The winter of 1889 is harsh in Amesbury, Massachusetts, but it doesn't stop Quaker midwife Rose Carroll from making the rounds to her pregnant and postpartum mothers. When Charity Skells dies from an apparent early miscarriage, Rose wonders about the symptoms that don't match the diagnosis. She learns that Charity's husband may be up to no good with a young woman whose mother appears to offer illegal abortions. A disgraced physician in town does the same, and Charity's cousin seems to have a nefarious agenda. With several suspects emerging, each with their own possible motives, Rose and police detective Kevin Donovan race against time to solve the case before another innocent life is taken.
Edith Maxwell doesn't flinch from showing us the harshness of life, but she does it in such a way that you HAVE to keep reading!
Rose Carroll expects the winter travel to be a little easier for herself and her betrothed has gifted her with a horse and buggy, when she is called out to one of the pregnant patients she expects to go to the woman's home, instead she is directed to the local hospital where Charity Skells is dying from blood loss, Rose is at a loss, granted the young woman was a little too thin but all in all she was healthy. Rose, therefore, goes to see her friend Detective Kevin Donovan with her fears that the death wasn't as natural as it first appeared, Kevin does listen but as she is leaving she is informed by the new Police Chief that she should stick to midwifery and not get involved in the police cases.
Kevin appears to be agreeing but on the way out slips her a note saying where he and his wife (and young son) live and if she has any information to seek him out there, or at least leave a message. As Rose digs deeper more suspects appear on the scene, with two being people who would undertake illegal abortions (which Charity had unfortunately had, which led to her death). There is some good news for Rose, her niece Faith and Faith's betrothed have set a wedding date and Faith's father seems to have settled down, indeed he has started courting a widow (also a Quaker), the thing is Rose and Kevin need to solve this crime if Rose is going to see Faith and Zeb get married.
Comments