The Crescent Spy

I hope everyone is having a lovely Saturday.  It is actually a little cooler in our area today (in the 70's).  Today is Operating Nurse Day.  A day to honor those men and woman who take care of patients before, during and after a surgery.  If you have ever had a surgery or known someone who has had an operation, you know how important the work that these nurses do is to the patient.  If you know an operating nurse, do something special for them today!

The Crescent Spy by Michael Wallace is a great historical novel.  It is set during the Civil War and takes place mostly in New Orleans, Louisiana.  Josephine Breaux is twenty years old and a reporter for the Morning Clarion in Washington, D.C.  She gets information from both sides (using her feminine charms) which help her write great articles for the paper.  Her stories were published under the name of Joseph Breaux.  Until the day she was exposed and her editor fires her.  Outside the newspapers office she is picked up by Pinkerton Agents.  They believe she is a spy and are going to drop her off in Virginia unless she can convince them she is not a spy (and loyal to the Union).

Josephine convinces Franklin Gray of her loyalty and he takes her to meet Allan Pinkerton and President Lincoln.  They want her to go to New Orleans and get them information.  She will be popular in New Orleans since the agents have made it look like she is a Southern sympathizer and a spy for their cause.  Josephine gets a job at the New Orleans Daily Crescent.  This gives Josephine a good cover for going about the city and getting a look at the military boats, installations (forts), and troops.  But then an old friend of her mother’s spots her.  Will this ruin everything that Josephine could do for the Union cause?  You will have to read The Crescent Spy to see what happens to Josephine in New Orleans and how her work helps the Union cause.

I truly enjoyed reading The Crescent Spy.  The Crescent Spy is a well-written and engaging novel, and I wanted to keep reading to see what would happen next.  There is a lot of history in the book (about fort, troops, and battles), but it is a necessary part of the story.  I liked that Josephine was a brave, confidant woman.  She was determined to use her talents for good.  I give The Crescent Spy 4.5 out of 5 stars.  There are just a couple of areas that are little sluggish, but overall a wonderful novel to read.  I look forward to reading more novels by Michael Wallace.

The Crescent Spy if available on the Kindle Unlimited Program.  I received a complimentary copy of The Crescent Spy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you so much for stopping by and reading my review.  I really appreciate your support.  I am currently reading The Casquette Girls by Alys Arden.  Have a nice, relaxing evening. There is a new Hallmark Christmas movie on tonight called I'm Not Ready for Christmas with Alicia Witt.  Take care and Happy Reading!

Kris

The Avid Reader