The Adventures of Miss Vulpe: A Coming of Age Story for Adults by Maria Elena Sandovici

Well it is hot now in Central Texas. "They" are teasing us with some rain chances next week and temps in the mid 90's instead of 100. Happens every summer but of course this summer is special. One of our executives sent out an email today with the heading: "Covid 19, murder hornets and now West Nile mosquitoes. Will 2020 ever end?"

Still working from home. Had a panic when some of my work at home equipment went blooey.  Normally, I could just go into the company building and work while IT figured out what was wrong. But of course we can't do that. So quite a lot of time was spent trouble shooting over the phone. A half a day actually. Then deciding I needed two new things. Get permission and set a specific time to enter the building to get said equipment. Agreement on where said equipment would be - right at the front desk to avoid going anywhere in the building. All like a secret mission.

I read another book by Maria Elena Sandovici last week, courtesy of the author. I had read her book, Storms of Mulhado earlier this year and really liked it.

This book is categorized as contemporary fiction, but there is a mystery woven into the story.

About: "Ana Petrescu (a.k.a. Miss Vulpe) is a troubled teenager determined to solve the mystery of her parents' double suicide. Escaping the scrutiny of her legal guardian and the unwanted interference of several therapists, she starts looking up people from her mother's past. Her sleuthing requires her to lie about her identity, her age, and her lack of experience with men. While impersonating Miss Vulpe is more fun than going to school, there's bound to be trouble and heartache when her web of lies unravels."

I like the way the author tells this story. While Ana is doing outrageous things, she is likeable and made me laugh at times. She wants to know what really happened to her parents and why she has been abandoned (in her mind). She does the only thing that seems logical to her in a last ditch effort... go to the source. She seeks out Richard, the man her mother was writing a letter to when she died. She only has a couple of days before Rogers, her guardian, comes to take her off to yet another boarding school. We also get the back story of two men who grow up together but come from very different backgrounds and see how their childhood and teen years, form them. While some of the characters are at times, downright despicable, they do redeem themselves. I thought the ending was good, bringing everything full circle and giving hope to Ana.

This book would be for adults as the title says as there are some "adult situations."

Elena does the covers for her books as in this book cover. I purchased a few prints of her art to spruce up my home office. I will share the link to her blog again where you can look at her work.

havewatercolorswilltravel.blog

I received a free copy and voluntarily provided this review.

We are reading Long Road to Mercy by David Baldacci for our August (one month closer to cooler weather) Mystery Book Club. I will let you know how I like it.