Hello and welcome to The Cozy Book Blog! I am thrilled to be today’s stop on the book tour for the new release, The Unveiling of Polly Forrest, a gripping historical fiction novel by Charlotte Whitney. I read and reviewed this book after being provided with an ARC from the author. I want to thank Amy Bruno at HFVBT for the invitation. Set in a small farming community in Michigan during the Great Depression, this novel is a twisting ride of love, murder, secrets and greed. Check out my review and other information below. Thank you again for visiting The Cozy Book Blog. Enjoy the tour!

Best, Diane-Lyn

The Unveiling of Polly Forrest by Charlotte Whitney

Publication Date: March 15, 2022

Lake William Press

Paperback & eBook; 322 pages

Genre: Historical Fiction/Thriller

Rural Michigan, 1934.

When her new husband Sam perishes in a bizarre farm accident, would-be milliner Polly soon becomes the prime suspect in his murder. As she digs for evidence to clear her name, Polly falls into a sinister web implicating her in a nefarious crime ring being investigated by White House Police. Polly’s life and those of her family are at stake.

Narrated by Polly, her self-righteous older sister, Sarah, and Sarah’s well-meaning, but flawed husband Wesley, a Methodist minister, the story follows several twists through the landscape of the rural Midwest. During the throes of the Great Depression Polly marries for money. After her husband Sam dies in a freak farm accident, new bride Polly assumes she is financially set to pursue her dream of opening a hat-making business. Instead, she becomes the prime suspect in Sam’s murder. Secrets abound and even Polly’s family can’t figure out the truth.

Diane-Lyn’s Review:

There’s nothing like a brisk-paced, engrossing mystery – especially one with historical context. The Unveiling of Polly Forrest grabbed me right from the first page. Set in Marshall, Michigan during the Great Depression, this novel opens with the brutal “accidental” killing of Sam Forrest. When his twenty year old widow, Polly, displays some frivolous behavior following his death, she finds herself at the center stage of public suspicion in their small, gossipy farming community.

The novel is told from the alternating points of view of three central characters – Polly, Sarah (Polly’s sister), and Sarah’s husband, Reverend Wesley Johnson. All three of them are realistically flawed; their imperfections adding an authentic, relatable feel of the book. Polly and Sarah share a supportive, yet complex, sisterhood – one marked by undercurrents of tension and jealousy. I found Sarah to be responsible and dedicated to Polly, but she also harbors unjustified resentments toward her. Polly’s undeniable selfishness and immaturity cause strife between them, much of which settles as Polly evolves throughout the story. Wes’s character was the most likable of them all. Whitney captures the reverend’s human temptations and inner struggles, but also his integrity and commitment to family and the community.

Whitney interwove the financial hardships of that period deeply within the chapters, and this historical backdrop provided a clear and poignant picture of life in depressed times. Food shortages, loss of farms / homes, second-hand, ill-fitting patched clothing, the emotional toll on families losing everything. This context gave the book rich emotional layers and added to the plot line and character development.

Greed, deception, murder, the stress of plummeting finances, and the shame / secrecy of battered women are just a few of the issues presented in this multi-themed novel. And brace yourself for a huge shocker toward the end. This novel is engaging, thought-provoking and highly recommended for readers who love a compelling historical story filled with intrigue and suspense. Bravo!

To purchase this novel at Amazon, simply click this link: The Unveiling of Polly Forrest. This is an affiliate link, which only means that when you click the link and purchase the book, I receive a tiny commission a no additional cost to you. My opinions remain my own. Happy reading!

About the Author

Charlotte Whitney is the author of historical fiction set in the rural Midwest during the Great Depression. Her most recent work, The Unveiling of Polly Forrest, a stand-alone historical mystery follows her groundbreaking novel, Threads A Depression-Era Tale, which was met with much critical acclaim. In addition, she has authored I Dream in White, a contemporary romance, and How to Win at Upwords, a nonfiction book about her favorite word game.

Threads: A Depression Era Tale was a quarter-finalist in the Publishers Weekly Booklife Fiction Contest. It also received Honorable Mention in the Readers’ Favorite International Book Awards 2020. This is also an affiliate link, as described above.

She received a master’s degree in English at the University of Michigan, and after a short stint of teaching at two community colleges, worked at the University of Michigan where she was an associate director of the Lloyd Scholars for Writing and the Arts. An avid reader, she loves libraries and book clubs. Currently living in Arizona with her husband and two dogs she enjoys hiking, bicycling, swimming, and yoga.