Book Review: Petticoat Detective
Author: Margaret Brownley
Genre: Christian/Romance/Historical Fiction
Publisher: Barbour Publishing, Inc.
Publication Date: December 1, 2014
Rating: 4 out of 5 (Very Good)
Pros: Interesting plot and setting; good romance; good balance with the spirituality
Cons: maybe somewhat “cheesy” mystery; one aspect of plot seemed thrown in
Author: Margaret Brownley
Genre: Christian/Romance/Historical Fiction
Publisher: Barbour Publishing, Inc.
Publication Date: December 1, 2014
Rating: 4 out of 5 (Very Good)
Pros: Interesting plot and setting; good romance; good balance with the spirituality
Cons: maybe somewhat “cheesy” mystery; one aspect of plot seemed thrown in
Jennifer Layne is undercover as Amy Gardner. She is a Pinkerton Detective sent to locate the notorious Gunnysack Bandit in a little town in Kansas. Originally planning on being a maid while sleuthing, she lands on the doorstep of Miss Lillian’s Parlor House and Fine Boots. Mistaken to be an aspiring “lady of the night”, Miss Lillian hires her before Amy knows what is happening. She stays at the parlor house for a week, taking into confidence only Miss Lillian—the only way she may maintain her own virtue while “working” in a parlor house. When handsome stranger Tom Colton rides into town the very same day and for the very same reason, Amy and Tom’s paths cross more often than not; especially when Amy agrees to spy for Tom in an attempt to clear his brother’s name. What Tom doesn’t know is that she is a detective—and that his already deceased brother is her prime suspect in the Gunnysack Bandit case, as well as in the murder of a parlor girl. When Amy and Tom realize that more is bringing them together than the mysteries, one two-fold thing stands in their way—Amy’s job. For Tom, his belief that she is a parlor girl creates a clear problem for him. His disgust at her profession is battled by his confusing attraction to her. Amy’s love for her real job prevents her from wanting to settle down, and her experiences at the parlor house causes her to lose her faith in men. Will she and Tom have any chance even when he finds out the truth about her?
Margaret Brownley is a new author to me, and I am not too familiar with this publisher either. In any case, I went out on a limb and tried this book. I was pleasantly surprised. I enjoyed the plot, mostly because it was in a very different setting. Petticoat Detective is a historical romance mystery. Kansas and the Pinkerton Detective Agency are two rather rare settings in and of themselves. Bring in the parlor house, and you have a very interesting setting. I can’t say I have read any book with the protagonist working undercover at a parlor house. The plot flowed freely, and the story began instantly. There was no long preparatory introduction to the plot. Scenes jumped back and forth so the reader could easily see everything going on. The plot was never “stuck” in one place for too long. Also, it was easy to know both Tom and Amy’s perspectives, because the point of view switched back and forth between them. There was a good balance between the characters, and I felt like I really got to know both of them. Mrs. Brownley showed how the characters felt and thought instead of simply describing everything. Her descriptions, however, throughout the book in general were excellent and not overbearing. I have a clear mental image of the scenes and characters in this book. The secondary characters (Miss Lillian, the parlor girls, and the church ladies) really make this book special. They add so much yet don’t take over. Without them, the plot would be full of holes.
There is a lot of conflict in this story that makes the plot complex. Amy’s own heart holds most of the conflict. Her desire to do what is right and to be modest in a parlor house of all places battles with her convictions, as does her desire to do her job well. Her growing affection for Tom is confused by her real and portrayed professions. Of course, the mysteries also create conflict between Amy and Tom, as Amy tries not to convict Tom’s already dead brother, even though all the evidence points to him. Interwoven mysteries in the plot make it thicker, as well as the semi-twist ending. The mystery is sometimes a little cheesy, for example, with the “bad guy” being the Gunnysack Bandit. One small aspect of the plot is a little too small. That is the aspect of Amy’s missing sister, Cissy. Although it is necessary to show Amy’s character and create the plot, it seems a bit thrown in and scattered throughout the story. I feel it could have been developed a little further.
I think Mrs. Brownley did really well with the spirituality peppered throughout the book. It is a central theme of the novel, yet does not over power it. One spiritual theme in this book is seeing people for what is inside of them rather than outside. Amy realizes while at the parlor house that the girls there are not what people see and assume. Most of them hate it there, and are miserable. Underneath of the face paint is sad miserable people trying to survive in the only way they believe they can. When Amy shuns a beggar on the street, and is attacked by angry women, she learns that it is important to look at the heart and love people. Amy’s silent, one-liner prayers are heartfelt and show that her relationship with the Lord is strong. They also help show her character and allow us to see into her heart.
The romance driven by impossibility and conflict is unique. At times I would be hopeful only to have my hopes dashed, but brought back up and down again. The plot was well written, with the romance and mystery balancing each other nicely. I only took a few days reading it. All things considering, I would definitely recommend this book to a friend, and I am looking forward to the next book Mrs. Margaret Brownley will bring.
I received a complimentary copy of Petticoat Detective from Barbour Publishing through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. The opinions stated are my own.
This review also appears on The Christian Manifesto. http://thechristianmanifesto.com/fiction/petticoat-detective/
Margaret Brownley is a new author to me, and I am not too familiar with this publisher either. In any case, I went out on a limb and tried this book. I was pleasantly surprised. I enjoyed the plot, mostly because it was in a very different setting. Petticoat Detective is a historical romance mystery. Kansas and the Pinkerton Detective Agency are two rather rare settings in and of themselves. Bring in the parlor house, and you have a very interesting setting. I can’t say I have read any book with the protagonist working undercover at a parlor house. The plot flowed freely, and the story began instantly. There was no long preparatory introduction to the plot. Scenes jumped back and forth so the reader could easily see everything going on. The plot was never “stuck” in one place for too long. Also, it was easy to know both Tom and Amy’s perspectives, because the point of view switched back and forth between them. There was a good balance between the characters, and I felt like I really got to know both of them. Mrs. Brownley showed how the characters felt and thought instead of simply describing everything. Her descriptions, however, throughout the book in general were excellent and not overbearing. I have a clear mental image of the scenes and characters in this book. The secondary characters (Miss Lillian, the parlor girls, and the church ladies) really make this book special. They add so much yet don’t take over. Without them, the plot would be full of holes.
There is a lot of conflict in this story that makes the plot complex. Amy’s own heart holds most of the conflict. Her desire to do what is right and to be modest in a parlor house of all places battles with her convictions, as does her desire to do her job well. Her growing affection for Tom is confused by her real and portrayed professions. Of course, the mysteries also create conflict between Amy and Tom, as Amy tries not to convict Tom’s already dead brother, even though all the evidence points to him. Interwoven mysteries in the plot make it thicker, as well as the semi-twist ending. The mystery is sometimes a little cheesy, for example, with the “bad guy” being the Gunnysack Bandit. One small aspect of the plot is a little too small. That is the aspect of Amy’s missing sister, Cissy. Although it is necessary to show Amy’s character and create the plot, it seems a bit thrown in and scattered throughout the story. I feel it could have been developed a little further.
I think Mrs. Brownley did really well with the spirituality peppered throughout the book. It is a central theme of the novel, yet does not over power it. One spiritual theme in this book is seeing people for what is inside of them rather than outside. Amy realizes while at the parlor house that the girls there are not what people see and assume. Most of them hate it there, and are miserable. Underneath of the face paint is sad miserable people trying to survive in the only way they believe they can. When Amy shuns a beggar on the street, and is attacked by angry women, she learns that it is important to look at the heart and love people. Amy’s silent, one-liner prayers are heartfelt and show that her relationship with the Lord is strong. They also help show her character and allow us to see into her heart.
The romance driven by impossibility and conflict is unique. At times I would be hopeful only to have my hopes dashed, but brought back up and down again. The plot was well written, with the romance and mystery balancing each other nicely. I only took a few days reading it. All things considering, I would definitely recommend this book to a friend, and I am looking forward to the next book Mrs. Margaret Brownley will bring.
I received a complimentary copy of Petticoat Detective from Barbour Publishing through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. The opinions stated are my own.
This review also appears on The Christian Manifesto. http://thechristianmanifesto.com/fiction/petticoat-detective/
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