The Respectable Actress

I believe I have read all of Dorothy Love's novel with the exception of one and I hope to rectify that after reading her latest The Respectable Actress, I feel in love with the background character of Celia MacKay, a woman who comes to the aid of India Hartley who has been accused of murdering her fellow actor in a play at Savannah's Southern Palace. With a last minute change to the script, due to trying to impress a critic, India has been asked to shoot notable thespian Arthur Sterling instead of throwing a vase at his head. The only problem is that the prop gun has been replaced in the moment by India's own hand gun which she didn't realize until it went off, and now has been arrested at the prime suspect. It doesn't help that her earlier comments to make it look good to the audience by Sterling was met with a willingness that if only it wasn't just acting in front of witnesses.

Now that the trial has been set, and of course publicity and rumors are running rampant in Savannah, India's attorney, Philip Sinclair believes that in order to accurately get to the bottom of the case with his client, she should be released into his custody on the island of Indigo Point. The judge agrees and provides them both with time to put their case together. If Philip can win this case, it will help his law career immensely but when mounting evidence that begins to pile up against India, he wonders if he has bitten off more than he can chew. India is met with more hostility as the women who live in Indigo Point don't exactly respect her position as an actress and feel the position is one of a lesser class woman.

She tries as hard as possible to find any friends on the island, and befriends Philip's sister Amelia who is attempting to try and find a way to restore their families land holdings since the war decimated most of what they had once had. She also longs for the opportunity to find true love with the limited supply of eligible bachelors on the island. The one mystery on the island is the locked room in the home that seems to be a bit of a shrine to a woman that no one will discuss as if they expect her to return at any moment. Are there secrets that Philip is hiding as well? Sometimes one's past can truly come back to haunt them after all.

I received The Respectable Actress by Dorothy Love compliments of Thomas Nelson Publishers and Litfuse Publicity for my honest review. I did not receive any monetary compensation, aside from a free copy of the book in exchange for my honest and personal review. This is the sequel to Dorothy Love's The Bracelet in which the character of Celia MacKay is highlighted and one I fully intend to read. Historical novels like this one take the reader back to a time when society automatically made assumptions based on the classes of people and actors/actresses fell into line almost with prostitutes which I found more than interesting, how many judged India before any of them had read the truth and also how newspapers were more interested in selling papers over getting to the facts of the case before it went to print. A well written novel and one I found myself a silent character in which made it all the more delightful to spend time with Philip and India on the island. I can't wait for more. This one rated a 4.5 out of 5 stars and includes a reader's discussion guide that is great for book clubs.

For more information about The Respectable Actress, Dorothy Love or where you can pick up a copy of this novel today, please click on the links below:

The Respectable Actress by Dorothy Love

You can find Dorothy Love on Facebook to stay up to date on all her latest novels.

To read more reviews on The Respectable Actress, please visit Litfuse Publicity's Book Tour Page.