The Last Twelve Miles
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.
