Review, Guest Post, and Giveaway: Under Fire by Linda Shenton Matchett

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About the Book

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Book title: Under Fire
Author: Linda Shenton Matchett
Release date: July 25, 2017
Genre: Mystery

Journalist Ruth Brown’s sister Jane is pronounced dead after a boating accident in April 1942. Because Jane’s body is missing, Ruth is convinced her sister is still alive. During her investigation, Ruth becomes suspicious about Jane’s job. Eventually Ruth follows clues to war-torn London. By the time she uncovers the truth about Jane’s disappearance, she has stumbled on black marketers, resistance fighters and the IRA – all of whom may want her dead.

My Thoughts:

Under Fire takes us back to a time in our history when the world was at war. Life seems to be falling apart more for Ruth Brown and her family as they have just buried her sister Jane, without her body and without knowing what truly happened to Jane. Everybody else seems ready to move on; from her grieving parents to her war haunted brother. But Ruth, a reporter by trade is not content to not know what truly happened to her sister. As Ruth digs deeper into the last days of her sister, she discovers Jane’s activities had become alarmingly unusual. Believing her sister to still be alive, Ruth embarks on her own mission without the support of anyone and oftentimes having to hurdle all of the roadblocks placed in her path by family, friends, boss, and enemies. Why? At times it seemed simply because she is a woman in a man’s world.

Her curiosity and tenaciousness takes her to war torn London to look into some shady business from the company where her sister worked. This is where the story takes quite a turn. The adventure and danger is ratcheted up and there is a lot more at stake, like her life now. Ruth wants answers as I would want and she is dealing with some internal anger as well. The author wrote Ruth in such a way that I felt her frustrations at being looked down upon or even as not equal at her job because she was a woman. I was also surprised with her parents. I would not just want to move on, not knowing what happened or where the body of my daughter was. I was with Ruth every step of the way on her adventure and investigation.

I received a copy of this book for free. I was not required to post a positive review and all views an opinions expressed are my own.

About the Author

Linda Shenton Matchett is a journalist, blogger, and author. Born in Baltimore, Maryland, a stone’s throw from Fort McHenry, Linda has lived in historical places most of her life. She is a volunteer docent at the Wright Museum of WWII and as a Trustee for the Wolfeboro Public Library. Active in her church Linda serves as treasurer, usher, choir member, and Bible study leader. She is author of several romance novellas and novelettes. Under Fire, the first in her trilogy about amateur sleuth/war correspondent Ruth Brown, has just been released by eLectio Publishing (electiopublishing.com). 

Guest Post from Linda Shenton Matchett

Writers are often asked where they get ideas for their stories. Many authors start with a “what if” scenario (e.g. what if the fate of a world lies in the hands of a young man who must return a ring of great power to its place of origin: The Lord of the Rings). Other authors find inspiration in news articles (Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express). I begin my stories by creating the main character.

As a former Human Resources professional, I am fascinated by the history of women’s employment and enjoy reading about those who trail blazed in industries and positions formerly dominated by men. When I was trying to decide what my protagonist should do for a living, I knew she needed a job that allowed her freedom of movement, but nothing seemed to fit until I saw a museum exhibit about women war correspondents. Of the 1,600 journalists who received government accreditation, only 127 were female.

In order to get a sense of what these women experienced (derision, hostility, sexual harassment, and more) I read their memoirs, autobiographies, diaries, and articles. As an accredited correspondent they were supposed to received meals, transport to the front, and transmission of their articles. Many military officers refused to take the women into combat zones, so they had to get there any way they could, such as Martha Gellhorn who stowed away on a hospital ship and hid in the head to reach Normandy and cover D-day. It is my hope that Under Fire honors these brave and tenacious women in some small way.

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Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Linda is giving away a grand prize consisting of:
copy of the book, Box of English Tea, Typewriter notepad, and Rosie the Riveter socks!! Click below to enter. Be sure to comment on this post before you enter to claim 9 extra entries! https://promosimple.com/ps/c221