The Slip the Bonds of Earth

Book Review

To Slip the Bonds of Earth by Amanda Flower
Historical Mystery | Cozy

“While not as famous as her older siblings Wilbur and Orville, the celebrated inventors of flight, Katharine Wright is equally inventive – especially when it comes to solving crimes – in USA Today bestselling author Amanda Flower’s radiant new historical mystery series inspired by the real sister of the Wright Brothers.”

Reader’s Thoughts:

Novels about the history of flight or featuring characters who fly are my weakness. I can’t resist them. So it was no surprise that when the publisher, Kensington Books, highlighted this brand-new historical mystery (weakness #2) about Katherine Wright, it immediately flew to the top of my TBR pile. And let me tell you, this was a delight to read!

To Slip the Bonds of Earth features the younger sister of Orville and Wilbur Wright, whose flying machine has just taken off in Kitty Hawk for its first historic flight. But when the brothers return home for Christmas, their unpatented plans are stolen and Kate and Orville simultaneously find themselves in the middle of a murder investigation… For Kate, who’s used to holding the family together, it only seems natural that she’d step up to help her brothers out, find their missing plans, and maybe catcher a murderer while she’s at it.

Kate is a fascinating character (built around an actual historical figure) and while the crime-solving portion is entirely fictionalized, I loved getting to learn a little more about this incredible woman. In To Slip the Bonds of Earth Kate is outspoken and determined, independent yet fiercely loyal, and all of these qualities make for the perfect amateur sleuth.

The historical setting was also well done. There were a few moments at the beginning where the story relied more heavily on telling rather than showing, but I was soon able to find myself immersed in the worldbuilding. Mysteries built around real-world characters and events are always fun, and this setting certainly made for an entertaining premise and intriguing storyline. It was clear that the author had done her share of research into the time period and the Wright family.

While the mystery was simple, the events and situations surrounding the investigation felt realistic for an amateur detective to solve. (And although I was left with a couple of lingering plot questions, they didn’t affect my enjoyment of the story.) Overall, this was a light and easy read, with an enjoyable setting and a fantastic, historical character. When it comes to historical cozies, I will certainly be back for more of Amanda Flower’s work.

Recommended for:

Fans of cozy mysteries with historical settings and characters

This post contains affiliate links; as an Amazon associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Advance copy of the book provided courtesy of the publisher, Kensington Books. All opinions expressed are my own.

About the book:

(From the publisher) December 1903: While Wilbur and Orville Wright’s flying machine is quite literally taking off in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina with its historic fifty-seven second flight, their sister Katharine is back home in Dayton, Ohio, running the bicycle shop, teaching Latin, and looking after the family. A Latin teacher and suffragette, Katharine is fiercely independent, intellectual, and the only Wright sibling to finish college. But at twenty-nine, she’s frustrated by the gender inequality in academia and is for a new challenge. She never suspects it will be sleuthing…

Returning home to Dayton, Wilbur and Orville accept an invitation to a friend’s party. Nervous about leaving their as-yet-unpatented flyer plans unattended, Wilbur decides to bring them to the festivities . . . where they are stolen right out from under his nose. As always, it’s Katharine’s job to problem solve—and in this case, crime-solve.

As she sets out to uncover the thief among their circle of friends, Katharine soon gets more than she bargained She finds her number one suspect dead with a letter opener lodged in his chest. It seems the patent is the least of her brothers’ worries. They have a far more earthbound concern—prison. Now Katharine will have to keep her feet on the ground and put all her skills to work to make sure Wilbur and Orville are free to fly another day.