June 1, 2018
In early 1900s New York City, Dr. Rosalind Werner approaches the city's newly appointed water commissioner, Nicholas Drake, seeking backing for her water treatment project. Although Nicholas is willing to fund her research, he wants to wait until the chlorine additive is proven safe before it is added to the drinking water. Impatient to get started, Rosalind teams up with Dr. Leal, a man of questionable character, to test the water on unsuspecting New Yorkers, and any attraction there once was between Rosalind and Nicholas is quickly extinguished. In the second entry in her "Empire State" series (after A Dangerous Legacy) Christy- and RITA Award winner Camden draws on her expertise as a research librarian to ground this dramatic historical romance with authentic details about the fight for clean water in New York at the turn of the 20th century. The lively dialog adds to the character development and the narrative's quick pace. VERDICT Suggest to historical romance fans and those who read for character and a fast-moving plot.
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