A Front Page Affair by Radha Vatsal

A Front Page Affair by Radha Vatsal ISBN-13: 9781492632665 Trade Paperback: 336 pages Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark Released: May 3, 2016

Source: Review copy from the publisher.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
New York City, 1915. The Lusitania has just been sunk, and headlines about a shooting at J.P. Morgan's mansion and the Great War are splashed across the front page of every newspaper. Capability "Kitty" Weeks would love nothing more than to report on the news of the day, but she's stuck writing about fashion and society gossip over on the Ladies' Page―until a man is murdered at a high society picnic on her beat.

Determined to prove her worth as a journalist, Kitty finds herself plunged into the midst of a wartime conspiracy that threatens to derail the United States' attempt to remain neutral―and to disrupt the privileged life she has always known.


My Review:
A Front Page Affair is a mystery set in July 1915 in New York city. Kitty is the daughter of a self-made, wealthy man. Though trained in the manners of high society, she doesn't quite belong. She's interested in world events and journalism. She wants a chance to prove she can do a good job as a journalist. I liked how she pushed the borders of what was acceptable in polite society in order to investigate but didn't quite feel comfortable with it. She's still finding her way and learning how the world really works.

The author obviously enjoys this historical period, and historical trivia was sprinkled throughout the story and created a vivid setting. World events were woven into the story as the motive behind many of the characters' actions.

I liked that the police had a decent case against their suspect even if Kitty felt there was more going on than they were taking into account. The story was a clue-based puzzle mystery with some suspense. I guessed whodunit about halfway through, but I didn't figure out everything that was going on until near the end, when Kitty did.

There was no sex. There was a very minor amount of bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this enjoyable novel.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.


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