Betty Must Uncover the Truth for Her New Client
One reason I enjoy series is because I get caught up in the lives of the characters. After a couple of books, I’m coming back for that as much as the mystery itself. Over the last couple of books, author Liz Milliron has been creating some interesting conflicts for the characters in her Homefront Mysteries, so I was anxious to see where it would lead in The Lies We Live, the sixth in the series.
This series is set in Buffalo, New York, during World War II. When the series started, Betty Ahern was working in the airplane factory, doing her part for the war effort. But since then, she’s quit her job and started a new career as a fully licensed PI. Things as going well, and as this book opens in September 1943, Betty is looking for office space and is hiring someone to work for her part time.
Her latest client is Nancy Washington, a young woman who is certain that her teenage brother is up to something. Something dangerous if not downright illegal. Betty agrees to try to learn what the brother is up to, but she has to try to get creative since the Washingtons are African American and Betty can’t blend into the neighborhood as easily as she is used to.
Meanwhile, Betty gets surprising news. Her fiancé, Tom, is coming home from the front in Africa. He’s been injured, and it quickly becomes evident that he’s not the same man who Betty agreed to marry.
While Betty is trying to figure out what to do, there’s a murder connected with her case. With the stakes raised, Betty has to figure out what is going on. Can she do it?
Let’s get the racial language issue out of the way first. Yes, the authors does use some of the language acceptable at the time, but by no means all of it. Since that is historically accurate, I was okay with it, although it did stand out to me when I was reading it. I just had to keep reminding myself that it was what the characters would be saying.
Yes, the book does touch on race relations at the time, and Betty and others talk about how poor Nancy and others are being treated. I truly appreciated that part of the book. But don’t worry, this is a small part of things. The focus is on the mystery.
And the book has a great mystery. I was left guessing exactly what was going on until near the end – just about the time that Betty figured everything out. The ending was logical. I have a niggle or two with the climax, but any of those issues are minor.
This is our first time meeting Tom, an event I’d been looking forward to, especially after the last couple of books. It’s obvious he’s going through quite a bit being back in town with his injuries, and I appreciated how that was handled. Honestly, I was as caught up in this part of the story as I was the main mystery. Between the two, I had a hard time putting the book down.
And Tom being back allowed Betty to really mature in this book. I loved the growth here. We also got to see some of the other characters in a different light, which I appreciated.
The story is told from Betty’s first-person point of view. She speaks and narrates with just a hint of the slang of the day. It adds a charm to the story that I enjoy.
My normal disclaimer comes into play here – these aren’t cozies, although they still keep the language and violence to a minimum. As long as you know that going into the book, you’ll be fine.
To fully appreciate the character growth we see here, you’ll want to read the series in order. Following Betty’s journey is well worth it.
The Lies We Live leaves Betty in a good place. She will be back, but fans will be happy waiting until we get to visit her again. That also means it is a good time to dive in and catch up if you haven’t started this wonderful series yet.
This book is currently scheduled to be released on March 18th. So keep a look out for it so you can preorder it.
Do check out the rest of the Homefront Mysteries.
NOTE: I received an ARC of this book.
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