A Respectable Actress

A Respectable Actress
Dorothy Love
(Thomas Nelson)
ISBN: 978-1401687595
October 2015/384 pages/$15.99
When India Hartley is accused of murder, she must uncover the deceptions of others to save herself.

India Hartley, a famous and beautiful actress, is now alone after her father’s death and embarks upon a tour of theaters across the South. Her first stop is Savannah’s Southern Palace. On the eve of the second night’s performance, something goes horribly wrong. Her co-star, Arthur Sterling, is shot dead on stage in front of a packed house, and India is arrested and accused of the crime.

A benefactor hires Philip Sinclair, the best—and handsomest—lawyer in Savannah to defend India. A widower, Philip is struggling to reinvent his worn-out plantation on St. Simons Island. He needs to increase his income from his law practice in order to restore Indigo Point, and hardly anything will bring him more new clients than successfully defending a famous actress on a murder charge.

Because India can’t go anywhere in town without being mobbed, Philip persuades the judge handling her case to let him take her to Indigo Point until her trial date. India is charmed by the beauty of the Georgia lowcountry and is increasingly drawn to Philip. But a locked room that appears to be a shrine to Philip’s dead wife and the unsolved disappearance of a former slave girl raise troubling questions. Piecing together clues in an abandoned boat and a burned-out chapel, India discovers a trail of dark secrets that lead back to Philip, secrets that ultimately may hold the key to her freedom. If only he will believe her.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

A native of west Tennessee, Dorothy Love makes her home in the Texas hill country with her husband and their golden retriever. An award-winning author of numerous young adult novels, Dorothy made her adult debut with the Hickory Ridge novels. When she isn’t busy writing or researching her next book, Love enjoys hiking, traveling, and hanging out with her husband Ron and their rambunctious golden retriever. Find out more about Dorothy at http://dorothylovebooks.com.



MY THOUGHTS

This fascinating novel combines murder, mystery, and not a little mayhem--as well as romance, of course--as it opens with a bang. The post-Civil War setting and the prevailing attitudes toward the acting profession greatly influence the story line and plot, and the author uses this to deepen the character development and add layers to the story. Secrets and unexpected twists in the plot kept me rapidly turning pages as I endeavored to determine who murdered the lead actor. Unsettling events at the plantation where India has been secreted add to the tension. Grab your copy of A Respectable Actress today.


Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Revell Publishing and Litfuse Publicity Group as part of a blog tour. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are 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.”