The Heart of An Agent (#01 in The Adirondack Pinkertons Series)

The Heart of an Agent is the sequel to A Changed Agent, which centred on the romance of Pinkerton agent Will Benton and schoolteacher Elsie Mitchell. Lily Handland was a minor character, Will's Pinkerton partner. Now Lily has left the Pinkertons and wants to settle down. \\r\\n\\r\\nBut Lily needs a job, and she's not cut out to sew seams or serve in a boarding house restaurant. The banker suggests she consider investing in a local Great Camp, owned by widower Owen Murphy. The camp used to bustle with day visitors and vacationing guests, but it has fallen into ruin since the death of the perfect Rebecca Murphy. \\r\\n\\r\\nThe setting of one of the Great Camps of the Adirondacks was fascinating. The Great Camp is almost a character as the repair and resurrection of the Great Camp reflects Owen's personal journey of healing and finding love again. \\r\\n\\r\\nThe one anticlimax was when Owen found out Lily's big secret. Despite that minor letdown, \\r\\nThe Heart of an Agent was a classic Gilded Age romance that achieved the difficult task of bringing a widower out of his slump, and focusing almost more on the characters and setting than the romance. It was all the better for that slow build. \\r\\n\\r\\nThanks to NetGalley and Waterfall Press for providing a free ebook for review