Publishers Weekly
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McDaniel (Spotlight and Shadow) takes to the skies for an exciting 1920s historical that mixes love, murder accusations, and dangerous aerial feats. Things are looking up for 23-year-old Manhattan socialite Geneva Ashcroft. Recently married to handsome newspaper mogul Warren Hayes, Geneva has managed to escape her scheming business tycoon father and status-obsessed mother. But when Warren dies after crashing a plane that’s later found to have been “purposefully sabotaged,” Geneva becomes the prime suspect in his murder. As the police investigate and rumors swirl, she disguises herself as wingwalking stuntwoman Stella Starling and takes flight in a twin-seater plane piloted by a friend, drawing on her faith in her search for the true culprit (and uncovering more than a few surprises along the way). McDaniel cleverly braids dual timelines (one set in the present-day, the other when Geneva and Warren were first introduced) to capture how the socialite’s life opens up after meeting her future husband. On seeing Warren’s plane for the first time, Geneva marvels, “It’s only metal and wood, and fuel. It has no heart or soul, but it’s traveled places I’ve never been.” McDaniel’s gutsy heroine and acrobatic plot will keep readers on the edge of their seat. Agent: Julie Gwinn, Seymour Agency. (Apr.)