⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Erika Robuck’s The Last Twelve Miles is a thrilling Prohibition-era showdown between two real women—one a 5’2” code-breaking genius, Elizebeth Smith Friedman, cracking smuggler codes for the U.S. Coast Guard; the other, Marie Waite, a fierce and calculating rumrunner determined to rule the high seas. Both are brilliant, fearless, and driven—just on opposite sides of the law.
Robuck captures the grit and glamour of the 1920s beautifully, from smoky D.C. offices to the perilous waters off Florida and Cuba. The alternating perspectives pull readers into the minds of two masterminds—Elizebeth’s quiet intellect and Marie’s ruthless ambition. The tension builds as their paths tighten into a deadly cat-and-mouse chase that feels cinematic and urgent.
The story wobbles in pacing and the last stretch—the ending feels rushed and leaves a few loose ends dangling. A deeper dive into Elizebeth’s code-breaking craft and Marie’s fate would’ve added even more punch.
Still, Robuck’s research gleams, her sense of place is spot-on, and the themes of motherhood, ambition, and loyalty hit home. The Last Twelve Miles is a vivid, female-driven slice of history—a fast, fascinating read that’s just a hair shy of brilliant.
** Thanks to Edelweiss+ and Sourcebooks Landmark for a review copy. Opinions are my own.