Josephine Breaux is a tough, fierce, compassionate and very brave woman. And despite the danger with her mission is she set to travel to New Orleans and go undercover at a newspaper. She's just such a character I loved to read about, a strong woman fighting for what she thinks is right.

The Crescent Spy was an easy book getting into and not an easy book to stop reading. There are a lot of action and many for me worrying moments in this book when I was concerned for her and Franklin her contact in New Orleans. Because going to New Orleans for Josephine means not only trying to win the city for Lincon it means going back and confront her past. And that hard since she has tried to move on from a traumatic event. In New Orleans, she has to confront the ghost of her past, a mother that meant the world to her and a man that could be her father that has let her down several times. Also, there is someone out there that could upset her plans that could reveal her. It's very exciting to read and you never know if she will be able to carry out her plans or even survive in the end.

I think the mix of present time for Josephine and the flashbacks to her past with her mother worked very well and I especially enjoyed and appreciated the fact that her relationship with Franklin didn't turn romantic. Well, it changed towards the end, but that I could take because it shows a possibility for the future (and for a sequel).

I found this book to be really good and well-written and I wouldn't mind reading more books about Josephine Breaux.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher for a blog tour at TLC Book Tours. ( )

If you read my blog often, you know how much I like Civil War era fiction and especially how I like reading about the women of the Civil War. This one has a little bit of everything — Civil War, a strong woman, adventure, a history lesson, and even a bit of romance!

I’ve read a lot of historical fiction about the Civil War, but almost all has been set in the east; Virginia, Maryland, etc. I think this is the first time I’ve ever read about the fall of New Orleans. I found the details of the river battles fascinating and I enjoyed reading about the military strategies. I found the concept of the fire boats launched ablaze to set the enemy vessels on fire particularly interesting.

Overall I really enjoyed this book and the characters. Josephine was a strong lead character for the most part, but she did have weaknesses and at times that endangered the people around her. She had a background that gave dimension to her character. If there is one thing I didn’t like, and you’ve heard this from me before, is that I would like to know ‘what happens next’. I would have liked an epilogue set at some time in the future, after the war, to know what became of Josephine and the people in her life. There are hints of potential, but I am left to my imagination to end this story.

If, like me, you are interested in learning more about the fall of New Orleans after you finish this book, you may be interested in the following links.

The Capture of New Orleans

American Civil War: The Capture of New Orleans

This book review is included in a tour by TLC Book Tours. I was provided a copy for review purposes. ( )

Our first review is a historical spy novel, The Crescent Spy by Michael Wallace. You may recall that we reviewed another historical novel by Mr. Wallace, Crow Hollow. Click here to read that review. The Crescent Spy jumps forward in time from the years following the pilgrims’ arrival to the Civil War era. Mr. Wallace still brings his amazing talent for transporting us through time and in-depth character development to provide us with a rich glimpse into the complexities of this period in American history, all couched in an edge-of-your-seat spy thriller. I’m recommending this one for anyone who likes historical novels, spy thrillers, or gutsy female heroines. Learn more at http://popcornreads.com/?p=8786 ( )

Josephine Breaux makes her living as a newspaper reporter; however during the Civil War she must write under a male pseudonym. As a female, she is able to get information from both the Union and the Confederacy. When her cover is blown, Josephine is arrested at a traitor and spy. To her surprise, Pinkerton Agent, Franklin Gray takes her instead to Washington where she meets President Lincoln himself. Lincoln wants Josephine on a mission in New Orleans collecting information for the Union. Josephine arrives in New Orleans during the height of the fighting. Josephine’s past helps her get through the battles, but some other people from her past want to bring her down.
I love reading about women in the Civil War. The Crescent Spy offered an exciting account of another brave woman who gave her all during the war. Josephine’s character is very intriguing with her past as interesting as her present. Josephine is intelligent, fast-thinking, brave and compassionate. I loved seeing her perspective on the battles and her news stories. Josephine acts truly selflessly in all of her actions throughout the war. I was very impressed with Josephine’s decisions and thought process in her determination in the Union taking New Orleans. There was very realistic battle scenes and historical information, also. I loved that the romance took a back-burner to the plot, but was still a great part of the story.

This book was received for free in return for an honest review. ( )

If you’re reporting news, you don’t generally want to become the news. However, other than unearthing that ‘Joseph’ is actually Josephine Breaux, the article in their competitor’s paper is wrong. She is not a spy even though she speaks with generals on both sides of the war. She all but loses her job with the Morning Clarion, a paper in Washington, DC. The Pinkerton agents place her under arrest as a spy and traitor, but their ultimate purpose is to use Josephine in a mission.

She meets President Abraham Lincoln who convinces her how valuable she will be for the Union side. She has a unique ability to get people to open up to her as she’s able to speak in many dialects and accents. Lincoln felt the key to controlling the war was to win the south through New Orleans. Josephine knows New Orleans like the back of her hand. She’d grown up there. She manages to work for the New Orleans Daily Crescent, a paper whose editor has heard of the accusations against her, yet welcomes her at almost any salary. Her first assignment … Fort Jackson. She’s able then to provide feedback about their fortification and troop preparations.

This historical fiction novel is set during the Civil War just after the battle of Bull Run. Michael Wallace skillfully unveils the historical version of the streets and conditions of New Orleans without pulling the reader away from the story line. This is not based on an actual character yet the story itself is believable based on historical happenings. Josephine Breaux was presented as strong willed and even a bit arrogant. Yet, she was a likable character. There is also a bit of a love story. Rating: 4 out of 5. ( )