Fiction Review: Love in Disguise by Carol Cox

Love in Disguise by Carol Cox

Delightfully Engaging Blend of Romance, Suspense, History, and Humor

When costume-maker Ellie Moore suddenly finds herself out of a job in the middle of a bleak Chicago winter, she uses her knowledge of theatrical disguise to secure a position as an undercover operative with the Pinkerton Detective Agency. Her assignment: find the culprit behind the theft of silver shipped from the mines near Pickford, Arizona. Disguised as Lavinia Stewart, a middle-aged widow, Ellie begins her investigation. Soon she finds she must also pose as the dazzling young Jessie Monroe, whose vivacious personality encourages people to talk.

Mine owner Steven Pierce is about to lose his business after the theft of several bullion shipments--until hope arrives in the unlikely form of Lavinia Stewart, who offers to invest in Steven's mine. In his wildest dreams, Steven never expected to be rescued by an inquisitive gray-haired widow . . . or to fall head over heels for Lavinia's captivating niece, Jessie. But then the thieves come after both Lavinia and Jessie. Ellie isn't safe no matter which character she plays! Will she be forced to reveal her true identity before the criminals are caught? What will Steven do when he discovers the woman he loves doesn't exist?

Rating:
✮✮✮

Review:
Love in Disguise by Carol Cox promised romance, suspense, history, and humor; and sadly, left me a little disappointed. Yes, there was a little romance and some suspense, but both were very downplayed from what I was expecting. I had already figured out who was responsible really early in the story, which meant everything after that point wasn't as intriguing because I knew; and the romance was lacking. And I didn't really find any humor at all throughout the novel.

In Love in Disguise, a young woman finds herself taking a job with the Pinkerton Detective Agency - and I am a sucker for novels about the Pinkerton Detective Agency - and going out West to figure out who is robbing the mines in Arizona. In doing so, she has to play two separate characters, all while trying to be a detective. And I loved this concept, and I felt that it didn't hold up. I just felt that she didn't really do anything detective-wise that was worthwhile, and the whole story relied on a single clue she had figured out (with a few other minor details here and there).

The one good thing about this book was Ellie. I loved her personality and her driven desire to help and deliver what she had promised she would. She's spunky and lighthearted. But I was not sold on the romance between Steven and her, and I didn't feel the love. I, personally, felt there was a lot of infatuation from Steven concerning Jessie's (one of Ellie's alter-egos) appearance. And although I admire in the end how he was all about Ellie's personality rather than her looks, it didn't endear favorably toward him. Not to mention, I just didn't really click with Steven, and felt rather indifferent toward him throughout the novel.

While I didn't love this book by Carol Cox, I loved her writing style and have previously enjoyed a short story by her. Love in Disguise might not be the book for me, but I do look forward to reading some of Carol Cox's other books.