The Gold Digger

I very much enjoyed this well-written novel of murders committed in early 1900’s America. The murderer and most victims are real people; the author also discloses which characters are of her design. At times it seems clear who the killer was but there is just enough doubt regarding another person. The characters are well-defined through realistic dialog and actions, and the author’s research into the true crime and history of the time show the accuracy of the novel. Faith in the Lord is evident through the prayers and actions of several characters. Belle has a pig farm that she inherited from her second husband. Twice widowed, she has taken in homeless children and raises them as her own. Her sister Ingrid is somewhat of a newcomer to America, having come from their native Norway five years earlier. Belle purchased a building in LaPorte, Indiana, and gifted the use of the storefront and upstairs apartment to Ingrid to open a candy store. Ingrid is painfully shy and doesn’t speak English well, but she can’t turn away the gift from her sister. Ingrid’s dream is to be a photographer, and this building has a basement she can use as a darkroom. Belle has advertised for men with a goal of marriage in various Norwegian newspapers in the Midwest. Several men have come to meet her and see the farm, but each one left shortly after arrival. A former farmhand, Ray, still hangs out by the farm as he wants to be her next husband as she had once promised. Even though she fired him, he is still obsessed with her. There are very few motorcars in LaPorte; the second unfamiliar one recently seen in town arrived and a young Norwegian man came to get directions from her. Nils, who owns a motorcar dealership in Detroit, is looking for his brother Sven, who had gone to Belle’s and not been heard from since. Their ailing mother is very worried, as it isn’t like Sven to be out of touch so long. Ingrid remembers Sven and his automobile, as Sven was a very nice man who left as the others had. She told Nils how to find the farm. Over the next few weeks, Nils, with Ingrid’s help, exhausts leads searching for Sven, and will have to return to Detroit without him. Jennie, the teen who Belle took in several years ago, is gone. Belle claims to have sent her to a finishing school in California but refuses to share her address. Someone set fire to the candy shop with Ingrid sleeping upstairs. The author’s talent for writing Christian suspense and historical novels is evident. The mystery is written with excellence as one tries to discover what really happened to the missing men and other unusual occurrences. The characters, faith, and suspense make this a truly worthy addition to Barbour’s multi-author True Colors series. The end is satisfying with loose ends tied up as much as was in the real events. I highly recommend this to anyone who is a fan of the author or series, Christian suspense with roots in true crime, and potential for romance. From a thankful heart: I received a copy of this novel from NetGalley and Celebrate Lit, and this is my honest review.