Alice Roosevelt, daughter of
President Theodore Roosevelt, might seem like an unlikely
amateur sleuth, but it turns out that she’s a sharp
thinker with no fear of danger. It’s a good thing she
has a Secret Service Agent named Joseph St. Clair for her
bodyguard! Now if only she’d listen to him and heed
his warnings about being careful.
At a high-society ball, one of the guests, a most unlikeable
fellow named Lynley Brackton dies suddenly after drinking
a poisoned cup of punch. There are several people who don’t
care that he is dead, but the police hone in on an African-American
auto mechanic as the culprit. Mr. St Clair and Alice don’t
believe for a minute that their friend, Peter Carlyle is guilty
and vow to find the true murderer.
After a second death by poison, the stakes grow higher, and
Alice steps up her game in the search for the truth, while
Mr. St Clair tries to keep pace with her since he obviously
can’t get one step ahead as he’d like to.
What a clever and charming story! The characters emerged
from the pages and took residence in my imagination so thoroughly
that I could picture them, hear their voices and even sense
their emotional nuances. The mystery is perfect for the day
and age in which it is set, and I thoroughly enjoyed everything
about this book. Highly recommended to historical mystery
buffs!
Reviews
of other titles in this series
Alice
and the Assassin #1
The
Body in the Ballroom #2
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