My review of Fighting For Bread and Roses by Lynn Coleman...

Product Description:

Romance, family, and politics converge explosively in a suspicious murder during the Bread and Roses Strike of 1912 and threaten to engulf a 21st-century woman researching the strike. When textile workers went on strike in 1912 for better wages and working conditions, they never imagined the violence that would overwhelm them. The first person to die was Anna Lopizzo . . . and then John Rami . . . and then many others. The strikers claimed the police had killed Anna, but the police said one of the strikers shot her. Who was right? Fast forward to present-day Lawrence, Massachusetts, and Lindsey Marc, a historic mystery writer, is tracking down what really happened to Anna and the other workers. Along the way, someone gets wind of what Lindsey is researching and is threatened by what she may discover. It begins with phone calls and quickly moves to ransacking her hotel room. Can Lindsey find out the truth before something terrible happens to her?

My review:

Fighting for Bread and Roses held my attention to the end. It isn't the catchiest title, nor does it reflect how good this book really is, so I ended up liking more than I had anticipated. I can get easily distracted while reading but found myself reaching for this book every chance I got. The twists and turns are compelling. I suspected what happened and was correct, but the author did such a great job with red herrings that I had my doubts all the way to the end. The author balanced out the past with the present very well, though I enjoyed the historical piece more. That often happens when I read this type of book because I love history.

Political intrigue, mystery, suspense, action, love, passion, romance, and family secrets contained in diaries all played a part in making this tale exceptionally enjoyable for me. If you like mysteries with twists, romance with passion, and a portion of intriguing history mixed with faith, you'll love this book as much as I did. It was compulsively readable and I highly recommend it.

Fighting for Bread and Roses was published by Kregel and released in August 2005.