A Curve in the Road written by Terry Lynn Thomas by L. A. Keller
This is not a typical mystery but more of a historical women's fiction. There are some spoilers in this review.
Set at the beginning of WWII A Curve in the Road is mainly about a woman's journey. We meet Deiter Reinsinger who is simply
trying to stay out of the way of the Nazi’s and provide for himself and his
sister. When he finds she has secretly married the journalist Michael from
England he is furious. He is sure Michael is giving secrets to the English
about Germany. In his anger at both his sister and her husband, he turns them
in and watches as they are taken away by the Nazis - surely to be tortured
until death provides the only relief.
Cat Carlisle has married well but she’s unhappy. After she has three miscarriages, her husband
takes a lover and the luxurious home she shares with her jealous, bitter
sister-in-law, Isobel and staff has left her miserable. Add to the family dynamic is Michael, who
managed to escape from Germany, leaving behind his wife and we don’t know what
happened to Deiter. He is a long lost cousin of Cat’s husband Benton and spends
his days drowning himself in alcohol.
Cat pushes away her one friend because her friend was able
to have three children and basically she is jealous. This in itself didn’t make
me love the main character. In the midst of her unhappiness she has a ‘chance’
meeting with an older gentleman, Reginald who knew her father. He hires her as a courier which gives her the
money she needs to leave her husband. What didn’t ring true to me here was that
she was untested and untrained to deliver top secret documents and she could
have left her husband at any time and gone to live with her somewhat wealthy
Aunt.
The book evolves into one of intrigue and espionage. There
are multiple characters who take center stage at parts of the book, weaving
their tales together. In my notes I commented unhappily that the author had
introduced yet another character. This can feel as if you throw enough
confusion at the reader she won’t figure out the plot.
Overall, it wasn’t a bad story of a housewife recruited to
help the British war effort. I felt the ending was rushed with multiple
unnecessary ingredients tossed in to make the story more exciting without the
proper foundation. Certain parts made me
feel as if the author was trying to tell too many stories without adequately
focusing on one. I would have preferred
one story which focused on Cat and how she becomes involved in the war effort.
Had the author kept it to this character and delved more deeper into her
motivation it would have been a better read for me.
Happy Trails,
Leslie
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