Speakeasy (Lena Stillman, #1)

by Alisa Smith

"In this literate and action-packed historical thriller, set during World War II, a plucky code-breaker fights to keep a deadly secret as her Bonnie-and-Clyde past threatens to catch up with her. Thirty-year-old Lena Stillman is living a perfectly respectable life when a shocking newspaper headline calls up her past: it concerns her former lover, charismatic bank robber Bill Bagley. A romantic and charming figure, Lena had tried to forget him by resuming her linguistic studies, which led to her recruitment as a Navy code-breaker intercepting Japanese messages during World War II. But can Lena keep her own secrets? Threatening notes and the appearance of an old diary that recalls her gangster days are poised to upset her new life. Whom can she really trust? Is there a spy among the code-breakers? And who is it that wants her dead?" --

• ISBN10: 1250079551
• ISBN13: 9781250079558
• Publish Date: 10 April 2018 (first published 25 March 2017)
• Publish Status: Out of Stock
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: St Martin's Press
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 240
• Language: English

Reviews

[annieb123]

Originally published on my blog: Nonstop Reader.

Speakeasy is the first book in a new series by Alisa Smith. Released 10th April 2018 by Macmillan on their Thomas Dunne imprint, it's 240 pages and available in hardcover and ebook formats.

I really love noir. The premise ticked all the boxes for me. I love the location and time period, and I liked the idea of a strong intelligent female lead who's a codebreaker during WWII. The story itself I found engaging and interesting.

The problems for me were technical in nature. Much of the dialogue was awkward and stilted. The alternating pov and timelines were jarring for me and I found myself having to go back and re-read passages to be sure who was talking. Bill Bagley (the male 'lead' and Lena's former lover) was an abrasive jerk. The author did a lot more 'telling' than 'showing' (a fair bit of the plot elements were provided by characters talking to one another and saying things for the benefit of the reader). Some of the dialogue also seemed anachronistic. If I had 'blind read' the book, I wouldn't have thought that it was a period novel. That might be a plus for readers who don't like period-authentic dialogue and writing, but to me it sometimes felt as though the setting and time period were tacked on stage scenery.

Some of my favorite series have taken a few books to develop and for the authors to really find their voices. I'll give this series another book or two before I make a final assessment.

Three stars, an interesting debut.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.