4 out of 4 stars
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Mudsills & Mooncussers: A Novel of Civil War Key West written by Iris Chacon is a historical spy romance novel that immerses the reader into the lives of the citizens that reside on picturesque Key West. Although beautiful, life isn’t always easy during this time, especially when you’re a spy that just happens to fall in love with the person that you’re supposed to be hunting.
Even though Key West is a tiny island, it becomes one of importance in the War Between the States. For many years Yankee soldiers, in hopes of finding a rebel spy who has wrecked havoc on their fight to win the war, occupy the island. Aaron Mathews is one of those soldiers who has been sent undercover to live on the island in hopes to eradicate the other spy. However, this turns a little messy when evidence begins to show that the spy he is hunting just may be the woman that he has fallen in love with.
Mudsills & Mooncussers wonderfully describes the breathtaking beauty of Key West; all while recounting what life was like during the Civil War. Not only is life dangerous for those fighting the war, one must watch their backs around the “conches” of the island, people who are notorious wreckers that lure ships to their doom in hopes of salvaging what is left of the wreckage. While this island may be beautiful, it can turn deadly in an instant. Through out the novel the excellent dialogue gives one the feeling of the ocean air on their face while smelling the tropical hints of coconut and sunshine while reading this novel. Although the novel is quite short, it is packed full of intrigue, romance, and beautiful scenery. This fast paced novel will definitely leave you wanting to explore Key West’s historical beauty for yourself.
Being a lover of all three aspects of this novel, I was certainly intrigued by the premise and I definitely wasn’t left disappointed. The historical aspect of the novel was incredibly interesting and gave me a desire to learn more about the island during that era, while the romantic spy aspect of the novel left me guessing what would happen next. The novel itself is an easy read, however, occasionally some of the local dialogue was slightly confusing. Although sometimes confusing, it didn’t really detract from the overall feeling of the novel too much, it added to the charm more than anything. The novel was also well edited and didn’t have any obvious mistakes, leaving a well-rounded fun novel in its wake.
Because of its unique qualities, I give Mudsills & Mooncussers: A Novel of Civil War Key West a 4 out of 4 stars. I think lovers of historical and romantic fiction alike will enjoy this book, and being there is a little something for everyone in it, anyone looking for a quick read will have fun with this novel.
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Mudsills & Mooncussers
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