The War Against Miss Winter

by Kathryn Miller Haines

Book Overview

It's 1943, and the war escalating in Europe and the Pacific seems far away. But for aspiring actress Rosie Winter, the war feels as if it were right in New York City--what with food rationing and frequent blackouts . . . and a boyfriend she hasn't heard word one from since he enlisted in the navy. Now her rent is coming due and she hasn't been cast in anything for six months. The factories are desperate for women workers, but Rosie the Thespian...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0061139785
• ISBN13: 9780061139789
• Release Date: June 2007
• Publisher: William Morrow & Company
• Length: 336 Pages
• Weight: 0.05 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 6.6" x 8.0"

Customer Reviews

Outstanding funny, interesting and accurate book

This book is a delight from beginning to end. Wisecracking Rosie is dead-on for a New York gal of that time. It is different, fun and most enjoyable. As I may be one of the few still alive who was a teenager in New York at that time, I naturally look for anachronisms, which are usually plentiful in "historical" novels. I am absolutely astonished that Ms Haines has got that period, the way people talk, the expressions used, and the physical descriptions absolutely correct. There were one or two that slipped in (I don't think "hinky" was used then, but it may have been), but for somebody who obviously was not living during that time frame, it is astonishing how she has it all down pat. I hoped her brief bio might explain how she did this, but no such luck. I suppose she may have talked to her grandparents or others who lived then, but it is a tour de force in that respect.

Reviewed by Sabrina Williams

It is incredibly satisfying to discover new authors with a flair for fiction that typically denotes decades of publishing under the belt. In one such exceptional debut novel, The War Against Miss Winter, actor and playwright Kathryn Miller Haines introduces readers to Rosie Winter, aspiring actress, part-time file clerk, and amateur sleuth. Rosie takes on a job keeping books for a private detective to make ends meet in between acting jobs. When she has the unpleasant experience of finding her boss Jim's dead body in the office after a holiday break, she finds herself being forced from all directions into resuming Jim's work and recovering a missing play manuscript that may very well be the cause of his death. Rosie is not alone in her quest and the person who shares a common goal is willing to commit murder under the watch of a corrupt legal system to achieve it. Readers will immediately find Rosie endearing. She is funny, smart, sarcastic and sassy: a feminist before her time. She stands tough against the many shady characters she encounters, ignoring obvious threats to her survival. Who can't respect a woman who can sit down and offer a doughnut to a mob henchman who's been tailing her? She makes it difficult to say goodbye to The War Against Miss Winter when the adventure is over. We can rest assured, she'll be back with another mystery in 2008, The Winter of Her Discontent. Hopefully there are many more adventures in store. On a more somber note, with The War Against Miss Winter being set in 1943 in the midst of World War II, Haines captures the turmoil brewing in a society paranoid that the enemy lurks around every corner. Citizens struggle with rationing, moral dilemmas in what would otherwise be mundane daily activities, the emotion of sending loved ones off to war, and the devastation of loss as soldiers inevitably succumb to the perils of battle. Rosie can't walk a block without seeing a war poster or some reminder of the conflict overseas. Finding the manuscript almost becomes a way of distracting her attention from the fact that her own boyfriend has shipped out without a letter or a goodbye. Haines has created a novel that not only provides a perplexing journey, but actively engages the reader in solving the mystery. This is the type of story that causes the mind to wander with possibilities as it progresses, eager to solve the crime. The characters could have stepped right out of the screen of a classic black and white detective flick, complete with drama and slang. This reviewer will be eagerly awaiting the next installment of Rosie's adventures.

The War Against Miss Winter

The War Against Miss Winter is a fun historical mystery. It has a great plot with a surprise ending and Mrs. Haines has great characters. Rosie the hero is a wonderful character who has a biting sense of humor! You can't help but love this book and hope Mrs. Haines writes many more mysteries! Steve Rapaport

More than just a mystery.

I agree with everyone else here. Haines' characters are vivid, verbal, witty and the wartime milieu is wonderfully realized. But in addition to being a crackerjack mystery, MISS WINTER has a lot more going for it. Haines not only explores the daily life of her characters during the 1940s but also has a lot to say about the role of art during times of war. Heady stuff, to be sure, but it's all there and never gets in the way of the compulsively readable story. It's rare to discover a mystery series with so much heart and such a literary bent, but MISS WINTER really delivers.