Thursday, July 26, 2012

Rum-runners, Gangsters & Kidnappers

Carol Tibaldi's "Willow Pond" takes place in the world of 1930's New York.  Prohibition is in force and gangsters and rum-runners rule the underworld.  Virginia Kingsley is one of the power players in the speakeasy business.  Her niece, Laura Kingsley Austin, is recently separated from her philandering movie star husband, Philip Austin.  When their 2 year old son, Todd, goes to spend time with his father at Willow Pond it isn't long before he is kidnapped.

Phillip pays the ransom but Todd is never returned to them.  Speculation that the kidnapping was a result of Virginia's business dealings prompts Virginia to start her own investigation into the whereabouts of the little boy.  Laura and a reporter named Erich who befriends her also investigate their own leads as the police fail to get results.

The story crisscrosses the country as well as the Atlantic Ocean as they seek to bring Todd home.  You'll have to read the novel to see if they are successful.

"Willow Pond" has a great storyline and interesting characters.  I did find the timeline of events to be confusing at some points as the story switched between different characters viewpoints.  Over all it is a strong story and a great first effort.






2 comments:

  1. I love the whole 'speak-easy' era - something so glizty & yet sleezy about that particular period in history. Sounds really interesting, thanks Kate for another great review.

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  2. Julia - I'm with you. It's a great time period to read about. My grandfather was a Canadian Customs agent back in the day and actually had to clear Al Capone through customs. Wild!
    Glad you enjoyed the review!

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