Courting Misfortune

(The Joplin Chronicles #1)

Calista York needs one more successful case as a Pinkerton operative to secure her job. When she's assigned to find the kidnapped daughter of a mob boss, she's sent to the rowdy mining town of Joplin, Missouri, despite having extended family in the area. Will their meddling expose her mission and keep Lila Seaton from being recovered?

When Matthew Cook decided to be a missionary, he never expected to be sent only a short train ride away. While fighting against corruption of all sorts, Matthew hears of a baby raffle being held to raise funds for a children's home. He'll do what he can to stop it, but he also wants to stop the reckless Miss York, whose bad judgment consistently seems to be putting her in harm's way.

Calista doesn't need the handsome pastor interfering with her investigation, and she can't let her disguise slip. Her job and the life of a young lady depend on keeping Matthew in the dark.

My Review: 9/10

I so thoroughly enjoyed Calista's story that for possibly the first time ever, I was disappointed that it was a love story, since that would mean her personal story changes.

Calista's family was an excellent addition to the mix - very "can't live with em, can't live without em." They were sufficiently frustrating, interfering... and protective, helpful and loyal. And hilarious. Honestly, if I could it my way, this story/series would have taken after The Gresham Chronicles, covering many years and multiple family story lines, all woven together, so we could read about the antics the cousins get into over the years and I could have had more of Calista as a Pinkerton.

There was so much to appreciate in this story. The subject matter was surprisingly heavy (kidnapping, human trafficking, prostitution, alcoholism, etc), but balanced with levity at just the right times and in just the right ways. There were moral disagreements between characters without a clear "right" answer, which was a healthy departure from the way moral dilemmas are typically handled. Characters exercised restraint in challenging or tempting situations. Faith, prayer, provision, waiting on answers from God were all present themes and well-applied.

*SPOILERS*
The plot was pretty clear and I felt disappointment simmering under the surface, knowing that Calista's unique and interesting path was going to be coming to a close. Her work as a Pinkerton agent was an original tale and I was so bummed that it was over already. She may have been lacking in a few areas as an operative - putting herself in obvious danger without adequate defense and missing some necessary skills (her fabrication and evasion needed some work, haha) - but reading about a young, resourceful, independent, intelligent female agent in historical times was fascinating.

I was also disappointed in Robert Pinkerton's decision at the end. I'm not sure if this was done to give Calista one clear path, but such an attitude by a pillar of justice was certainly a let down.

My only solace is that this is the first in a series that just HAS to involve more Kentworth cousins, which is a guaranteed good time.