The Last Twelve Miles by Erika Robuck

368 Pages
Publisher: Sourcebooks, Sourcebooks Landmark
Release Date: June 4, 2024

Fiction, Historical Fiction, Prohibition, Florida, Rumrunners, Women’s Fiction, Cryptoanalysis

In 1926, “Spanish” Marie has taken over from Cleo, the Bahamas Queen. She was the leader of the rumrunners from the Bahamas to Florida. Marie is expanding the operation while her husband, Charlie is spending their money. She crowns him as king to deflect attention from her. Her goal is to make as much money as fast as she can then get out of the business and become respectable.

Elizebeth Friedman works out of Washington, D.C. as a code breaker. She works for the Coast Guard and her husband, William, works for the military. While she is out on maneuvers, they come across a single boat and begin to hail it. A man comes up on the deck with a baby girl. Elizebeth is suspicious but they do not find anything illegal. Now heavily pregnant with her second child, she cannot do any fieldwork. She must rely on others to help catch Marie.

The book has a fast pace, the characters are developed, and it is written in the third person point of view. These are strong and independent women a head of their time. It is great to see both sides of prohibition – the illegal activities and the law enforcement trying to contain it. If you like historical fiction, prohibition, and/or Florida, you will enjoy reading this book.

Thank you to Sourcebooks Landmark, NetGalley and author Erika Robuck for my gifted physical copy and e-arc!!

Whoa! Talk about women on fire! This riveting prohibition era historical fiction absolutely captivated me! Based on the real lives of Marie, a cunning rum-running queen looking to make her fortune and Elizebeth, a tireless codebreaker who uses her natural talent for cryptanalysis to end smuggling for good, it’s a cat & mouse story at it’s best!.

Two extremely smart and brave women on two sides of the law … both with families and futures to think of, both with goals and careers to feed. And it’s so well written and both lives are so well portrayed that I seriously had an inner fight with whose side I was rooting for! But no worries, the author gives a very satisfying ending! If you like reading about strong, history making women … this is a recommend for ya!

The Last Twelve Miles is about Coast Guard codebreaker Elizebeth Friedman as she hunts rumrunner Marie Waite during the Prohibition years in South Florida. The title references how the last 12 miles of the run from the Bahamas or Cuba to the FL coast were within the jurisdiction of the US Coast Guard as they patrolled to catch the rumrunning pirates in the act. As indicated in the preface to this book, both Elizebeth and Marie were real life women who were pitted against each other in the late 1920s, with the events in the book being the author's fictional interpretation of their actions and motivations.
Erika Robuck is a lovely author, this book is well written and clearly well researched, and I enjoyed that it was historical fiction about a time period that I felt like I didn't already know a lot about. I'm always keen to learn new things through HF novels and this certainly did that. With all that said, this book felt a bit formulaic and a bit dry too, and semi clinical almost, if that makes sense. Overall though, this was a very quick read, and I enjoyed the content and the writing as a whole, which is why I am rating this 4 stars. I think my fellow HF readers will enjoy this, especially since it's not yet another WWII novel.
Thank you to Sourcebooks Landmark and NetGalley for the electronic ARC of this novel for review.

A pioneering female codebreaker sets out to assist the Coast Guard with finding those bootlegging liquor off the Florida coast. Meanwhile, a lower class woman sets her sights on a better life but to do so she must amass a bootlegging empire and sets up her husband as the fall guy.

This is once again the case of a dual perspective book wherein one perspective hits harder than the other. I was most intrigued by Marie, the codebreaker’s story from the synopsis but it didn't take long before Elizebeth’s had me enraptured. Marie’s story focused more on her life as a mother and wife than codebreaking. In fact at every opportunity, she brings it up. Also, it’s never really explained to the reader how or why it is that she and her husband were known as pioneer codebreakers but she no longer works with him. There could have been a little more attention drawn to their working relationship then just focusing on their home life.

In contrast, Elizebeth is a mom as well but it seems like that is a very small part of what makes her tick. In fact, her dreams, if successful, one could argue would better her kids but for the most part she is rum-running to benefit herself. Elizebeth’s story focuses on how her past and sheer determination drives her decision making. Elizebeth’s motives are a lot more morally gray and therefore a lot more appealing to me personally than the woman who helps enforce the rules.

The story is described as a cat and mouse game between the two but a large portion of the novel is actually focusing on how they came to be upon each other’s radar as opposed to evading each other’s keen eye. While I enjoyed the contradictions between the two, holding more encounters or almost encounters between the two would have upped the excitement and made this a little more memorable for me.

Thank you Sourcebooks Landmarked for providing an ARC through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

This was an intriguing cat and mouse tale, and it definitely kept me turning the pages. I really liked Elizebeth and would love to read more about her and William and their actions during both World Wars. I loved seeing her devotion to her husband and would love to see if she managed to find a better work/life balance going forward. I was not a fan of Maria, but I don't think I was supposed to be. Actually, it doesn't often work for me when a book features the point of view of a villain, but having Maria's point of view was integral to this story. Also, while ultimately I just wanted to see her captured, I did at times feel sympathy for her.

Erika Robuck has become a must-read author for me, and this didn't disappoint. I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys historical fiction.

Thank you to NetGalley and to Sourcebooks for the early read.

I am an occasional reader of historical fiction, and chose to read this book because it was based on a true story about strong women, each with a totally different perspective on Prohibition. I was mesmerized reading about Rum running in the Caribbean and Coast Guard and FBI interventions as it was presented by the women who were on opposite sides of the law. Once I started reading, I was drawn into the story quickly and was kept entertained until the very end. Great story, and thanks to NetGalley for the chance to read it before it's release date in exchange for an honest review.

What an exciting historical fiction! Erika Robuck has written a thrilling, well-researched book centered on two actual women in the time of prohibition, Elizebeth Smith Friedman and Marie Waite. Her writing brings these two women and those around them vividly to life. Elizebeth and her husband invented cryptanalysis during World War One. Marie and her husband are rumrunners. Elizebeth has been hired by the U. S. government to decode transmissions by the rumrunners to aid the Coast Guard in capture of rumrunners, in the critical last 12 miles to the U. S. coast. The book is alternately narrated by Elizebeth and Marie, as it follows the two women, one using her skills in codebreaking to stop the transport of illegal liquor, and the other desperate to both avoid capture and the poverty and violence that is her life. I found this book hard to put down, and the authors notes at the end are a must read! Thank you to the author, publisher, and Netgalley for my advance copy of the book. The opinions of this review are my own.

Two women are on opposite sides of the prohibition war—a code-breaker and a rum runner. Each woman is determined to succeed while living in a man's world. This book was a great blast from the past, and I highly recommend it to anyone, especially historical fiction lovers.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for this advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

Wow I loved this one!! What an excellent concept using real people's stories as a base and filling in the missing parts and background.

Elizebeth Friedman and her husband are top class cryptanalysts for the government in prohibition era. Her largest focus is rumrunning between Florida and the Caribbean where a new ‘queen of rumrunning,’ Marie Waite, has quickly taken to dominating the industry. Stellar cast of fierce ladies not just defying the norm of their time, but blowing them out of the water! I spent the whole book in a struggle to decide whose side I should be on between Elizebeth and Marie, but ultimately was glad to be absolved of my guilt in the end, that's all I'll say to avoid spoilers.

I loved the fast pace of the book and the volleying point of views, I just couldn't put it down. The author does so well depicting the details of the scene, it really came to life as that glamorous, mysterious prohibition era but it felt real.

The Last Twelve Miles
By: Erika Robuck
Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark
Pages: 368
Publication date: June 4

4 🍹🍹🍹🍹

1926- During Prohibition, smuggling is rampant and the coast guard is having a hard time keeping up.

Enter a “secret weapon”, a wife and mother no one would suspect. We follow two gutsy women Elizabeth and Marie. Smuggling, code breaking, bootlegging and danger in Florida. The court scene and fabulous details of the action scenes were described so well that I could picture the scenes. Get ready for one wild ride!
#thelasttwelvemiles, #ericarobuck, #sourcebookslandmark, #bookreview, #stamperlady50, #booksconnectus

“The Last Twelve Miles” is a historical fiction book by Erika Robuck. This book focused on two very different women - Marie “Spanish Marie” Waite, a rumrunner of both beauty and charm, and Elisebeth Friedman, a US government codebreaking agent. Marie’s chapters are full of her past, her cunning, and her determination to be the Queen of Runrunners during US Prohibition. Elisebeth’s chapters are full of being a working mother, her amazingly vast literature/historical knowledge, and her fantastic ability to codebreak transmissions. Both women were wonderful to read about and how their stories entwined was engaging. Strong recommend!

Oof, this book was tough for me. I almost DNF’d it a couple times, yet I persevered and finished the book in hopes that it would get better. It did not. The writing was repetitive and flat, as well as the characters. It read like the author was telling you about the people and events in more of a textbook/nonfiction way instead of using the real life events wrapped in fiction. Therefore, it was hard to connect with the characters Mary Waite and Elizebeth Smith Friedman, and to grasp the essence of who they may have been in that period of time. Overall: this book was a miss for me, though the topic was interesting, just poorly conveyed.
Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Not loving this book. Not sure if it was the tense it was written in or the fact that the pace didn't match well with the story. It wasn't for me.

The Last Twelve Miles by Erika Robuck is a great story set during prohibition. Based on two real women - Elizebeth Smith Friedman and Marie Waite "Spanish Marie". Elizebeth works for the Coast Guard as a codebreaker and her new mission is to stop the rumrunning activity out of Florida and most of this centers around Spanish Marie. Such a fascinating time in history and I really learned a lot! The Florida setting makes this a perfect summer read! Maybe with a rum drink in hand!

Perfect read for my drive to Key West! I found it hard to decide if I wanted the good gal or the "bad" gal to win! Historical fiction with two strong female leads on opposite sides of the law during Prohibition. A female code breaker working for the Coasties intercepting rum smugglers and one of the most infamous female smugglers who runs an empire through the trading routes in Miami and Key West. A fantastic read as I didn't know about female code breakers and I enjoy strong female characters especially those from history that are not well known.

It's been a s while since we've heard from Erika Roebuck but it was worth the wait. This story is a real page turner based on two women in a man's world. Marie is a rum runner during Prohibitions and Elizebeth is a Federal Agent. Each character is well developed, the story is well researched and written. This is my next book group pick!

THE LAST TWELVE MILES by Erika Robuck is a thrilling historical fiction story of two women, each brilliant, going head-to-head on opposite sides of the law during the Prohibition Era southern rum wars. While I have read about Elizebeth Friedman and her contributions to cryptanalysis, Spanish Marie was new to me, and this author brought both women to vivid life for me as I was reading.

Mrs. Elizebeth Smith Friedman and her husband invented cryptanalysis during WWI. Elizebeth has gone on to work for the Coast Guard during Prohibition to crack smugglers’ codes so the Coast Guard can intercept smugglers and destroy their illegal alcohol. Her primary focus is on the Cuban, Bahamian, and Florida routes. She is the Coast Guards secret weapon to capturing many law breakers.

Marie Waite is the wife of a rum runner and when she learns the queen of the runners is retiring, she seizes the opportunity and becomes Spanish Marie. She takes advantage of every new technology to evade capture and continue her rise to the top of her chosen illegal trade.
Spanish Marie becomes Elizebeth’s obsession in a cat and mouse game.

I loved this story so much! Ms. Robuck brings both women to life on the page, even though the author acknowledges that information on Spanish Marie is more lore than fact. This is a historical fiction book that grabbed me from page one, and I was unable to put the book down. Elizebeth has a full life outside of the home with her cryptanalysis and must learn how to balance her work and home life as a wife and mother, which is an unusual position to be in during the 1920’s. Marie begins life poor and makes terrible choices in men, but it leads to her ambition and endless need for wealth. Elizebeth and Marie are fully developed characters that you can empathize with in different ways, and it makes their protagonist/antagonist battles even more fascinating.

I highly recommend this amazing historical fiction!

The water is perfect to dive into this gorgeous summer read!! I loved boating through the aqua waters of South Florida and Key West on bootlegging runs in this cat and mouse game between two very different but equally interesting women in prohibition era Florida. The ending is spectacular! Highly recommend.

—Dianna Rostad, USA Today bestselling and award-winning author of You Belong Here Now

Many thanks to Netgalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review. This book follows two women, one of them is a government employee while the other is on the bootlegs run to bring alcohol into the US during prohibition.

The book takes place during Prohibition, following Marie Waite, wife of a rumrunner and mother of two little ones and Elizebeth, a codebreaker for the United States. The two don’t know each other but are battling against one another in a head to head in a cat and mouse game. As Marie sees her husband’s shortcomings she realizes she can step in for him, soon becoming rumrunning royalty. But what she doesn’t anticipate is the more refine her operations becomes the bigger the target on her back grows. Meanwhile, Elizebeth is intercepting codes and ciphers on the growing operations of Marie and her crew. Elizebeth’s work becomes personal as she discovers Marie is the primary target of the operation.

I couldn’t put this book down. I haven’t read much in the Prohibition era but I can see the drawl of rumrunning and getting involved in it. However, it was interesting to read how obsessive Elizebeth became as she got deeper into the case. The mastermind games the two played a while trying to make a living and protect their families was an interesting point I didn’t see coming as I read. One thing I love about Erika’s books is that she finds real women who history has spoken little about and bring them front and center within her books. Elizebeth and Maria are two that weren’t on my radar before this book but they won’t be leaving my mind for a long while.

This book will be published June 4, 2024.

Two brilliant women on two sides of the law playing a game of cat and mouse in the roaring twenties? Yes, please! This was a fun read. The third person present voice was a bit challenging initially as I found it harder to stay in the character's head. But, I'm glad I persevered! This story is fun, and the characters are fascinating. History has the most interesting cast, and I'm glad Robuck took the time to open the door on what might have been going on in the minds of these two wicked-smart and vastly different women.