It's 1926 and prohibition is in effect. But this doesn't stop the legions of smugglers from bringing alcohol from the Bahamas and Cuba into the United States. The Coast Guard has its hands full trying to catch all the illegal traffic coming into the Keys, Miami and other ports. To help them crack the seemingly unbreakable codes used by the top rumrunners, Elizebeth Smith Friedman, a brilliant codebreaker working for the Feds, is brought in to help. She soon finds herself up against Marie Waite, a young woman who is determined to become the most successful smuggler on the high seas. A cat and mouse game ensues between the two clever women, both wives and mothers, who are trying to make better lives for their families - but in very different ways.
Author Erika Robuck is a talented storyteller who does excellent research for her historical novels. Her last two books, Sisters of Night and Fog (2022) and The Invisible Woman (2021) were fictionalized stories of actual women who exhibited incredible bravery during WWII. These are the type of books that have you doing your own research during and after you're done reading. Get ready to keep Googling as The Last Twelve Miles will leave you wanting to keep reading about Elizebeth and Marie ("Spanish Marie"). While there is plenty of murder and mayhem to be found in this book, it is lighter than Robuck's last two books. The speakeasys, clubs and resorts of the day are vividly brought to life. Told in each woman's alternating points-of-view, you may find yourself not only rooting for the good guys.
Many thanks to Sourcebooks Landmark for the opportunity to read this enjoyable Jazz Age book before its publication.
Rated 4.25 out of 5 stars.
Historical Fiction.
Publication Date: June 4, 2024.
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