My Thoughts:

What an astounding story! I loved the prequel debut from Angela Bell that sets the background for this book, but Margaret in this one was a powerhouse. Her personal sufferings hit a chord for me in ways I’m not sure how to convey.

She experienced a tragic accident that left her with chronic pain and if she exerts herself too much, or just has a bad day, she’s bedridden for sometimes days at a time. I’ve had people in my life that deal with chronic pain so I understood this experience in my own way. But Margaret is also a very intelligent woman and tinkerer delight. She designs and creates amazing creations that leave the rest of us breathless. Not to mention her amazing wheelchair she uses that she designed on her own. Fitted with all kinds of gadgets to help her get around and do things a little easier.

Now, she’s also a member of a secret society (D. O. G. S. – Daughters of Genius Society) where she creates inventions to help the other ladies in their investigations. She makes a grappler hook umbrella at the very beginning of the story, which was pretty impressive! This is what she likes though, sitting in the background making great inventions and helping her fellow D. O. G. S. sisters.

But now Margaret has been chosen to lead her very own investigation and she’s not sure how she will get through it with her condition. Seeing as how too much exertion can send her to bedrest for days. As she embarks on this new experience, she meets Charles, a man absolutely infatuated with her, yet Margaret has no idea. She still doesn’t believe it when her very sweet friends try to inform her that he is smitten with her. Charles and Margaret were absolutely adorable in how they both would get so embarrassed and how they both find happiness in such adorably sweet things.

There’s a scene where Margaret’s father finds Charles and Margaret at the piano in Margaret’s house after a very tiring evening of investigation. It’s a sensitive moment where they are both being extremely vulnerable. Margaret’s mother and father hear the piano and come downstairs to check on their daughter, but instead find them together at the piano and Margaret is leaning towards Charles. Her father is beside himself with a mix of happiness and confusion that there is a man in the house with his daughter. This was one of those moments that will forever live in my heart from this story because it truly represented Margaret’s experiences in her life and also the foundation that exists for her and Charles. Anything more would be a spoiler so I won’t say it, but that scene made me laugh and cry tears of happiness for Margaret.

The investigation elements of the story were also wildly interesting as they are trying to determine who is stealing other people’s patents and claiming them as their own. Through their sleuthing, Margaret and Charles work very closely and they realize they have to endure being frank with one another about their personal lives. This results in their closeness developing even deeper. The clues they find slowly start to round out a clearer picture of who is doing the patent stealing and why they are doing it. Ultimately resulting in a very dramatic and dangerous faceoff for the entire D. O. G. S. team.

This story is filled with a surprising love story, a hard-to-crack investigation and a group of incredibly intelligent women who are there for one another like a second family.