Ellie Moore is about as hopeless as anyone can get. Assistant to one of the best actresses on the stage, Ellie is looking forward to setting sail with her employer and making her way as an actress in Europe. But when her plans are suddenly derailed, she finds herself without a job, a place to live, or anyone who even cares about whether she lives or dies.
But when Ellie overhears of the need for a woman detective, she suddenly finds herself using her acting abilities to play not just one but two roles! Can she pull off the role of a lifetime, keep her emotions in check when around the handsome mine owner Steven Pierce, and manage to save her own life while solving the crime?
When Ellie finds herself in a mining town out West, she is suddenly overwhelmed by a world she doesn’t know. But can she find security and God in a place that seems so desolate?
Steven Pierce is just one of several mine owners who find themselves being robbed regularly. Desperate to get to the bottom of the crimes, the men decide to hire a reputable detective agency to help them. But their sleuth is hardly what they expect, and Steven finds himself enamored by the beautiful Jessie, while concerned for her elderly aunt Lavinia. But what will he do when Ellie reveals that neither woman truly exists? And can a woman really make her way on her own out West?
Set in the 1880’s in Arizona, Love in Disguise is an intriguing romantic Christian novel by Carol Cox. While at first I found the plot a little doubtful, Cox managed to pull me in and tell her story in a believable way. I chose this book because I don’t believe there are many books out there today that combine suspense, history, romance, and Christian values. I wondered how she was going to be able to pull off the plot in such a small town, but I think in the end the situations were believable.
However, no story is perfect, and this was not one that I probably would read again. I found some of the plot to be a little dull, and the ending was fairly predictable. Although I didn’t completely solve the crime, I did manage to figure out who was guilty and who was framed. And the ending seemed a little questionable regarding the time and place of the story.
Overall, if you are looking for an easy read this summer, this may just be one you would like.
These opinions are my own. I did not receive compensation for my opinion, but I did receive a free copy of this book to review for Bethany House Publishers.
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