Crowther is an enjoyably oddball character, and Westerman is one of the most appealing female characters to ever appear in historical fiction. A lover of high-seas adventure, Westerman struggles to find a place for herself in a world that keeps telling her to stay home and be quiet like the rest of the ladies in petticoats and stays.

Though the two solve the case together, it's she who reminds the austere scientist that while facts are crucial, in mysteries, as in life, following your emotional intuition is what makes for the most accurate — and satisfying — conclusion.

Nathalie Gorman, Oprah.com