"A Match of Wits" by Jen Turano

A Match of Wits (July 1, 2014) by Jen Turano.*

It is autumn time in 1883, and New York socialite Agatha Watson isn’t in her home city, but a lengthy train ride away in Colorado. She’s traveling as a reporter for the New York Tribune and writes under the name Mr. Alfred Wallenstate. Unfortunately, her writer’s guise has become known to some obviously wrong people, as she has had death threats. Such is the reason she’s been in Colorado with moody bodyguard, Mr. Blackheart, and her paid companion (as she is too old for a chaperone), Mrs. Drusilla Swanson. Being in Colorado is fortuitous in that she discovers Zayne Beckett, whom she hasn’t seen for two years, when he was leaving New York to follow his soon-to-be fiancée. A disastrous situation – accidentally and regrettably caused by Agatha – sends them all back to New York, much to Agatha’s delight and Zayne’s chagrin. Agatha has pegged him as her next project, and Zayne has his reasons for not wanting to return. Danger soon finds Agatha back in New York, and others around her aren’t unaffected. While those who care for her want to wile her away to a safe place, she wants to be out in the open like live bait; she’ll even take her noticeable pet P-I-G, Matilda, out for casual strolls. Her investigator’s nose will have her digging up news to locate her would-be assassins, and Zayne will do his best to keep her out of further harm’s way. But it’ll literally be difficult for him to stay one step ahead of her. Fortunately, the rest of the crew is around, like his older brother, Hamilton, their sister, Arabella, and top private investigator, Theodore Wilder. Don’t forget the meddling mothers found in Mrs. Cora Watson and Mrs. Gloria Beckett, either!

            Turano’s stories take place during a time when the men dominated and were expected to dominate, while the women were expected to be subservient and docile, not prone to outbursts or ditching one’s corsets for men’s trousers. Fortunately, Turano creates women of distinction with voices not afraid to be heard. Agatha is a strong female character, and she is not the only woman of strength in the story, which I appreciate. She has a big personality and an equally big heart. Zayne, having been brought up a typical male for that time period, is dense when it comes to strong women (and women in general, it seems), but he’s chivalrous enough to want to be a knight in shining armor, and there’s nothing wrong with that. This enjoyable Christian historical fiction novel is full of heart, solid faith, struggling faith, bumbling steps, big oopsy-daisies and love mixed with an investigative spirit. Zayne and Agatha can certainly match wits. How long will it take them to match hearts?

            See also: A Most Peculiar Circumstance and A Talent for Trouble

* Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Bethany House Publishers. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions are expressly my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”