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[/amazon_link]Title : The Impersonator
Author : Mary Miley
Genre : Adventure/Mystery
Publisher : Minotaur Books
Publish date : September 17, 2013
Pages : 368
Source : Publisher/Netgalley
Rating : 4/5
Leah Randall is a stage actress in vaudeville in the early 1900s. When she is mistaken for a heiress by “Uncle Oliver” she brushes off the incident and the related unsavory job offer. When her finances get strained though, she contacts Oliver Beckett. In short order she finds herself impersonating wealthy heiress Jessamyn Carr, who’s been missing for 7 years. Jessie would now be turning 21, the time when she comes into a large inheritance, and Uncle Oliver has his eye on siphoning off the monies with Leah’s help.
Leah, well-coached, must stand up to hostile scrutiny from the trust-holders of Jessie’s estate as well as Jessie’s cousins – the very same cousins who would stand to inherit in Jessie’s absence. Using her wit and resourcefulness she seems to be doing well enough, but when she finds herself subject to more than one “accident”, she realizes that there might more to the real Jessie’s disappearance than meets the eye.
This book features a very likeable plucky protagonist. Leah Randall has had a hard life, always living life by the skin of her teeth, yet she doesn’t hold any grudges. She is a willing partner in Uncle Oliver’s elaborate deceptive scheme, but her inherent good nature turns her into an underdog worth rooting for. Leah faces many unpredictable challenges as she plays out a role every single day, but has her wits about her, and succeeds in making some friends even in such a situation. The other characters in the book are also well-etched, from the nervous aunt and her large brood, to the nasty cousin who seems to know that she is not Jessie.
This is a fast-paced book, with a lot happening. Yes, the plot is a tad jaded; the doppelganger theme has been much used in films. But Miley manages to make it fresh again, and I have to commend her on making an essentially predictable plot work so well. There were some implausible coincidences in Leah’s favor (and they reminded me of Nancy Drew’s sleuthing adventures) but they were minor irritants, so vested was I in Leah’s well-being. The story is told in simple words, no elaborate flourishes here, but even so works very well.
“The Impersonator” is a good mix of “pleasant reading” and “suspense novel”. Highly recommended.
