I have a penchant for spies and assassins in the first
place and am definitely keen on historical fiction in the
second, so Michael Wallace's THE CRESCENT SPY had all the
key points of intrigue to catch my attention. To top it all
off, there's just something about New Orleans...
THE CRESCENT SPY is my first book by Michael Wallace and
won't be my last. I may try others of his novels, but this
story is begging for a sequel, so I hope he writes it.
Josephine Breaux writes for a Washington newspaper under an
assumed name, nimbly moving between Union and Confederate
camps until she is spotted and outed by a rival rag. Little
does she know that the Pinkerton Agency has had its eye on
her for a spying job in the South. Josephine knows New
Orleans because she grew up on riverboats, but details are
revealed slowly about her backstory, enticing readers to
continue reading.
And Michael Wallace, from what I can tell, has clearly done
his research on the Civil War and especially New Orleans.
His prose is ripe with details but not in an overwhelming
fashion. While there isn't a lot of gore in his battle
scenes, there is a lot of booming and gunfire, and it's
easy to picture oneself on the steamer fighting upriver
under a barrage.
Josephine is a terrific character although she seems to
know a bit more than she should for her age and is more
enamored or interested in war than I'd think a female of
her time would be, but these are minor quibbles. The hint
of romance is a nice touch and done well enough, so it
doesn't jump off the page and hit you like some romances
do. If you like spies, historical fiction and/or New
Orleans, give THE CRESCENT SPY a chance.
Writing under a man’s name, Josephine Breaux is the finest reporter at Washington’s Morning Clarion. Using her wit and charm, she never fails to get the scoop on the latest Union and Confederate activities. But when a rival paper reveals her true identity, accusations of treason fly. Despite her claims of loyalty to the Union, she is arrested as a spy and traitor.
To Josephine’s surprise, she’s whisked away to the White House, where she learns that President Lincoln himself wishes to use her cunning and skill for a secret mission in New Orleans that could hasten the end of the war. For Josephine, though, this mission threatens to open old wounds and expose dangerous secrets. In the middle of the most violent conflict the country has ever seen, can one woman overcome the treacherous secrets of her past in order to secure her nation’s future?
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