Revolutionary War Mystery

Recently widowed, Rebecca Parcell is too busy struggling to maintain her farm in Morristown to give a fig who wins the War for Independence. But rumors are spreading in the winter of 1780 that she's a Loyalist sympathizer who betrayed her husband to the British-quite a tidy way to end her disastrous marriage, the village gossips whisper. Everyone knows that her husband was a Patriot, a hero who died aboard a British prison ship moored in New York Harbor. But "everyone" is wrong. Parcell was a British spy, and General Washington-who spent that winter in Morristown-can prove it. He swears he'll safeguard Becca's farm if she unravels her husband's secrets. With a mob ready to exile her or worse, it's an offer she can't refuse. Escaped British prisoner of war Daniel Alloway was the last person to see Becca's husband alive, and Washington throws this unlikely couple together on an espionage mission to British-occupied New York City. Moving from glittering balls to an underworld of brothels and prisons, Becca and Daniel uncover a plot that threatens the new country's future. But will they move quickly enough to warn General Washington? And can Becca, who's lost almost everyone she loves, fight her growing attraction to Daniel, a man who always moves on? Mally Becker was born in Brooklyn and began her professional career in New York City as a publicist and freelance magazine writer, then worked as an attorney for more than 20 years and, later, as an advocate for children in foster care. She and her husband raised their wonderful son in New Jersey where they still live. Mally thought she'd be clearing trails when she volunteered at the Morristown National Historical Park but found herself instead sifting through the Park's archival collection of letters. That's where she found a copy of an indictment for the Revolutionary War-era crime of traveling from New Jersey to New York City without permission or passport. That document became the spark for The Turncoat's Widow, her debut novel. She is a winner of the Leon B. Burstein/MWA-NY Scholarship for Mystery Writing and a member of Sisters in Crime and the Historical Novel Society.

Philadelphia, June 1780. George Washington's two least likely spies return, masquerading as husband and wife as they search for traitors in Philadelphia. Months have passed since young widow Becca Parcell and former printer Daniel Alloway foiled a plot that threatened the new nation. But independence is still a distant dream, and General Washington can't afford more unrest, not with food prices rising daily and the value of money falling just as fast. At the General's request, Becca and Daniel travel to Philadelphia to track down traitors who are flooding the city with counterfeit money. Searching for clues, Becca befriends the wealthiest women in town, the members of the Ladies Association of Philadelphia, while Daniel seeks information from the city's printers. But their straightforward mission quickly grows personal and deadly as a half-remembered woman from Becca's childhood is arrested for murdering one of the suspected counterfeiters. With time running out-and their faux marriage breaking apart-Becca and Daniel find themselves searching for a hate-driven villain who's ready to kill again. Mally Becker combines her love of history and crime fiction in mysteries that feature strong, independent heroines. She is the Agatha Award-nominated author of The Turncoat's Widow, which Kirkus Reviews called, A compelling tale ... with charming main characters. Her first novel was also named a CIBA Mystery & Mayhem finalist. A member of the board of MWA-NY, Mally was an attorney until becoming a full-time writer and an instructor at The Writers Circle Workshops. She is also a member of Sisters in Crime and the Historical Novel Society. Mally and her husband live in New Jersey, where they raised their wonderful son and spend as much time as they can hiking and kayaking.

Summer 1781. Passy, France. Rebecca Parcell is eager to reach Paris to marry Daniel Alloway, who's gone ahead to take up a new post there. But their idyllic prenuptial life unravels when they accept an invitation to reside with Dr. Benjamin Franklin, America's brilliant, enigmatic ambassador to France. A murdered man is found on the roof of Dr. Franklin's home outside of Paris, and he calls upon his two new houseguests—former spies for George Washington—to investigate. Becca and Daniel find themselves searching for the murderer through the labyrinth of 18th-century Paris, a city brimming with danger, secrets, and the ever-present whispers of revolution. With time running out, Becca and Daniel must determine whether the killer is a member of Dr. Franklin's inner circle or a cunning outsider. And as the couple race from the cobblestone streets of Paris to the gilded halls of Versailles, they discover that their own lives are in grave danger and that the stakes for Dr. Franklin and America are even higher than they could have imagined. Will Becca and Daniel find the killer before the murderer strikes again, and will they ever manage to marry?