A Respectable Actress by Dorothy Love

About the Book

★★★★★

When India Hartley is accused of murder, she has to uncover the deceptions of others to save herself.

India, the famous and beautiful actress, is now alone after her father's death and embarks upon a tour of theaters across the South. Her first stop is Savannah's Southern Palace. On the eve of the second night's performance, something goes horribly wrong. Her co-star, Arthur Sterling, is shot dead on stage in front of a packed house, and India is arrested and accused of the crime.

A benefactor hires Philip Sinclair, the best – and handsomest – lawyer in Savannah to defend India. A widower, Philip is struggling to reinvent his worn-out plantation on St. Simons Island. He needs to increase his income from his law practice in order to restore Indigo Point, and hardly anything will bring him more new clients than successfully defending a famous actress on a murder charge.

Because India can't go anywhere in town without being mobbed, Philip persuades the judge handling her case to let him take her to Indigo Point until her trial date. India is charmed by the beauty of the Georgia low country and is increasingly drawn to Philip. But a locked room that appears to be a shrine to Philip's dead wife and the unsolved disappearance of a former slave girl raise troubling questions. Piecing together clues in an abandoned boat and a burned-out chapel, India discovers a trail of dark secrets that lead back to Philip, secrets that ultimately may hold the key to her freedom. If only he will believe her.

Once again, Dorothy Love crafts a vivid and intriguing historical novel, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. A Respectable Actress follows India Hartley, adrift in the wake of her father’s death and falsely accused of murder. With consistent suspense and a delightful touch of romance, India’s story unfolds against the historic backdrop of cultured Savannah and the struggling, secret-laden Indigo Point, and with the help of Philip Sinclair, she slowly determines how to overcome the obstacles set before her and find her place in society. An entirely fascinating novel with a steady pace and a variety of characters, A Respectable Actress offers fans of historical fiction a great read. I would certainly recommend it to interested readers.

Thanks to LitFuse Publicity Group, I received a copy of A Respectable Actress and the opportunity to provide an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review, and all the opinions I have expressed are my own. To read other opinions, be sure to check out what other reviewers think here, and purchase a copy of the book here.

About the Author

A former journalist, freelance writer, and college professor, Dorothy Love explores the intersection of history and human relationships to create novels that speak to the hearts of women everywhere. She is the author of the acclaimed Hickory Ridge novels set in her native state of Tennessee. After earning a master’s degree and Ph.D, she authored dozens of magazine articles before breaking into book publishing with a number of award-winning novels for preteens and young adults. The Hickory Ridge series marked her adult fiction debut. When she isn't busy writing or researching her next book, Love enjoys hiking, traveling, and hanging out with her husband, Ron, and their rambunctious golden retriever. The Loves make their home in the Texas hill country.

Find Dorothy online at her website, Facebook, and Twitter.