In 1917, Jessie Carr, fourteen years old and sole heiress to her familyβs vast fortune, disappeared without a trace. Now, years later, her uncle Oliver Beckett thinks heβs found her: a young actress in a vaudeville playhouse is a dead ringer for his missing niece. But when Oliver confronts the girl, he learns heβs wrong. Orphaned young, Leahβs been acting since she was a toddler.
Oliver, never one to miss an opportunity, makes a propositionβwith his coaching, Leah can impersonate Jessie, claim the fortune, and split it with him. The role of a lifetime, he says. A one-way ticket to Sing Sing, she hears. But when sheβs let go from her job, Oliverβs offer looks a lot more appealing. Leah agrees to the con, but secretly promises herself to try and find out what happened to the real Jessie. Thereβs only one problem: Leahβs act wonβt fool the one person who knows the truth about Jessieβs disappearance.
Set against a Prohibition-era backdrop of speakeasies and vaudeville houses, Mary Mileyβs Minotaur Books/Mystery Writers of America First Crime Novel Competition winner The Impersonator will delight readers with its elaborate mystery and lively prose.
My Review: 3.5 stars
What a great book this was and Iβm not a huge fan of the mystery genre! I loved the idea of an impersonator blending in with family; perhaps itβs the soap opera girl in me. The protagonist, βJessie Carrβ was smart, witty and fun to solve the mystery with. The characters were well fleshed out due to Jessieβs natural insight and smarts, so she had a good handle on them. I enjoyed the take on Vaudeville and the authorβs bringing in famous names who got their start there, such as Jack Benny. This is a quick romp through the 1920βs where prohibition is at full swing and Β women drank their βhooch teaβ in bone china tea cups so they wouldnβt be suspect of drinking!
Quotes I liked:
Β Had a lifetime of theater made me too theatrical?
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