High-Wire Heartbreak (Doors to the Past) by Anna Schmidt

 

n 1936--A party at the Ringling mansion Ca d’Zan in Sarasota, Florida, leads to a robbery--and possibly death.

A successful historical mystery writer, Chloe Whitfield comes to Ca’ d’Zan to research her next novel. Chloe’s fascination with the circus is rooted in family stories of her great-grandmother Lucinda Conroy, who reportedly was a trapeze artist of some renown. She’s heard hints of scandal—and perhaps larceny, but no details.

Chloe’s grandmother—rumored to be Lucinda’s only offspring—was raised in an orphanage and never knew her mother. Intrigued as she is, Chloe has no intent of writing about Lucinda until she sees a poster featuring Lucinda as the star performer for a 70th birthday gala for John Ringling in May of 1936. From there the trail goes cold.

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About Anna Schmidt 

I have been writing most of my life and my ‘day’ jobs have all contributed to the creative process: marketing and communications for two international corporations; teaching at the college level; and running a Mom-and-Pop adult daycare business with my husband. During those years I also published four books on eldercare as well as co-writing PARKINSON’S DISEASE FOR DUMMIES under my maiden name of Jo Horne.

Now retired and focused ONLY on writing, I split my time between Wisconsin and Florida. Having been raised in the hills of Appalachia in a town that is often not even a dot on the map, I went from being that small town country kid to being a big city adult — loving the noise and chaos and diversity of city life. But that small town girl is alive and well and has a tendency to show up in one character or another in my stories.

 

My Review

 

I did love this story, we flash from the 1930's back to present day, and follow the life of high wire aerialist Lucinda Conroy, but through the eyes of her great-granddaughter.
The author gifts us with a great read that is set in Sarasota Florida, and we are on the property of John Ringling, and his beautiful estate Ca' d' Zan, sounds so beautiful!
As we read how the stories mesh, I was still surprised and loved how this story came together. There are many life changes here, and a lot I never saw coming, but this is such a heart warming read!
I received this book through the Publisher Barbour and was not required to give a positive review.