Lipstick and Lies

February 12, 2007
This promising but flawed debut WWII-era spy novel introduces Pucci Lewis, a charming, savvy Women Airforce Service pilot who helps the FBI infiltrate a German spy ring in Detroit. To get to the bottom of things, Lewis must go undercover, first as a prisoner and then as a journalist. Some of the plot devices are predictable, and easily decoded cryptic messages also figure a little too prominently. Still, Liesche teases out interesting parallels between the 1940s and the present day: Lewis wonders whether the FBI's wartime domestic surveillance efforts erode "the individual's right to privacy... the bedrock of our nation's foundation." If Liesche will invest more in character development and rely less on formulaic plotting, she may produce a successful series.

March 1, 2007
In 1943, Pucci Lewis, a WASP (Women's Airforce Service Pilot), is recruited by the FBI to ferret out information from a counterspy jailed in Detroit. Pucci, who is part OSS-trained spy, part flag-waving American, and part naïve young woman, is a delight, but readers will find it difficult to keep this debut mystery's characters and plot line straight. Despite this minor annoyance, Liesche is a writer to watch. She lives in Marin County, CA.

Copyright 2007 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.