Title: The Counterfeit Wife: A Revolutionary War Mystery
Author: Mally Becker
Publisher: Level Best Books
Copyright: September 20, 2022
ISBN: 978-1685121587
ASIN: B0BCL11FBN
Format: E-Book, 313 Pages
Genres: Historical Fiction, Historical Mystery, Historical Romance
Summary
Philadelphia, June 1780. George Washington’s two least likely spies return, masquerading as husband and wife as they search for traitors in Philadelphia.
Months have passed since young widow Becca Parcell and former printer Daniel Alloway foiled a plot that threatened the new nation. But independence is still a distant dream, and General Washington can’t afford more unrest, not with food prices rising daily and the value of money falling just as fast.
At the General’s request, Becca and Daniel travel to Philadelphia to track down traitors who are flooding the city with counterfeit money. Searching for clues, Becca befriends the wealthiest women in town, the members of the Ladies Association of Philadelphia, while Daniel seeks information from the city’s printers.
But their straightforward mission quickly grows personal and deadly as a half-remembered woman from Becca’s childhood is arrested for murdering one of the suspected counterfeiters.
With time running out-and their faux marriage breaking apart-Becca and Daniel find themselves searching for a hate-driven villain who’s ready to kill again.
Review
Rebecca “Becca” Parcell is at it again. In The Counterfeit Wife, the sequel to the Turncoat’s Widow, Becca is under orders to travel with her complex co-conspirator, Daniel Alloway. This time they travel to Philadelphia under the guise of a married couple. The shocking truth is that the marriage is nothing more than a ruse. While in the city, the faux married couple is welcomed by the elite of Philadelphia society. Becca makes some powerful friends in the Ladies Association of Philadelphia, such as Sally Franklin Bache, the daughter of Benjamin Franklin. On the other hand, Daniel returns to his roots and reconnects with different printers across the city. There is counterfeit money going around and the two spies are determined to figure out who is behind it all. When a mysterious woman from Becca’s past emerges and later is arrested for the murder of one of the counterfeiters, their mission is thrown into chaos. Who really murdered the counterfeiter? Can Daniel and Becca keep it together to find the real murderer?
The Counterfeit Wife was a delight to read from start to finish. In Mally Becker’s masterful suspense, I was often on the edge of my seat wondering what would happen next. Ms. Becker writes beautifully and her vivid use of description brings the world of 1780s Philadelphia to life. The characters were well developed, and came across as humanly flawed and genuine. In this novel, Becca maintained her strong, fiery nature that we saw in the first book. I thoroughly enjoyed the intricacies of the plot and the consistent pacing of the story. At no point did I feel lost or like the pacing was slow. I think my favorite character was Sally Franklin Bache. She was such a breath of fresh air in the Ladies Association of Philadelphia where many of the other ladies were dull or proper. She was a lot of fun. This is a book that I would definitely reread in the future. I eagerly await Ms. Becker’s next book!
