Nearly 75 years ago, Amelia Earhart's plane disappeared igniting a firestorm of controversy and wild speculation about what might have happened. Throughout the years various groups have uncovered numerous clues which may eventually unravel this long-standing mystery. In the meantime we're left to speculate on what might have happened. For example, is it possible Amelia had in her possession something so valuable that her flight was hijacked? Then perhaps just a few years after her disappearance a code talker would find evidence of where her plane crashed and what she had in her possession? And maybe 75 years after that fateful day, a young lady in Tennessee will uncover the secret that led to Amelia's disappearance? In Amelia's Last Secret, NY Times best-selling author, Eric Wilson takes historical events and various recovered clues and weaves together an intriguing tale of conspiracy and mystery that speculates on what might have happened to Amelia Earhart.
I really enjoyed this novella. It only takes a few hours to read, but it feels like only a few minutes. I started it late one evening wanting only to get a feel for the book. Before I knew it I was almost a quarter of the way through. It has a highly engaging storyline and moves at a very quick pace. Best of all though, it contains one of my favorite parts of Wilson's writing, historical speculation. I love this aspect of his books. He does a great deal of research and it shows with stories that are solidly plausible fiction.
Amelia's Last Secret has a nice easy flow to it. Though it goes from 1937 to 1944 to 2012 and back to 1937, it transitions smoothly so that the reader does not feel jerked around. Instead, the pieces of the puzzle are laid out in a very logical manner that builds suspense and makes it hard to put this book down. While the illustrations at the beginning of each section are not necessary, I love them. It shows an attention to detail and willingness to put forth extra effort to give the reader a little extra enjoyment.
As expected, the characters are great. I love Oliver the Code Talker. This is such a fascinating part of WWII history and I enjoyed getting to spend a short amount of time with a Code Talker. Since this is a novella, very little attention was given to the ins and outs of Oliver's duties, but I simply appreciated the inclusion of such an interesting part of history. Rumor has it Oliver will be making a return appearance in a couple of books. Yay! I equally enjoyed Amelia's portrayal. I like her spunk and determination. I didn't have to stretch my imagination to believe she could have acted in real life the way she did in this novella. However, I will say I hope her actual death was less difficult.
I completely enjoyed Amelia's Last Secret. It's a fun story that's quick to read. The suspense is great and I completely bought Wilson's speculation about what might have happened. While I know this is a work of fiction, I didn't have to suspend disbelief and easily found myself lost in the story. For those that have yet to read one of Wilson's books, this is the perfect place to start. It's cheap, short, and a great example of his writing talents.
