book, the romance seemed to improve, it was described more believably, but then it was neglected again.
The reader has his "happy ending" but nothing really satisfying from a romantic point of view, just the premise of another spy adventure in book #2 of the series and the premise of other romantic attempts.
This is this author's debut book and so perhaps she can be forgiven, hoping that the following books will be developed satisfactorily.
WOULD I RECOMMEND IT? I don't know...maybe only to someone used to read cozy mysteries where neither the mysteries nor the love stories are explored in detail.
WILL I GET THE NEXT BOOKS IN THE SERIES? I would like it, but I confess that I am undecided, I don't want to be disappointed again or waste precious time since I have so many books on my list.
THANKS for reading my opinion and please forgive my English, it's not my native language.
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