The Key to Deceipt and The Lost Summers of Newport

THE KEY TO DECEIT by Ashley Weaver is her second historical mystery, after A Peculiar Combination, about Ellie McDonnell, a young woman who is trying to use her safecracking skills to aid the UK government’s wartime efforts. In this latest offering, set in 1940 as the Blitz begins in earnest, McDonnell is involved with uncovering and thwarting a German spy ring which is photographing the docks in London. There is plenty of adventure and numerous puzzles to solve, although this time Weaver slowed the pace by putting just a bit too much emphasis on Ellie’s choice of possible romance with a longtime family friend, Felix Lacey, or with her policeman handler, Major Ramsey. THE KEY TO DECEIT received starred reviews from Booklist (“thoroughly ingenious blend of rom-com and spy cozy”) and from Publishers Weekly. The historical setting and strong, feisty female character will especially appeal to fans of mystery writers like Susan Elia MacNeal, Sujata Massey, and Frances Brody. 

THE LOST SUMMERS OF NEWPORT by Beatriz Williams, Lauren Willig and Karen White tells three intertwined stories spanning several generations: 1899 where Ellen who is fleeing for her life pretends to be a music teacher for a newly wealthy family in Newport, Rhode Island; 1957 centers on Lucky, trapped in an unhappy society marriage; and 2019 involves Andie, an architectural historian stuck in a host role on a reality TV show that is renovating the family mansion. Similar to an earlier collaborative effort titled All the Ways We Said Goodbye, this new novel explores the roles of women at various points in time and raises questions about the limited choices women often face. Lucky tells Andie, “You have a rare fighting spirit not seen in ordinary people. It allows you to pursue your dreams against enormous odds while at the same time being generous with your love and time to those who need you.” Early reader reviews for this combination of history and mystery are quite positive, indicating a definite appetite for more from this trio of talented writers. THE LOST SUMMERS OF NEWPORT received a starred review from Publishers Weekly.