Courting Misfortune
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5.0 • 1 calificación
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- $69.00
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- $69.00
Descripción editorial
Calista York needs one more successful case as a Pinkerton operative to secure her job. When she's assigned to find the kidnapped daughter of a mob boss, she's sent to the rowdy mining town of Joplin, Missouri, despite having extended family in the area. Will their meddling expose her mission and keep Lila Seaton from being recovered?
When Matthew Cook decided to be a missionary, he never expected to be sent only a short train ride away. While fighting against corruption of all sorts, Matthew hears of a baby raffle being held to raise funds for a children's home. He'll do what he can to stop it, but he also wants to stop the reckless Miss York, whose bad judgment consistently seems to be putting her in harm's way.
Calista doesn't need the handsome pastor interfering with her investigation, and she can't let her disguise slip. Her job and the life of a young lady depend on keeping Matthew in the dark.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Jennings (The Major's Daughter) introduces readers to the rough and tumble town of Joplin, Mo., in this fun inspirational adventure set in 1898. Undercover Pinkerton agent Calista York is hired to find Lila, the daughter of a Chicago gangster with connections to Calista's boss. Lila was last seen being held in a brothel in Joplin, and though Calista's wary of the assignment because she has relatives in the area who may blow her cover, she takes the job, convinced that "God had called her on this path" to rescue Lila before she is harmed. Matthew Cook, a new pastor in Joplin, is eager to save souls in the derelict town. After spotting Calista at a brothel and then at a whiskey shop, Matthew determines to protect her and help her reform her life. Calista's work in Joplin becomes a complicated balancing act as she deals with meddlesome family, her deepening feelings for Matthew, her investigation and the corrupt local police, and a looming deadline to find Lila. Just when Calista is recalled by her boss and gives up searching for Lila, Matthew discovers the truth about Lila's whereabouts and races to find Calista before she reports back. Jennings nicely lays out the competing interests and introduces Joplin locals, such as orphanage director Mrs. Fairfield, who promise good things for future entries in the series. Full of colorful characters and unexpected twists, Jennings's entertaining story is her best yet.
Reseñas de clientes
Delightful New Series!!
This is the first book in the Joplin Chronicles Series set in the very late 1800’s, and it sure promises to be an amazing, fun, laugh out loud and charming Series!
Calista York is a Kansas City girl and an undercover Pinkerton agent in training, and this new assignment she’s been given may be the perfect opportunity to secure her job. A little unexpected, though, as she is sent to Joplin, Missouri, where she has an extended family that may get in the way of her keeping a low profile in order to succeed in her task, which is to rescue Lila Seaton, the kidnapped daughter of a Chicago well known mobster boss.
Matthew Cook is a former farmer turned into a missionary preacher and sent to Joplin, known as a sin city full of many lost souls: gamblers, drunks, women of ill repute, and the miners that still have many things to learn about living a godly life. He sure is having a hard time at it, but things get even more complicated when reckless and captivating Miss York arrives to town and seems to be getting in one scrape after another, always putting herself in danger.
But Calista doesn’t want a man -or anyone else- interfering in her investigation. But it seems that instead of keeping her identity undercover, she is attracting more attention than she ought to… That is, if she wants to find the mobster’s daughter and finally get the recognition she craves.
Things get more complicated as the local people organize a raffle for the orphanage, where the prize is a baby, and Calista’s name is entered in the drawing. Can you see the trouble brewing? And will Calista ever find Lila, before she ends up kidnapped herself or worse? Will she and Matthew, opposites as they are, ever have a chance of acknowledging their growing feelings? I won’t spoil the story, you’ll have to read it for yourself to find out. I’ll just say it was a delightful journey, full of everything I love in my novels: sweet romance, humor and laugh out loud moments, mixed with intrigue and danger. The plot kept me engaged the whole time. There are unexpected twists and lots of action and funny moments. The romance is sweet and clean, a bit hard for them to let down their walls, but so endearing. Most of all, I loved the characters: Calista’s spunky, naïve and straightforward nature had me smiling a lot. And Matthew was funny and too, especially because he took everything so seriously, and how he sees Calista as a lost sheep at first. His feeling of helplessness is deep, and he will have to learn and mature in regard as what is most important in his mission. Calista will be a help in that. They both have heart of gold and are selfless and interested in. helping others. The book has an inspiring message that wasn’t preachy at all.
The secondary characters, especially Calista’s cousins, were a wonderful addition and made the story more fun and enjoyable. I can see some characters in this book getting their long story later in this Series.
The book is well written, the descriptions enough detailed for me to transport myself to Joplin and the characteristics of the place and people in that era.
I definitely recommend this book to anyone! It was delighful and endearing! A great escape for these days!
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Bethany House Publishers but wasn’t required to post a positive review. This is my honest and unbiased opinion.