The Swindler's Daughter by Stephenia H. McGee

Book description: 

A surprise inheritance. A cache of family secrets. A choice that will change her life forever.

Lillian Doyle has lived her entire high-society life with her widowed mother, believing her father died long ago. But when news arrives that her estranged father only recently passed away--in jail--Lillian is startled to find that he has left a business and all his possessions to her, making her a rather unusual heiress.

When she arrives at her father's house in a backwoods Georgia town, the dilapidated structure is already occupied by a woman who claims it was promised to her son, Jonah. In her attempts to untangle the mess, Lillian will discover not only a family she never knew she had but a family business that is more than meets the eye--and has put a target on her back.

To discover the truth and take hold of the independence she's always dreamed of, she'll have to make friends with adversaries and strangers--and Jonah, the dusty and unrefined cowboy who has secret aspirations of his own.

My review:
  This author is still fairly new to me, and I have enjoyed every book I have read by her. This one is a standalone, and is one I have been looking forward to reading.

  I thought the book had a slow start  - but that may just be me. After a few chapters, I easily got into the story and didn't want to put it down, and found a lot to like about the story.

 The characters: Jonah and Lillian are the main characters, and were very likable. She wasn't particularly at first, but finally adapted to her situation and surroundings. I admit though I figured the two would end up together by the end of the book, it didn't look that promising at first. 

 Jonah's family was a big part of the story, and though I wasn't crazy about his mother at first, she grew on me. Lillian's mother did not. :)

  This maybe could be described as a cozy mystery. There are no wild police chases - but it is set in 1912 - and there is definitely mystery and suspense, and of course bad guys.

  The book also had some great Biblical truths, including trusting God and that He always works things out for the good of those who do trust him.

 The Swindler's Daughter had a great plot that kept me guessing a lot to what was going on, and I very much enjoyed reading it. Lillian's father and legacy he left behind had a lot of surprises for her and the reader. The author has shown again that she can write a great story no matter the genre' or time setting.

 I was provided a copy of this book for review purposes. All opinions in this review are my own.

About the author:
Stephenia H. McGee is the award-winning author of many stories of faith, hope, and

healing set in the Deep South, including The Secrets of Emberwild. When she's not reading or sipping sweet tea on the front porch, she's a writer, dreamer, husband spoiler, and busy mom of two rambunctious boys. Learn more at www.stepheniamcgee.com.

The Swindler's Daughter will be available May 2 from Revell, part of the Baker Publishing Company.