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The Scarlet Pen by Jennifer Uhlarik - Emma Draycott is excited to accept the surprise proposal of her childhood friend Stephen Dee Richards, but her family is less than thrilled. Her parents don't like that they got engaged before Stephen asked their permission, and there is something about him that doesn't sit right with them. Something more than the fact that he has no means to support their daughter. Stephen claims to have business prospects that he's pursuing and leaves town to earn his fortune . . . after some extravagant spending with money he received as an inheritance. Emma is distraught when he leaves so quickly after their engagement, and with so little information about where he's going and who his business partners might be, but she remains loyal and continues to write to him. To add to her distress, a cowboy that is new in town turns out to be a Secret Service agent investigating counterfeit money, and he is asking a lot of questions about Stephen.
Clay Timmons is a Secret Service agent tracking down the source of counterfeit bills that have been passed in the area. He quickly develops a good working relationship with the banker, Emmitt Draycott and his family, staying in their guesthouse as he follows the trail. He is attracted to Emma and his feelings are torn when he realizes that the fake money keeps leading to her betrothed. It puts his friendship with her on rocky ground, to say the least. As he continues following Stephen's trail, he realizes that the string of violent murders is connected to Stephen as well. It soon becomes very clear that Stephen is extremely dangerous, and it will be up to Clay to inform Emma and protect her as well as bring Stephen to justice. But will she believe him, and how will she react?
This story is based on the true history of serial killer Stephen Dee Richards, and despite the horror of his crimes, there is justice and even a message of hope in his true story and in the fictional framework the author uses to tell the story. It definitely kept me turning pages and hoping the law would catch up to Stephen before he did more harm.
From the publisher:
Step into True Colors -- a series of Historical Stories of Romance and True American Crime
Enjoy a tale of true but forgotten history of a 19th century serial killer whose silver-tongued ways almost trap a young woman into a nightmarish marriage.
In 1876, Emma Draycott is charmed into a quick engagement with childhood friend Stephen Dee Richards after reconnecting with him at a church event in Mount Pleasant, Ohio. But within the week, Stephen leaves to "make his fame and fortune." The heartbroken Emma gives him a special pen to write to her, and he does with tales of grand adventures. Secret Service agent Clay Timmons arrives in Mount Pleasant to track purchases made with fake currency. Every trail leads back to Stephen -- and therefore, Emma. Can he convince the naive woman she is engaged to a charlatan who is being linked to a string of deaths in Nebraska?
Visit Barbour Publishing for more info on where to buy.
I received a digital ARC of this book from Barbour Publishing through NetGalley and was under no obligation to post a review.
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