7 February 2021

My trusty little Kindle set me up with a fantastic historical fiction read by a fellow darkstroke author this week: THE GIRL PUZZLE by Kate Braithwaite. I am a bit biased towards the historical fiction side of the house (ahem) but, even so, this was a “knock it out the park” winner for me.

I have a vague memory of learning about Nellie Bly, “girl reporter”, as a brief one liner in history class (maybe 6^th grade? 5^th?) in the womens’ rights part of the curriculum. Other than that, I went into this story cold. But I was pulled in right away by Nellie’s journey especially when she was trapped in a mental institution (that was really a house of horrors) to get her byline. I won’t give away the ending (wink).

I so enjoyed the storyline but even more appreciated the high level of craft and style that the author brings to the table. Finally, I am green with envy in her mastery of using historical fiction to present real life people and real life events. Highly recommend.