A Dangerous Legacy

Lucy is a whiz at reading and translating morse code. Her brother, Nick, is a gifted plumber who wants to help out in the tenements to make the lives of the poor better.  The only fly in the ointment is their Uncle Thomas who has embroiled the family in a law suit for forty years over the use of a specialized pump that will get water to the upper floors of tenement buildings so that the residents don't have to haul water up multiple flights of stairs. 

Elizabeth Camden has written an intriguing turn-of-the-century novel with mystery, skull-duggery, and underhanded dealings. Lucy's abilities with morse code landed her a job with the Associated Press, transcribing stories as they came in for the newspaper in New York.  She meets Sir Colin Beckworth, who has an office in the building and works for Reuters.  Together they work on defeating Uncle Thomas' in the lawsuit about the pump.  When Uncle Thomas' father, Jacob, comes to town, he finds Nick and offers to teach him all that there is to know in taking care of the family business.  Jacob wants to leave his entire estate to Nick. 

This is a five star book, just based on the excellence of the writing.  It holds all the hallmarks of a good read:  intriguing plot twists, engaging characters, and interesting settings.  The only thing this book lacks is that I am not an afficionado of mysteries.  I'm still giving the book five stars, even though it is not my favorite genre.  Two Thumbs Up, and a transcribed morse code message.

My appreciation goes to Bethany House Publishing for allowing me to read and review this book.