The Spy on the Tennessee Walker
The Spy on the Tennessee Walker is the third installment in the Maggie Fiori Mysteries. Reading the two prior novels is not necessary, as this story stands on its own admirably. In this outing, Maggie Fiori, the editor-in-chief of a small magazine, is intrigued when she receives a daguerreotype of a woman on a horse. The woman is her spitting image and is assumed to be her third great-grandmother, Victoria Cardworthy. Maggie and her husband decide to journey to Oxford, Mississippi to investigate her family’s long-lost past. As Maggie delves into Victoria’s role as a Civil War nurse, she discovers that she may have had secret connections to a Confederate spy ring.
Maggie’s journey is superimposed with excerpts from Victoria’s diary, giving the reader a leg up on the investigation. Linda Lee Peterson deftly handles the narrative of modern-day Maggie along with Civil War-era Victoria. Maggie and her husband are amusing characters, while Victoria is shrouded with mystery, but passionate about the people and causes she holds dear. The reader gets a glimpse into the fractured landscape of Civil War America, and even though this is Peterson’s first foray into historical fiction, it is clear that she did the requisite research into the era. Those who enjoy a good historical yarn will definitely enjoy The Spy on the Tennessee Walker.
