Publication date: August 21st, 2022
Synopsis:
Casablanca meets Notorious in a Hitchcock-style thriller of espionage, romance, adventure, and intrigue.
1917. Emma Christensen is a young widow who returns to the Danish West Indies to reclaim the life and the villa she left behind. When she discovers her husband has disinherited her in favor of his young heir--an illegitimate son--she turns to the one thing she knows, gambling, and soon finds herself deeply in debt.
Emma is approached by Cornelius Smith, a representative of an American shipping line, who offers an alternative: infiltrate the suspicious Hamburg-American Line and spy on its nefarious leader, Julius Luckner, to gain valuable business intelligence for his firm.
It doesn't take long for Emma to realize that both Smith and Luckner are not as they seem. Close to the Allies but even closer to the enemy, Emma bravely engages in missions that could blow her cover at any moment. But with the Panama Canal at stake, how far will she do to help the Allies?
A gripping and suspenseful World War I spy thriller from an accomplished thriller and historical adventure writer.
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Excerpt
Emma awoke in a room she did not recognize. She was lying on a four-poster canopy bed with mosquito netting. The sheets were luxurious and smelled of lavender. The pillow was nice and firm. There were a few watercolors on the walls, mostly island scenes. Outside the door was a rustling of skirts and footsteps and she knew she must be in the hotel.
She eased out of bed and washed her face in the basin, then she searched for her clothes, which she found draped over a chair. She pulled on her cotton petticoat, her silk stockings, blouse, and skirt, feeling hungry and fatigued. Finally, she brushed and pinned her hair up until it was presentable, then she left the room, remembering to take the key from the dresser, then went downstairs for breakfast.
The Maître d' showed her to a table and gave her a newspaper and a steaming mug of coffee. She ordered eggs, toast, fresh fruit, and orange juice, feeling her stomach rumbling. She opened the newspaper and began to read, but a familiar profile at the next table drew her attention.
He turned to meet her gaze. "Good morning, Emma, do you mind if I join you?"
She blushed. It was Mr. Smith.
"Well, if it isn't Mr. Smith. I should have known it was you. You do have a habit of always showing up when least expected. I had a feeling you had something to do with this. Well, since you're my benefactor, I owe you a debt of gratitude."
"You can thank me by allowing me to join you," he said.
"Of course."
He picked up his coffee cup and eased into the seat opposite her, looking well-rested and charming.
"You had a nasty fall last night. I'm just glad I was in the right place to help out. I hope you're feeling better."
"Just a slight headache but otherwise perfectly fine. Tell me something, you're not really a botanist, are you?"
"Botany is my hobby. Actually, I work for a steamship company out of Baltimore, the Atlantic Transport Line. I'm down here to drum up some business, but on the side I do a little botanical work for Hoffman-La Roche. What caused your collapse last night?"
"I had some bad news. The probate court took my house away. I received a letter from the lawyer yesterday telling me I had one week to get out. I guess the stress finally caught up with me."
"I'm sorry to hear that. But I may have a solution for you."
She looked at him. "What kind of a solution?"
"I'm here to offer you a job. My company, the Atlantic Transport Line has lost several ships these past few months. I'm here to find out what happened to them."
"So that's why you're here. I knew it had nothing to do with botanical research. You're trying to find out what happened to your missing ships."
"That's part of the reason. It's actually a bit more complicated than that. Perhaps there's a way I can help you and you can help me. If you'll agree to work for me, I'll pay you enough money to buy your house back."
"Tell me more about this job."
He lowered his voice. "I need some information about a local steamship company that I think you can provide."
"What sort of information?" she asked.
"It's highly confidential, but I need to know you're committed before we discuss it further."
"How can I commit if I don't know what it is?"
"You're just going to have to trust me. I'm willing to pay you a great deal of money for your commitment to this job. But only on one condition: that you give up gambling."
She shook her head. "This is going too fast for me. I need time to think..." She got up to leave, but Smith grabbed her arm and held fast. She stared into his eyes and saw he was dead serious.
"Look, it's not a hard job, Emma, but I need to know you're committed. And when I say committed, I mean one hundred percent."
"Why is that so important to you?"
"Because this job requires unwavering commitment. Without it, you'll never get anywhere. People who can't commit to anything never achieve anything of any value. And I think you're capable of performing well. Does that answer your question? In short, I need to know what sort of a person you are."
Emma stared at him as she brought the cup to her lips. "Very well, Mr. Smith. I'm committed. Now tell me about this job."
SOPHIE SCHILLER is an author of historical fiction and spy thrillers. She loves stories that carry the reader back in time to exotic and far-flung locations. Kirkus Reviews has called her "an accomplished thriller and historical adventure writer." Publishers Weekly called her novel, ISLAND ON FIRE, "a memorable romantic thriller", her novel RACE TO TIBET, "a thrilling yarn," and her TRANSFER DAY, "a page-turner with emotional resonance." Kirkus Reviews called her latest novel, THE LOST DIARY OF ALEXANDER HAMILTON, "an engaging coming-of-age story of heartbreak, bravery, honor, and triumph." Her latest novel is THE UNLIKELY SPY, a historical spy thriller set during WWI. She graduated from American University, Washington, DC and lives in Brooklyn, NY.
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