Kate’s 2¢: “Flirting with danger: the mysterious life of Marguerite Harrison, socialite spy” by Janet Wallace

“Flirting with danger: the mysterious life of Marguerite Harrison, socialite spy”

    by Janet Wallace

NOTE: There is a plethora of in-depth biographies of authors and reviews of their books, that state the title, author, published date, and genre; as well as, describing what the book is about, setting, and character(s), so, Kate’s 2¢ shares her thoughts about what she’s read. In her opinion…

   This was one of seven books on a cartridge the NLS sent me. I’m glad they did. Saskia Maarleveld did a good job of narrating this very interesting and intriguing true saga.

   Perhaps if more people read this account of what Communism is in real life, our country wouldn’t be so receptive to Socialist/Communist politicians and their evil influence.

Featured snippet from the web

Janet Wallace has 14 books on Goodreads with 46 ratings. Janet Wallace’s most popular book is Revolution.

Apr 30, 2025 — From the Pictou mill’s pollution to Trump’s tweets, New Glasgow artist Janet Wallace using artwork to create social commentary.

Missing: bio

From NLS/BARD/LOC:

Flirting with danger: the mysterious life of Marguerite Harrison, socialite spy DB119312

Author: Wallach, Janet

Reading Time: 9 hours, 36 minutes

Read by: Saskia Maarleveld

Subjects: Biography, U.S. History, War and the Military

“Born a privileged child of America’s Gilded Age, Marguerite Harrison rebelled against her mother’s ambitions, married the man she loved, was widowed at thirty-seven, and set off on a life of adventure. Hired as a society reporter, when America entered World War I she applied to Military Intelligence to work as a spy. She arrived in Berlin immediately after the Armistice and befriended the enemy, dining with aristocrats and dancing with socialists. Late into the night she wrote prescient reports on the growing power of the German right. Sent to Moscow, she sneaked into Russia to observe the results of the Bolshevik Revolution. Although she carried press credentials she was caught and imprisoned as an American spy. Terrified when told her only way out was to spy for the Cheka, she became a double agent, aiming to convince the Russian rulers she was working for them while striving to stay loyal to her country. In Germany and Russia, Harrison saw the future a second war with Germany, a cold war with the Soviets—but her reports were ignored by many back home. Over a decade, Harrison’s mysterious adventures took her to Europe, Baghdad, and the Far East, as a socialite, secret agent, and documentary filmmaker. Janet Wallach captures Harrison’s daring and glamour in this stranger-than-fiction history of a woman drawn to the impossible.” — Provided by publisher. Unrated. Commercial audiobook.

New York : Penguin Random House, [2023]

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Kate’s 2¢: “The Girl in the River (7)” by Rita B. Herron”

“The Girl in the River (7)” by Rita B. Herron”

NOTE: There is a plethora of in-depth biographies of authors and reviews of their books, that state the title, author, published date, and genre; as well as, describing what the book is about, setting, and character(s), so, Kate’s 2¢ shares her thoughts about what she’s read. In her opinion…

   Kristin Allison did a good job of narrating this Detective Ellie Reeves story. Have you ever stubbed your toe or bumped your hip on a dresser or slammed into a closed glass door?  It hurts. I can’t imagine how Ellie can recouperate so quickly from getting beaten up, kicked in the ribs, and smashed in the face  by a thug  twice her size.

   All in all, I enjoyed this story, the freeing of the girls from the sweat shop, and return of the happy couple, although there appears to be a hint that all in not right in Ellie’s own love life.

From the web:

USA Today Bestselling and award-winning author Rita Herron fell in love with books at the ripe age of eight when she read her first Trixie Belden mystery. But she didn’t think real people grew up to be writers, so she became a teacher instead. Now she writes so she doesn’t have to get a real job!

With over ninety books to her credit, she’s penned romantic suspense, romantic comedy, and YA stories, but she especially loves writing dark romantic suspense tales set in southern small towns.

Rita is represented by Jenny Bent with the Bent Agency.

From NLS/BARD/LOC:

The girl in the river DB127716

Series: Detective Ellie Reeves; Herron, Rita B. Detective Ellie Reeves

Order in Series: 07

Author: Herron, Rita B.

Reading Time: 8 hours, 58 minutes

Read by: Allison, Kristin

Subjects: Mystery and Detective Stories, Suspense Fiction

Downloaded: 09/10/2025

“The body lay in the river, arms outstretched. Long brown hair swirled in all directions, flowing with the current of the water. Her eyes were wide open in death, pale pink lips parted in a scream. Detective Ellie Reeves should be enjoying the wedding of her dear friend Mia Norman. But instead of celebrating, she is frantically searching for the missing bride. Something is terribly wrong–just hours ago, Mia was blissfully happy. Why would she suddenly vanish. Bursting through the dressing room, Ellie finds it in disarray–chairs overturned, a perfume bottle shattered. Hiding in the bathroom is Mia’s six-year-old daughter Pixie, curled in a ball and sobbing her heart out. The little girl says she was locked inside when she heard a man’s voice, and her mother crying. “I just want my mommy back,” she pleads. Ellie vows to make that happen. Turning the venue upside down, Ellie’s blood turns to ice when she reaches the riverbank. Someone is dead in the rippling water, floating beside a white veil. Ellie holds her breath as she turns the body over. It belongs to Tori, Mia’s bridesmaid, a gunshot wound in her back. Near the murder scene, Ellie discovers a button from a man’s shirt, and her friend’s engagement ring. The race is on to find Mia–before it’s too late. When forensics come back, the investigation takes a dark turn. DNA proves that Mia was actually Jesse Habersham, a woman who went missing five years ago. Ellie is certain that Mia was running from someone. Did her past finally catch up with her? Facing the most complex case of her career, Ellie is in a race against time. Can she uncover the truth before her friend is brutally killed? And when the murderer comes after innocent little Pixie, will Ellie save her from the clutches of death?” — Goodreads. Violence and strong language.

London : Bookouture, 2021.

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Kate’s 2¢: “Hidden Bones (6)” by Rita B. Herron

“Hidden Bones (6)” by Rita B. Herron

NOTE: There is a plethora of in-depth biographies of authors and reviews of their books, that state the title, author, published date, and genre; as well as, describing what the book is about, setting, and character(s), so, Kate’s 2¢ shares her thoughts about what she’s read. In her opinion…

   This was a very disturbing book to listen to. First, this is written by a woman with a woman as the protagonist, so, I’d prefer the narrator to be a woman.

   Second, the evidence of so many children being abused in the orphanage and how it adversely affected their lives – if they did survive – is really hard to understand.

   It was Halloween when I read this book, so that might have added to the emotional drama of this well-written book on a very difficult topic.

From the web:

USA Today Bestselling and award-winning author Rita Herron fell in love with books at the ripe age of eight when she read her first Trixie Belden mystery. But she didn’t think real people grew up to be writers, so she became a teacher instead. Now she writes so she doesn’t have to get a real job!

With over ninety books to her credit, she’s penned romantic suspense, romantic comedy, and YA stories, but she especially loves writing dark romantic suspense tales set in southern small towns.

Rita is represented by Jenny Bent with the Bent Agency.

From NLS/BARD/LOC:

Hidden bones DB127139

Series: Detective Ellie Reeves

Order in Series: 06

Author: Herron, Rita B.

Reading Time: 12 hours, 19 minutes

Read by: Saxe, Gareth

Subjects: Mystery and Detective Stories, Suspense Fiction

“The girl trips over branches, losing her footing. The darkness swallows her and she grabs thin air as she falls, her scream piercing the night. When she slams into the bottom of the pit, her heart hammers. She can’t believe what she’s seeing — a pile of perfect white bones… In the small town of Crooked Creek, where the Appalachian Mountains climb into the clouds, nineteen-year-old Mandy’s Spring Break takes a sinister turn. Detective Ellie Reeves races straight to the scene, driving through the winding roads to the abandoned orphanage. Ellie saves the teenage girl but discovers human remains that have been there for thirty years, ever since the home for children closed down. Her heart shatters at the thought that they might belong to the helpless orphans. Working day and night on the case, Ellie searches for the orphanage’s files, but they have been stolen — somebody is clearly trying to cover their tracks. As she interviews the residents of the mountain community, Ellie finds out that almost everyone connected to the children’s home has disappeared. Then a woman is found dead, her body marked with a strange symbol. When Ellie learns that the victim used to work at the orphanage, it’s clear that a twisted killer is trying to stop the truth coming out. Ellie vows to solve this case that spans decades, and when her research into the meaning of the symbol leads her to a local business at the heart of recent controversy, she’s on the right track. Can she bring the secrets to light before another innocent person is murdered? And when she gets too close to uncovering the truth, will she survive?” — Provided by publisher. Violence and some strong language.

London : Bookouture, 2022.

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