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We hope you have enjoyed your visit. Please return soon!  Visit Judith Miller's website. If you liked In the Company of Secrets, be sure to check out: |
Title of Book: In the Company of Secrets By Judith Miller BACK COVER: Olivia Mott didn’t intend to lie. Somehow, it just happened. And isn’t it all Lady Charlotte’s fault anyway? Now Olivia’s position as assistant chef at Pullman’s elegant Hotel Florence is dependent upon her keeping her secrets. And sometimes lies have a way of leading to other lies. Should Olivia admit her real past and accept the consequences or keep quiet in order to preserve her comfortable new circumstances? Deception seems to be part of everyday life in the company town of Pullman, Illinois, where the grand Pullman Palace Car is manufactured. Samuel Howard, Olivia’s friend and the town manager, seems to think everything is fine, but Olivia observes something quite different. Could it be that Olivia is not the only one harboring secrets? REVIEWER’S COMMENTS: Olivia Mott wants nothing more than to be a chef. When her boss Chef Mallard tries to take liberties with her and she refuses, he swears to ruin her name so that she might never become a chef in England. Desperate, she takes advice and help from Lady Charlotte, and together they take a ship to America. Seemingly against her will, they fabricate a web of lies. When it comes to Lady Charlotte, Olivia is more gullible and spineless than seems natural. The character’s saving grace is her upbringing in the staunch English social classes that has trained her to keep her lowly opinions to herself and do as she’s told. The plot might seem contrived, with lies being told that appear necessary only to further entangle the characters in deceit. However, anything is possible to someone desperate enough, and that describes Olivia. She has the job of her dreams (assistant chef), and she’s doing quite well at it. To lose it would be heartbreaking. There is also a young man in her life that she is interested in, contrary to her lack of feelings for the wealthy Mr. Howard who has all but planned their wedding. If either of them find out who she really is and what she’s done to get here, she would be friendless, jobless, and homeless. The character, Lady Charlotte was extremely well written. The woman is egotistical, spoiled, self-indulgent, and heartless. Following her self-destructive path was almost gratifying. I have a feeling we’ll be seeing more of Lady Charlotte in book two of the series. Throughout the book, Olivia matures into a strong woman that learns to stand up to Lady Charlotte and confess her mountain of deceit. The mishaps and blunders that get her to that point are entertaining, if nothing else. In the Company of Secrets offers a unique and unforgettable ride through the well-oiled world of Pullman, Illinois, our nation’s first planned industrial town. |
