Friday, February 15, 2008

The War Against Miss Winter

THE WAR AGAINST MISS WINTER: Kathryn Miller Haines: Harper: Mystery: 317 pgs.

It’s 1943, and Rosie Winter is a struggling actress in New York City. During the day she makes ends meet by pushing papers at a detective’s office. When she discovers her boss murdered in his closet, she’s pressured by his former clients to continue investigating his last case – the one that led to his untimely death. She must rely on her skills as an actress to charm those who hold the information she needs.

This book was charming and fun to read. Our heroine is a Katharine Hepburn-style woman whose wit adds life to an already interesting mystery (one of my favorite quips was, “Her sincerity was so thin you’d be arrested for wearing it out in public”). On top of that, Haines brings to life the details of New York in the midst of WWII: blackouts, jive joints, food stamps, automats, and the impatient wait for news from the front lines. This is an especially fun read for those interested in the theater world.

BHG

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