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BOOK
ILLUMINATIONS
From Merrimon Book Reviews
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When Winter Returns
by Kathryn Miller Haines
Rosie
Winter and her friend Jayne Hamilton return to New York from a USO tour
in the South Pacific. Rosie's homecoming is not a bed of
roses. When the two visit the family of Jayne's recently deceased
fiance, they discover that Billy DeMille is not exactly the man they
thought he was. Rosie decides to search out the mystery behind
the identity of Billy DeMille while also trying to help Jayne cope with
the grief of her loss. Rosie herself must re-examine her feelings
for her ex-, Jack Castegate, who has returned home injured and engaged
to a WAC private. Rosie and Jayne return to the familiar boarding
house, the George Bernard Shaw Home for Women Pursuing Theatrical
Vocations, to find themselves home yet not quite home. Likewise,
Rosie comes home to a country that has changed since her absence.
Fears of saboteurs have excited the imagination of the newspapers and
the hint of a German ancestry provokes suspicion. Jayne's
former boyfriend Tony, a mobster, resurfaces and the mobsters seem to
behind the women's casting rejections. Rosie finds herself
telling lie after lie, always with the best intentions of helping or
protecting her friends. Will Rosie be able to discover the man
behind the facade of Billy DeMille? Will she be able to help her
friends or will her lies box her into a dangerous circle?
Set in 1943, WHEN WINTER RETURNS, Kathyrn Miller Haines creates an
energetic, fast-paced mystery with several intriguing clues to keep the
puzzle lover guessing. WHEN WINTER RETURNS, and the
Rosie Winter mysteries in general, add a freshness to the
scope of WWII mysteries. Rosie's adventures take a reader into
the world of performers, mobsters and German-Americans. The
author brings this period alive beyond history book facts, not only in
the cast of characters, but also through Rosie's reflections on the
changed state of society at home. Now, returning home after
seeing seen the war up close, Rosie sees the naivete of the faith she
once had. Indeed, the theme of loss runs throughout the story, giving a
rich emotional background to the characters. Kathyrn
Miller Haines interweaves historical details of the acting
industry personnel as well as the influence of the Alien Registration
Act within the very heart of the story. WHEN WINTER RETURNS is
all the richer for the author's ability to see both the dangers of the
policy as well as the threat of saboteurs. Through Rosie's eyes,
a reader easily feels the tensions of the times as well as the
conflicting tensions within an individual. Cough
syrup brands and other period details give a sense of historical
authenticity that goes beyond history book events.
Despite the losses surrounding Rosie, she is a dynamic woman, a woman
always ready to help her friends. Rosie finds herself spinning a
web of lies in an effort to protect her friends, a scenario that adds a
delightful bit
of humor to the story as the reader watches her box herself into a
corner. Seeing the homeland at war expands a
reader's view of the times while the action-packed mystery leaves a
reader on their toes. A wonderful combination! Kathryn
Miller Haines gives women readers a
window into some of the difficulties bright, sharp women might have
experienced but never at the expense of the story
itself. Rosie's reflections never distract from the plot but
rather bring a reader inside her thoughts. The reader sees
through her eyes. As a lover of WWII mysteries, this reader finds
Rosie Winter a must addition to my historical mystery
collection. As a first time reader to the Rosie
Winter Mystery, WHEN WINTER RETURNS leaves a reader eager to explore
the earlier books in the series to discover more about the character,
particularly those events that lead up to this particular moment.
Although WHEN WINTER RETURNS works as a stand-alone, this
reader would recommend that new readers pick up earlier books in
addition to this one to be able to fulfill that curiosity. Highly
recommended to mystery lovers and WWII historical fiction lovers!
Publisher: Harper (May 11, 2010)
Author
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