This reads less like women’s fiction and more like a spy thriller. It’s darker and grittier than I expected.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC.

What I liked: I loved to see women in higher and respected positions, especially at that point in the ‘20s when it was pretty uncommon. The portrayal of Elizebeth with how she loved her work but also her family and had to battle her priorities and mindset between the two resonates with those of us who are working mothers/wives.

It was a great comparison between the two women in how they lived in either love or hate, justice or vengeance. And their thought process I felt, was well conveyed and immersive.

Also liked the unique story focus of rum running in the 20s. I haven’t read anything about it before.

What I did not care for: I wasn’t a huge fan of the writing style. It’s mostly a narrative, sort of removed or hovering above the characters, it felt like to me, rather than feeling like I was *in* the story. In the women’s heads, yes, but not in the story itself.

The codebreaking part I thought fell short. I was so looking forward to this because I love codebreaking books. But this felt like it was portrayed more as a sort of spidey-sense - it kept talking about her intuition, hackles raised, hair on the back of the neck, clearing the mind, etc. Very little was written about the details or a description of codebreaking so that you understood what actually went into it or what Elizebeth actually did, which I think is a miss for how involved, intelligent and complicated it was.

The book was interesting but just sort of disappointing based on what it was proposed to be for me and I lost interest in it a bit.

Thanks to Netgalley for the advanced copy of this book. All opinions are mine.

Thank you @bookmarked and @netgalley for the eARC of The Last Twelve Miles by @erobuckauthor in exchange for an honest review!

The Last Twelve Miles by Erika Robuck
Publication Day: June 4, 2024
Sourcebooks Landmark

📖📖 Book Review 📖📖 Buried in the depths of history are the stories of women whose presence goes unwritten. In 1926, the country is divided over Prohibition and two women make a bold stand on both sides of the law. Elizabeth Smith Friedman is the hidden gem of the Coast Guard whereas Marie Waite uses her wit and wiliness as a rumrunner to help her family’s finances. Told in dual narratives, The Last Twelve Miles is a captivating story about survival and how sometimes it seems like a mere flip of the coin on which side of the law we end up on during trying times. What an absolute honor to read this beautiful work of historical fiction about Elizabeth Smith Friedman, America's first female cryptanalyst who worked alongside her husband as the golden couple of cryptography. Kudos to Erika Robuck for telling her story in such a fantastic manner!

Review is posted on Goodreads and the final review will be posted on instagram ahead of the publication date.

I don’t like this new way I have to try to submit reviews.
What I said in Goodreads was something to the effect of
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC.
I really enjoyed the cat and mouse
Great book club fodder.
4*

“Brilliant women are always intriguing, especially those who inhabit men’s worlds.” And oh the women in “The Last Twelve Miles” are absolutely intriguing and riveting. A thrilling historical fiction novel about the 1920’s prohibition era in Florida, the Bahamas, and Cuba, we see the fierce determination of the real life women who took their worlds by storm as they worked to better the world around them: Codebreaker Elizebeth Friedman and “Spanish Marie” Waite, self-made rumrunner royalty. The story alternates between the two foes as we see each woman change and adapt to the world around them as they try to keep one step ahead of the other.

Incredibly well researched, Robuck deftly crafts the rum running world and it’s many takedowns utilizing “truth is better than fiction” examples to set the tone. Both the protagonist and antagonist are well rounded and relatable though I identified more with Elizebeth than Marie. Each is based on real women who grow and adapt as the story progresses. Both are at the top of their games; both mothers, wives, charming, focused, and motivated, finding ways to excel in a man’s world. And while Marie is ruthless and conniving, Elizebeth is non-violent and even-keeled. The juxtaposition of these two personalities will heighten the action and have you on the edge of your seat. Marie’s chapters show a cunning, deceitful, highly skilled, organized woman who is highly motivated. While Elizebeth’s show intelligence, insight, incredible skill, efficiency and motivated determination. Two sides of the same coin though they live on opposite sides of the law.

With fantastic references to Shakespeare (you know I love any Shakes reference!) and a fascinating glimpse into the world of code breaking, this is a book that’s sure to keep you on the edge of your seat from start to finish.

Thank you NetGalley Sourcebooks Landmark and Erika Robuck for the advance digital copy of this book. It was amazing, fantastic, and all the good things! ¡Salud!


#theroaringtwenties #themaddecade #theprohibitionera #thenobleexperiment #prohibition #erikarobuck #bookclub #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #bookreview #femaleauthor #femalewriter #bookreviewer #bookgeek #booknerd #thelasttwelvemiles #spanishmarie #mariewaite #elizebethfriedman #codebreaker #1920s #femaleempowerment

This was a compelling read. You can tell the author put in a lot of research for this book. I absolutely loved the cat and mouse game. The two fmc although on the opposite side of the law during the Prohibition Era they were both badass. I love how the author brought both ladies to life in her writing. I recommend this book. to all my historical fiction friends

I love historical fiction books about strong women and this is just that! During prohibition, in the 1920s, these two women are on opposite sides of the law. Both have families they are trying to support. Marie is a rumrunner and Elizebeth is a code breaker. Based on true stories, this is a subject that would make some fascinating research. The first part of the book was a little hard for me because I was trying to keep all the characters straight but the second part was perfection. Thanks to @NetGalley for the ARC of this book! I really enjoyed it.

Very interesting and intriguing historical fiction based on real life codebreaker Elizebeth Friedman and smuggler "Spanish" Marie Waite. The author does a great job of drawing on history and infusing fiction into the lives of these women during prohibition. I loved the details and main setting in South Florida. The characters and feelings were brought to life very well. The pace of the story was slow at times but picked up at others. The book overall was easy to read though it dealt with several very tough subjects. I had read a book about Mrs. Friedman during WWII before so it was interesting to see this period where she worked with the U.S. Coastguard.

Thank you to Sourcebooks Landmark and Netgalley for the opportunity to read an ARC of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

It's 1926 and prohibition is in effect. But this doesn't stop the legions of smugglers from bringing alcohol from the Bahamas and Cuba into the United States. The Coast Guard has its hands full trying to catch all the illegal traffic coming into the Keys, Miami and other ports. To help them crack the seemingly unbreakable codes used by the top rumrunners, Elizebeth Smith Friedman, a brilliant codebreaker working for the Feds, is brought in to help. She soon finds herself up against Marie Waite, a young woman who is determined to become the most successful smuggler on the high seas. A cat and mouse game ensues between the two clever women, both wives and mothers, who are trying to make better lives for their families - but in very different ways.

Author Erika Robuck is a talented storyteller who does excellent research for her historical novels. Her last two books, Sisters of Night and Fog (2022) and The Invisible Woman (2021) were fictionalized stories of actual women who exhibited incredible bravery during WWII. These are the type of books that have you doing your own research after you're done reading. Get ready to keep Googling as The Last Twelve Miles will leave you wanting to keep reading about Elizebeth and Marie ("Spanish Marie"). While there is plenty of murder and mayhem to be found in this book, it is lighter than Robuck's last two books. The speakeasys, clubs and resorts of the day are vividly brought to life. Told in each woman's alternating points-of-view, you may find yourself not only rooting for the good guys.

Rated 4.25 stars.

Thank you @netgalley @sourcebookslandmark #partner for the free book.

Two women. Two very different goals. One is fighting to make the world a safer place by cracking codes and stopping the rum runners during the prohibition. She’s whip smart, a bad ass, a wife, a mother and invented cryptanalysis which allowed her to decode and analyze information that was hidden in text without using an actual key. Meet Elizabeth Smith Friedman.

The other is Marie Waite who will not let anyone….and I mean anyone, stop her from rising to the top in the rumrunning world. She is ruthless, extremely charming, charismatic, intelligent, and winning in this dog eat dog world. Unfortunately for Marie, as the stakes rise, Elizabeth has her sites set squarely on Marie and will not stop until she brings her to justice. Who will win in this insanely dangerous cat and mouse game?!

Wheeeewie! This was such a wild book! I think because I have a lot of knowledge of the history of Key West and having read a lot of books about Hemingway I found myself immediately invested in the story of these women and the locale. Rum, sun, lies, and two legendary women. Yes. Yes. Yes. I LOVED that this is based on their real lives and of course that they were both women. 💪🏻 I am sure Marie felt invincible being that she was not very likely to be suspected…at first. Of course you can’t help but root for Elizabeth too because her intelligence and quit whit made her outshine everyone in her day. I truly wanted them both to win. 🤣 You can tell Erika researched their lives very well! If you are a lover of women’s historical fiction I encourage you to grab yourself a copy of this one! It was awesome!

The Florida Keys, Cuba, Bahamas - love the settings. Great idea for characters, Elizebeth the government code breaker and Spanish Marie the newest Queen rum runner set against each other. I am intrigued by the two strong, intelligent women battling it out from both sides of the law. Although I enjoyed the story and it had a lot of action, I wanted more clever banter from these women! Sometimes the narrative feels forced and falls flat. I loved the main characters but did feel like Elizebeth talks as much about her pregnancy as codebreaking and Marie about growing up in poverty as rum running. They held my interest but could use additional character development. Give us more specifics of the codebreaking and insights into the life of a female rumrunner. It was clear a lot of research went into this but it wasn’t conveyed well and left me wanting more.

Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Landmark for access to this title. All opinions expressed are my own.

Erika Robuck brings readers back to the Prohibition era and recounts the tale of two women: cryptographer Elizebeth Friedman and rumrunner Marie Waite. Although both women are mothers and wives, life has led them down different paths, which are about to intersect in a classic cat-and-mouse game.

I liked the novel. Marie's chapters were my favourite and I was cheering for her to get the best of those pursuing her. That could have made Elizebeth Friedman raise her eyebrows but I cannot help it. Erika Robuck just wrote her to be that compelling of a character. I appreciated the author's notes at both the beginning and the end of the book.

As another reviewer wrote, this book would make an exciting movie.



Expected Publication 04/06/24
Goodreads Review 20/05/24

3.5 stars

Almost ten years ago, I went on an Erika Robuck binge and read almost the entire backlist she had available at the time. I hadn't picked up any of her recent releases since I'm a bit burnt out on World War II novels, but The Last Twelve Miles seemed like the perfect synthesis of what I loved in those books: evocative settings, well-written female relationships, and a deep look into a little-known aspect of history.

While the blurb refers to this book as a deadly game of cat and mouse and they are in fact on opposing sides of the Rum War, our two protagonists exist fairly independently of each other for the majority of the book. The focus for most of the novel is more on how each woman is balancing their ambitions with their domestic lives, which is personally not the most interesting thing when their respective jobs are bootlegging and codebreaking. The scattered crumbs of high-stakes action that we get are absolutely delicious, but I wish that we had gotten more of a meal out of the concept and characters.

While this book did not completely win me over the way Robuck's previous works did, I did thoroughly enjoy the ride of learning about these two women. It's a book that I imagine will be read by many a beachgoer come summer.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for an ARC of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review!

Elizebeth Smith Friedman along with her husband, developed the science of cryptoanalysis, and used it to give the US an advantage, both in WWI and WWII. In between the two wars, when Prohibition was enforced, she worked with the Coast Guard to catch rum runners. These modern day pirates brought rum from the Bahamas or Cuba to America, where the Coast Guard had jurisdiction 12 miles from shore.
In this historical fiction novel, Robuck focuses in the rivalry between Friedman the federal cryptanalyst, and Marie Waite, the queen of the rum runners. Each admired the skills of the other, but each woman was also determined to win.

What an enjoyable read! Yes - women are complex - neither fully “good” nor fully “bad”. This was my first book by Erika Robuck and I’d welcome the opportunity to read her work again. Loved the differing POVs - one from each side of the “rum run” - the Spanish queen and the Cypto-genius. The book moved along through both their stories at a solid pace and both characters were likeable - and neither perfect. This book would make for a lovely lazy long weekend read. Enjoy! I did.

“The Last Twelve Miles” by Erika Robuck is a historical fiction about two strong women during the 1920s prohibition era. It takes place between the Bahamas, Cuba and Miami in the 12 miles off the coast where bootlegging was rampant and the coastguard had jurisdiction. The two main characters one a code breaker for the government and the other an infamous rumrunner were well developed and interesting. The story however, lacked excitement and was mostly about the two women’s families and their relationship to each other. For me a big part of the storyline was missing thus the 3 star review.

Thank you NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Landmark for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

The Last Twelve Miles is a book that I had trouble putting down from the beginning to the end.

The story is told from a dual point of view from two very strong, smart and tenacious women during the 1920's.

Prohibition is here and rum running is a big business.

Elizebeth Freidman, who is a cryptanalyist for the U.S. government is on the side of the law and she is on the trail of "Spanish" Marie equally as infamous for being a successful rum runner.

They may be opponents but both are determined to win as they battle wits.

The suspense is palpable.

I absolutely loved this well researched and well written book that made me feel like I was right there.

The Last Twelve Miles is a read I will think of often and wont soon forget.

Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the privilege of reading and reviewing.

I love historical fiction and have enjoyed Erika Robuck’s previous novels, so I was excited at the opportunity to read an ARC of her latest novel, “the Last Twelve Miles.” This book involves two real life protagonists: Elizebeth Friedman, a code breaker during the First World War, who was hired by the Government to decipher coded messages between rum runners during Prohibition, and Marie Waite, a rum runner who is trying to set herself up as the leader in smuggling alcohol into Miami Beach and Key West area.

The novel’s portrayal of two strong females in male dominated roles pitting their wits against each other is compelling. While Elizebeth tries to decipher Marie’s codes to uncover the names and routes of her rum running boats by discovering as many personal details about her life as possible, Marie is trying to stay one step ahead of both the coast guard and her treacherous rum running competitors to forge an empire and a fortune. Well-drawn characters and period details bring the Prohibition era to life. Exciting chase sequences and bloody turf wars keep the reader engaged.

I highly recommend this novel to those who loves historical fiction, particularly one that brings to life lesser known strong historical female characters.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, Sourcebooks Landmark, for providing me an ARC of the book in exchange for my honest review.

'Brilliant women are always intriguing, especially those who inhabit men's worlds'.

It's 1926 and America is slap bang in the middle of its Prohibition era, but of course that hasn't stopped people from drinking - it's only helped build a prosperous black market, a market that Marie intends on ruling as Queen of the Rumrunners. Whether it's ferrying alcohol from the Bahamas or Cuba, to Miami of the Keys, she's going to make enough money to live the life she's always dreamed. She only needs to allude capture for the last 12 miles of each run. Elizebeth Friedman is also zealous about rum-running, but working as a code cracker for the US Coast Guard, her ambition is to intercept the illicit runs and take out the criminals. Both are women, both are wives, both are mothers, both obsess over their work but neither can get what they want without sacrifice.

Erika Robuck's latest novel is told from a dual POV. I am often ambivalent about dual storylines as usually one is more enticing than the other. However, here, both stories are just as fascinating. Whether we're reading about 'Spanish Marie' clawing her way to the top, only to be increasingly corroded by power and paranoia, 'She doesn't consider how...power and money make one a slave..' Or, whether we follow Elizebeth's ingenious mind, 'There can be no high like codebreaking...it's the thrill of hunting, of catching one's prey..of power...', the reader is absorbed right into their life and time.

Although I think many may be familiar with Al Capone and mobsters during this era, I had no knowledge of the rum-running in the Caribbean, and I loved learning about a couple of key women right amongst it all. I'm confident many historical fiction lovers will enjoy reading this.

'Never underestimate women. Especially those with ambition'.

Mrs. Elizebeth Smith Friedman is one half of the husband-and-wife pair who invented cryptanalysis. Marie Waite, a savvy businesswoman longs to establish herself as the Queen of the rumrunners to improve her family's future. These two intelligent women play an intriguing game of cat and mouse during Prohibition. Elizebeth's struggle to balance home and work, Marie's determination to overcome her troubled past made both characters very relatable especially in their daily conflicts working in a typically male dominated profession. I also loved the descriptive passages about sights and sounds of life in Cuba, Miami, and the Florida Keys during Prohibition. A fascinating blend of history and fiction, I highly recommend this book!