Grab this one of you love strong female characters. Elizebeth & Marie are both balancing motherhood, marriage, and high ranking positions in male dominated fields.

One just is just an illegal rum runner and the other is code breaker trying to catch her!

This cat & mouse story during the prohibition era is based on real people with some filler events/characters. You must read the author’s note at the end for the what happened after!

This one had an up and down pace for me, but was a great read filled with love, loss, greed, and the need to win. 😉

Thank you to Netgalley & Sourcebooks Landmark for a gifted eARC in exchange for my honest review. 🫶🏽

👉🏻Read if you like:
•History •Strong Female Characters •Prohibition Era •Cat/Mouse Chase •Dual POV

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Review posted to Goodreads & Instagram on 6/22/24

I loved this book! I am a picky reader with historical fiction but this one was so different and fantastic. I love the prohibition era setting and a female cryptologist. Very intriguing premise that kept me captivated.

The Last Twelve Miles is set in the 1930s prohibition era featuring two strong females on opposite sides of the war on alcohol. While the book is historical fiction, the women are very much real historical people. Elizebeth Friedman was a cryptanalyst / code breaker working with the US government and Coast Guard tracking illegal rumrunners and human traffickers. Marie Waite is a rumrunner and criminal, who came from ‘miserable poverty’ that gave her an ‘edge’ and advantage. Both women were ambitious and desired respect in a time where men were dominant.

This book is great for readers who enjoy:
✔️ Historical fiction based on real people
✔️ Strong female characters who challenge societal norms during their time
✔️ Exploration of what it means for a woman to have it all
✔️ A fun read that would make a great period piece for Netflix (the fashion, the locales!)

Thank you to NetGalley and SourcebooksLandmark for the opportunity to read and review an ARC of this novel!

There is nothing better than historical fiction and this story fits the bill!

Real historical facts of the time of prohibition, sets two women on opposite sides of the law. One a brilliant code cracker working with the Coast Guard to stop the incoming alcohol.

The other woman, Queen of the Rum Runners ready to step down. But another is waiting in the background wanting to take over.

Based on a true story, you will not be able to put it down!

The Last Twelve Miles is my third book by Robuck and while it didn’t hit the same way as the other two I’ve read I appreciated the research that went into it and expressive writing. This story is inspired by real people, another thing I love about her books, and that aspect always makes a story easier to connect with.

I loved seeing the story of the first female cryptologist, Elizabeth Friedman, and learning of her journey to becoming a sought after code breaker. In this book we get a glimpse of how her mind works as she breaks codes to help the Miami coastguard catch “pirates”, coming from the Bahamas and Cuba, who tried to bring alcohol into the states during the prohibition era. The other perspective is from a female “rum runner” known as Spanish Marie. She was cunning and charismatic and her story was equally compelling.

I enjoyed this unique historical fiction and will definitely continue reading whatever Robuck writes!

Captivating and thrilling, Elizebeth Smith Friedman and Marie Waite face off during the rumrunning days of prohibition in South Florida and Key West as Marie takes charge of her husbands rumrunning business and Elizebeth a talented crypto analyst with the government tries to stop her.
The book is based on the true story of Spanish Marie , as Marie Waites was nicknamed and Elizebeth Smith Friedman. Both women were very fiercely determined to succeed, while at the same time, they were protective of their families.
The time of prohibition was presented in a vividly descriptive prose.

I am a sucker for a good historical fiction & The Last Twelve Miles was an incredible one! Ericka Robuck combined all things necessary to make a historical fiction 4 star worthy. If you like historical fiction - get your hands on this one!

Thank you NetGalley & SOURCEBOOKS Landmark for an ARC copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Set during the Prohibition era this novel is the tale of two women: cryptographer Elizebeth Friedman and rumrunner Marie Waite. Although both women are mothers and wives, life has led them in different directions, Elizebeth Smith Friedman, whose extensive work puts her in a consulting position to help the Coast Guard to intercept and crack codes of "rumrunners," There were 12 miles of US waters off the Florida Keys where most activity and these events took place. For those who enjoy historical fiction, this book is highly recommended. My thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Who knew rum running was a girl power game? During Prohibition many women took over liquor making and transport operations. The Last Twelve Miles tells the story of two women destined to do battle. Both are intelligent. Both are mothers. And both women believe strongly that what they do for a living is important enough to face ridicule for being women in a man's world.


Elizebeth Friedman is a code breaker employed by the coast guard. Rum Runners - people who sold and transported liquor from island nations near the U.S. - use coded messages to communicate. Elizebeth Friedman breaks complex codes like someone playing wordle. Marie Waite is a poor woman who wants to give her two children a home in an education. Taught by Cleo Lythgoe, Queen of the rum runners, Marie forms her own operation and will do whatever it takes to rule rum running. The Last Twelve Miles is a story of two women both at the top of their games but on opposite sides of the law. But which lady will win the battle and at what cost?

Talk about atmosphere—Erika Robuck’s latest novel will have you on a beach in Miami sipping an illegal drink during Prohibition.

Two women are caught in a game of cat and mouse on different sides of the law. In Washington D.C. Elizebeth Friedman is using her cryptanalysis skills to decode messages for the Coast Guard, while also trying to keep her personal life afloat. She has her sites set on taking down the newest Rumrunner Queen Spanish Marie Waite. Both women command respect albeit in very different ways, and both have a compulsive need for more. Elizebeth doesn’t try to ignore her personal life, but she gets lost in the game she knows she can win. Marie always bets on herself. When others let her down, she knows she can get the job done, no matter the cost.

The last twelves miles are where it counts, where all bets are off, and rumrunners are either caught or make their payday. These two brilliant women work to outwit each other in a dangerous game, and it is a wild ride following their back and forth successes and losses. Erika Robuck makes these two real life women leap off the page!

Thank you to NetGalley, Sourcebooks Landmark, and of course the author Erika Robuck for the advanced copy of the book. The Last Twelve Miles is out now! All opinions are my own.

The Last Twelve Miles is a historical novel about RumRunners during the prohibition. It features two strong women; one on the good side of the law and the other a notorious runner. These complex women provide alternating points of view as one hunts the other.

Fascinating read as I knew nothing about he 12 miles off the coast of Florida and rum imports.

Thank you, SOURCEBOOKS Landmark | Sourcebooks Landmark

A fun and fascinating glimpse into a little-known pocket of history. I enjoyed learning more about the era through the lens of these two formidable female figures who kept this lesson a lot more intriguing than the textbooks!

An interesting historical book which I immediately immersed myself in and just couldn't put it down. I learnt so much from this book. My thanks to netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

Fantastic story of two brilliant women on opposite sides of the law during Prohibition, 1926, in Florida. Elizebeth, a real-life codebreaker, battles Marie, a real-life rumrunner. She tries to bring Marie down but shady sheriffs, miscommunication, and decoy boats make it almost impossible. Elizebeth and her husband, William, were cryptoanalysts during WW1 and the they were brought in to help bring down the rumrunners in the Keys. Elizebeth works with another female agent, Leila, to break Marie's "unbreakable" codes as she makes rum runs between Florida, Bahamas and Cuba. Marie wants to be rich and famous by creating an empire to bring illegal alcohol to Florida, but her adversaries make it a challenge but possible. Marie uses her family connections to create network to evade the government agents.
I found both main characters intriguing, especially since they are based on real women of the era. Bringing their stories to life is why I love historical fiction. They both had to juggle motherhood in an underworld dominated by men. Each woman found a way to get what she wanted and when their paths crossed, sparks flew. The story was told from both women's views of the world in alternating chapters.
The author shares details about the main characters as well as the supporting characters, provides a great bibliography to learn more, and a fun interview at the end.
If you are looking for a fast-paced historical fiction story about this era, I highly recommend The Last Twelve Miles!
#TheLastTwelveMiles #NetGalley
Thank you Net Galley for a complimentary copy. All opinions expressed are my own.

**Initial Reaction**: 9

**Characters:** 8

**Setting:** 9

**Plot:** 10

**Pace:** 8

**Style:** 9

**Ending:** 8

**Enjoyment:** 10

71 / 16 = 4.4375

Rounded Rating = 4.5

Erika Robuck is an author that writes phenomenal books. The twists and turns throughout the story kept me on the edge of my seat wanting to see what was happening next. I love that this was an American Historical Fiction book, which is something I am trying to read more of.



I love that both main characters are strong women. They are on opposite sides of the law but they both have skills that keep them at the top of their game. They both work with their husbands, but there is no doubt who is in charge. I love that Marie, the rumrunner, let her husband believe he was the boss and how that played out in the story.



The history of rumrunning is new to me and I learned so much while losing myself in The Last Twelve Miles. Even the title of the book has history attached to it.

What an incredible novel! I truly enjoyed the dual character storyline (which I don't do on a regular basis) -- highly recommended! Erica Robuck has done it again!

Yes! Yes! Yes!
You have to strong gutsy woman and an era that I was born for…..yes please. This is the type of book that you never want to put it down.

I enjoyed this book a lot more than I originally thought I would. That's because I'm not typically a fan of historical fiction, but this author did such a great job crafting this story that it completely sucked me in.
From the very first page I loved the characters, I love that our main characters are two very strong women. Both women couldn't be more opposite and are trying to outsmart each other the entire time.
I really enjoyed how the author gave us an inside look into their home life, I think that's one of the main things that really had me sympathizing with both sides and getting to know/like each of them.
The story line was explosive, exciting and fast paced. I never wanted to put this book down, because anytime I did I found myself wondering what would happen next.
The author did a great job of really pulling the reader into the book, while I was reading this I hardly payed attention to anything going on around me.
I loved the concept of rum running and was usually routing for them to make it. This book will keep you on the edge of your seat and wanting more!
Thank you so much Netgalley & Sourcebooks for my gifted copy, I am leaving this review on my own.

Thank you to Sourcebooks Landmark and NetGalley for my complimentary eARC of The Last 12 Miles. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I devoured this book in a day. It highlights the lives of Elizebeth, a code breaker and Marie, a rum runner. An engaging game of cat and mouse begins on the first page. Set against the backdrop of Miami and Cuba during Prohibition, Marie is climbing the dangerous ladder of success of running run. Elizebeth is hard at work breaking “unbreakable” codes in Washington DC. You know an inevitable meeting is in the cards.

Told in dual POV, this is fast moving and never boring.
If you enjoy historical fiction, Lessons in Chemistry and Chanel Cleeton, you are going to want to read this one.