Official Review: Love and Sabotage by Martha Tolles

Fazzier · Post by **Fazzier** » 22 Dec 2020, 04:45

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Love and Sabotage" by Martha Tolles.]

4 out of 4 stars

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Love and Sabotage is a gripping investigative novel written by Martha Tolles, interestingly blending mystery, historical fiction, and some elements of romance. Set in Rye, NY during World War II, this story takes us through the life of a young female reporter, Marty Gregg. She has just landed a lucrative job with a local newspaper (such a feat for ladies those days) and is assigned to investigate a shipyard that had recently been blown up. The destruction of the shipyard raised several questions among the residents, one of them being, whether it had been accidental or an act of sabotage by one of their enemy combatants. Like a jigsaw puzzle, Marty tries to fit together various pieces of evidence to uncover the truth, and hopefully, get a scoop. What will she find out? On the other hand, Marty's fiancé, Eddy, has been assigned to the Pacific and is diligently serving his nation as a Marine fighter pilot. And, with numerous casualties and prisoners of war reported each day, will he return home sound and reunite with his patiently waiting fiancée?

I enjoyed reading Love and Sabotage and liked how well it was written. The author gave it the first-person narrative approach (in Marty's perspective), and right from the start, she presented a conflict that instantly immerses readers into the story and provides them with the general direction of where the story is headed. I also liked the fact that the mystery was perfectly created, and it was difficult to predict who the perpetrator was. One guess led to another, and this kept me engrossed as I was trying to connect the missing links alongside the lead investigative journalist, Marty. The wrap-up was not something I could have earlier predicted. Moreover, I liked how the author effortlessly ensured historical accuracy, and I couldn't help but realize how well-versed she is with that part of history. All these enhanced my overall reading experience.

My favorite aspect of this book was how the author developed and portrayed the protagonist. Marty is principled, self-driven, and ingenious. In particular, I liked how she would come up with various intelligent ideas during the process of investigating the shipyard blast, and they were, more often than not, astounding. Readers who like investigative stories will like this aspect of the character.

However, I least liked the ending of the second storyline (Marty and the fiancé). It was typical, and so, somehow predictable. Although there were turns and twists, it still contrasted my earlier expectation of an untypical ending. Nevertheless, as this is only subjective, I believe some readers won't mind it at all.

All in all, I didn't find anything objective to dislike about this book. I believe it was professionally edited since I found no single error. I'm, therefore, glad to award Love and Sabotage by Martha Tolles 4 out of 4 stars.

For fans of mystery stories incorporating historical fiction and some elements of romance, I highly recommend this. Sexual content was just captured in general terms, and there were just minor profanities such as “darn.” So, it is suitable for a wide range of audiences, except for readers not into the aforementioned genres.

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Love and Sabotage
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Sararob06 · Post by **Sararob06** » 25 Dec 2020, 11:07

I was intrigued by the title and can tell by your review that you really appreciated this book! I will be putting this one on my list.

Fazzier · Post by **Fazzier** » 25 Dec 2020, 12:01

Sararob06 wrote: ↑25 Dec 2020, 11:07 I was intrigued by the title and can tell by your review that you really appreciated this book! I will be putting this one on my list.

I, indeed, enjoyed it. Thank you so much for the feedback, and I hope you'll enjoy it too.

Raluca_Mihaila · Post by **Raluca_Mihaila** » 25 Dec 2020, 17:55

It seems like a very interesting book, and I can't wait to read it! Thank you for detailed review and for the recommendation!

Post by **Atieno Magero** » 30 Dec 2020, 03:13

Wonderful review! Your review has been helpful and provided me great insight about this book. I like the fact that this is a well written and edited historical fiction book. The story is also very interesting.