The Pink Bonnet by Liz Tolsma

This is the second in the True Colors series, novels of historical American crime. This one deals with a woman who ran an adoption agency in Tennessee from 1924 to 1950. It is estimated she kidnapped five thousand children and sold them to the highest bidder. Tolsma did a good job of imagining Cecile, whose child was taken deceptively in 1933 and then adopted out. We see the length a mother would go to find her daughter.

There is lots of suspense in this novel as Cecile teams up with a fellow. I felt the action was a bit repetitive. The same kinds of near successes happened again and again. I almost felt the plot was better suited for a novella length. Tolsma portrayed well the situation in the south during the Great Depression. The power wielded by a few in the city was also well presented. The contrast between a loving mother and a heartless adoption agency owner may have been a little overdone.

I am enjoying this series on historical crimes in America as it has introduced me to different historical settings and events about which I knew nothing. I will be looking forward to the next in the series.

You can watch the book trailer here.

My rating: 4/5 stars.

Liz Tolsma has written several WW II novels, several prairie romance novellas, and an Amish novel. The Pink Bonnet is her first romantic suspense. She is a popular speaker and works as a freelance editor. She and her husband have three internally adopted children and live in Wisconsin.

Barbour, 256 pages.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent and honest review.