The Half-Life of Ruby Fielding: A Novel

by Lydia Kang

Overview

From the bestselling author of A Beautiful Poison comes a spellbinding historical mystery about hidden identities, wartime paranoia, and the tantalizing power of deceit.

Brooklyn, 1942. War rages overseas as brother and sister Will and Maggie Scripps contribute to the war effort stateside. Ambitious Will secretly scouts for the Manhattan Project while grief-stricken Maggie works at the Navy Yard, writing letters to her dead mother between shifts.

But the siblings’ quiet lives change when they discover a beautiful woman hiding under their back stairs. This stranger harbors an obsession with poisons, an affection for fine things, and a singular talent for killing small creatures. As she draws Will and Maggie deeper into her mysterious past, they both begin to suspect she’s quite dangerous—all while falling helplessly under her spell.

With whispers of spies in dark corners and the world’s first atomic bomb in the works, the visitor’s sudden presence in Maggie’s and Will’s lives raises questions about who she is and what she wants. Is this mysterious woman someone they can trust—or a threat to everything they hold dear?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781542020084
Publisher:	Amazon Publishing
Publication date:	05/01/2022
Pages:	362
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.25(h) x 0.88(d)

About the Author

Lydia Kang is an author and internal medicine physician. She is a graduate of Columbia University and New York University School of Medicine, and she completed her training at Bellevue Hospital in New York City. She lives with her family in the Midwest. Follow her on Twitter (@LydiaYKang) and Instagram (@LydiaKang).

Editorial Reviews

A complex, intertwined narrative.” —Historical Novel Review

“Lydia Kang does it again. The Half-Life of Ruby Fielding is riveting. Set in Brooklyn and New York City at the height of World War II, we are dropped into a world where no one can be trusted. The Manhattan Project is in its early stages and the key to winning the war. But who works for who? Not only are loyalties to country challenged, but family loyalties as well. Characters’ motives and desires shift and twist. No one is who they claim to be. And in the middle of it all is the strange, alluring, and enigmatic Ruby Fielding, who may undo them all. A marvelous, complex, and thrilling read.” —Kim Taylor Blakemore, bestselling author of After Alice Fell

“Brimming with gracefully executed twists and turns, The Half-Life of Ruby Fielding is a suspenseful tale encompassing the shrouded early history of the Manhattan Project, set in its namesake city. Kang’s unforgettable characters, both courageous and sinister, play out their respective parts behind blackout-curtained windows, holding their cards close until the end. Packed with intrigue and secret assignations, this is a triumphant addition to the WWII canon by a masterful author.” —Paulette Kennedy, author of Parting the Veil

From the Publisher

Saskia Maarleveld's narration is the best part of this historical mystery, set in Brooklyn in October 1942. At times a bit convoluted, the story centers on half-siblings Will and Maggie Scripps. As WWII rages on, Will works for the Manhattan Project, and Maggie struggles to find consistent work. Their isolated existence is interrupted when they find a freezing woman under their steps. Ruby, who is fleeing from her fiancé and is obsessed with poisons and death, manages to charm both siblings and then turns their lives upside down. The story is told from multiple perspectives, and Maarleveld does a great job creating believable character distinctions and capturing the tension as the story builds to a final twist. K.S.M. © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine

JULY 2022 - AudioFile