Government girl Louise is blackmailed into investigating the suspicious death of a missing co-worker, with sinister consequences.
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1940s Washington, DC, government girl Louise Pearlie is asked to review the file usage of a missing analyst from the Office of Strategic Servicesโthe US wartime intelligence agencyโonly to learn heโd drowned in the Tidal Basin days before. OSS confirm it was an accident, and Louise is sent back to her regular job in the file rooms.
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Her time spent investigating Paul Hughes at least has one positive outcome, though: Louise meets a young woman in the OSS Reading Room, who asks her to join her โsalon,โ where she is encouraged to talk about controversial issues like racial segregation and equal pay for women. Socializing with the women helps her cope with her beau Joe Pragerโs transfer to New York City.
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But Louiseโs life soon takes a dangerous and sinister turn, and she canโt help but worry if sheโll wind up floating in the Tidal Basin herselfย .ย .ย .
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โA solid and suspenseful storyย .ย .ย . This series keeps getting better.โ โBooklist