Well this was a disappointment. It sounded so much better than it turned out to be. After reading 180 pages (out of 272 – including the epilogue) and dreading picking it up again, I gave myself permission to stop reading. But let me tell you why.

First, the writing style and word choice was contrived and cliché-ridden. For instance, Orville Wright (an adult male character) says, “I have half a mind to march down to the newspaper office right now and give them a piece of my mind.” What man says this? This is a cliché that maybe a grandmother from the early 1900s, or someone in a shallow cozy mystery would say. And using the word “mind” twice in one sentence? An author should know better. Then on the next page main character Katharine Wright describes a character: “He swore like a sailor and smoked like a chimney. His crude manner rubbed me the wrong way.” Clichés like this demonstrate lazy writing.

I kept thinking I was reading a Young Adult book, as it seemed to be written for a younger reader. I enjoy YA novels, but somehow this was almost insulting in its dialogue, lack of character development, and slow-moving plot.

And adding a fictional murder mystery to the story was just silly. It’s historical fiction about actual inventors Wilbur and Orville Wright and their younger sister Katharine. The facts of the Wright brothers and their invention of the first airplane are fascinating enough, but to create a murder for Katharine to solve as the basis of the novel is farfetched. Putting the brothers on the back burner (ooh, another cliché) was such a waste, and the novel just didn’t hold my interest. If the writing had been of higher quality….

I also couldn’t feel any connection to Katharine, which contributed to my disappointment.

This could have been so much better. I can’t recommend it. ( )

This novel revolves around Katharine Wright, the lesser known sister of the famous brothers. Orville and Wilbur had just recently achieved their goal with the historic flight of 57 seconds. Now home for Christmas, Wilbur attends a Christmas party with Katharine, taking with him important drawings and figures of the flying machine. While there, the plans are stolen, and Wilbur is shattered by their loss. He conceals this upsetting fact from his brother and implores Katharine to help him find the missing documents. Secondary in his mind is the murder of a guest at the party, stabbed to death. A suspect is arrested, but Katharine is sure that person is innocent. Now she has two mysteries to solve. This work of historical fiction is gripping and intriguing. Katharine is a complex character, and her intellect and caring nature are evident as the story unfolds. The mysteries are well plotted, and setting will take you back in time. Readers will get an understanding of what society was really like back then. Amanda Flower is an amazing author whose books never fail to please her readers. ( )

In December 1903, Wilbur and Orville Wright were in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, making history by flying an airplane they had built. Back at home in Dayton, Ohio, their sister, Katharine, teaches introductory languages at Steele High School. She hopes to achieve her goal by requesting to teach Greek III to upper-level students. Not to mention that her teaching is just one aspect of Katharine’s life. She also cares for her father at their family home and ensures her brothers’ bicycle shop runs smoothly, ordering supplies, checking accounts, and balancing the books. It’s almost Christmas, her brothers are coming home, and Katharine never suspected another role, a high-stakes role, will soon take priority.

I was not aware of the Wright brothers' sister. I was fascinated to learn of Katharine Wright. To learn of the reliance by her father and brothers for her care of the family home since the loss of her mother at 15 and the brothers for their business when out of town, her intelligence, independence, and strong work ethic, her interest in moving beyond gender inequality, is inspirational and revealing of a woman moving the benchmark of men's thinking and habits forward in her quiet way.

I loved the combination of unveiling a woman in history who deserves as much respect and recognition as her brothers and a fictional mystery woven by a master storyteller, which is a delight to read. Although I had read from the start that the mystery was fictional, the author’s meticulous research of history made the mystery seem entirely plausible.

Don’t miss meeting Katharine Wright! Highly recommended.

The Author Note and Discussion Questions are available at the end of the novel.

Thank you to Amanda Flower, Kensington Books, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an eARC of this book. ( )

A terrific tale mingling real history with a mystery!
Katherine Wright was an amazing woman in real life. Her intelligence and tenacity for truth made her a dynamic sleuth. She was also a loyal friend and caring sister. I liked how the author used her as an amateur sleuth to solve the crime and added historical facts to make it feel authentic. It made me want to learn more about her real life after reading this and the notes at the end.
Fans of Jen Turano's books, Enola Holmes and Murdoch mysteries may enjoy this one also. It was fast paced, well written and an overall entertaining read. Clean, with just a hint of romance for a side character, it would be fine for teenagers and up who enjoy a good mystery. It would make a good series!
Recommend!

(An ebook was provided by the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are my own.) ( )

This is a read about the famous Wright brother's sister Katharine, and it involves the people living in 1903 Dayton, Ohio. Yes, Orville and Wilbur were off at Kitty Hawk when Katharine is busy at home teaching Latin, and she ruffles a prominent citizens son.
We are there when her friend begs her to go, and she does to the son's parent's Christmas party, along with her brother Wilbur. Would you expect a murder? Well, there is one, and now we are on a journey for answers, and they do come!
It is an interesting page turner! A secret club, deception, theft, and then murder, but whom is the guilty party, and will things ever be the same, including the development of the air industry?
Now I'm look forward to the next book in this series! ( )