The Unveiling of Polly Forrest

A Mystery

Fiction - Historical - Event/Era
313 Pages
Reviewed on 06/26/2022
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Author Biography

Raised on a family farm in Michigan, Charlotte Whitney is the author of historical fiction set in the rural Midwest. Her most recent work, The Unveiling of Polly Forrest, a stand-alone historical mystery follows her groundbreaking novel, Threads A Depression-Era Tale, which was met with much critical acclaim.In addition, she has authored I Dream in White, a contemporary romance, and How to Win at Upwords, a nonfiction book about her favorite word game. She received a master’s degree in English and served as associate director of the Lloyd Scholars for Writing and the Arts at the University of Michigan. She lives in Arizona with her husband and two Labrador retrievers.

    Book Review

Reviewed by Rabia Tanveer for Readers' Favorite

The Unveiling of Polly Forrest: A Mystery by Charlotte Whitney is an impressive historical novel set in 1934. The story follows Polly, a 20-year-old woman who marries 41-year-old Samuel Forrest for his money and in the hope of starting a hat-making business. However, things don’t go exactly according to plan. When Sam dies in a freak farm accident, Polly becomes the prime suspect in his murder. While there were rumors of Sam not being the best husband and Polly not being sad about becoming a widow, the local sheriff is determined to figure out how Sam died and whether he was murdered. Did Polly kill Sam, or was it truly a freak accident?

Considering that Charlotte Whitney chose the Great Depression as the background, The Unveiling of Polly Forrest is surprisingly entertaining and exceptionally funny to read. I loved how the author gave us three different characters sharing their ideas about what happened to Sam. The points of view alternate between Polly, her sister Sarah, and Sarah’s husband Rev. Wesley Johnson. The narrative is beautifully deceiving. Each of the characters has a secret, and they are reluctant to share it. They all want to show their perfect side and project a version of the story that shows them to be innocent. Polly, Wesley, and Sarah are flawed enough to make readers question them and read on to find out who did kill Sam. There is definite tension between the sisters, and that makes their interactions a lot more entertaining. Polly’s growth and development are fantastic, the ending surprised me and made me very happy. I highly recommend this novel!