1917. New York.
Notorious spy, Fredrick Fredricks, has invited Fiona to Carnegie Hall to hear a famous soprano. It’s an opportunity the War Office can’t turn down. Fiona and Clifford are soon on their way, but not before Fiona is saddled with chaperon duties for Captain Hall’s niece. Is Fiona a spy or a glorified babysitter?
From the minute Fiona meets the soprano aboard the RMS Adriatic it’s treble on the high C’s. Fiona sees something—or someone—thrown overboard, and then she overhears a chemist plotting in German with one of her own countrymen!
And the trouble doesn’t stop when they disembark. Soon Fiona is doing time with a group of suffragettes and investigating America’s most impressive inventor Thomas Edison.
When her number one suspect turns up dead at the opera and Fredrick Fredricks is caught red-handed, it looks like it’s finally curtains for the notorious spy.
But all the evidence points to his innocence. Will Fiona change her tune and clear her nemesis’ name? Or will she do her duty? And just what is she going to do with the pesky Kitty Lane? Not to mention swoon-worthy Archie Somersby . . .
If Fiona’s going to come out on top, she’s going to have to make the most difficult decision of her life: the choice between her head and her heart. (NetGalley synopsis)
I have read a previous novel by Kelly Oliver, and I’m still not sure how I feel about Fiona. I can say that I am not a fan of Kitty, but that’s all I can say without spoilers. Fiona still did not seem like a spy to me. She was more like an overeager teenager wanting to play dress-up. However, because of the times, I do believe that the only way for her to succeed is with her disguises.
I still liked the historical portions of the novel. It was interesting to “experience” the suffragette movement as well as the opinions during that time. I liked to dislike John Edgar Hoover, but it also makes me wonder how the man became president with his “secrets” and chauvinistic demeanor.
The mystery was okay. I figured out the ending long before Fiona did, but I continued to see the trajectory of the novel. I really need more Frederick Fredericks, because he is probably the more intriguing character. I can also say that I am not a fan of Lieutenant Archie Somersby, but it is not because of his job or his missions. I just don’t like him.
Overall, I rate this novel 3 out of 5 stars.
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