Synopses & Reviews
New York, 1943: Aspiring actress Rosie Winter has been marooned in New York throughout the war. Now, faced with the news that her ex-boyfriend Jack might not be coming home again, she's desperate to leave the home front and head for the war front. So when Rosie and her best pal Jayne get an offer to go to the South Pacific to perform with USO Camp Shows, they jump at the chance.
But being a greasepaint soldier isn't as easy as they had hoped. Not only are the cast members surly, the schedules inhumane, and the housing conditions primitive but they also have to travel with a major—and majorly difficult—Hollywood star. But none of that is as bad as living in a war zone, and when tragedy strikes, Rosie and Jayne are left wondering if they are being targeted by the enemy or if something far more sinister is afoot.
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“What a blast from the past. Kathryn Miller Haines perfectly captures the feel, sights and sounds of New York in the 1940s. Her Rosie (not a riveter but struggling actress and reluctant sleuth) is feisty, mouthy and a lot of fun.” Rhys Bowen
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“What separates “Miss Winter” from the other well-plotted mysteries are the well-researched backdrop of New York in 1943 and the excellent writing.” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
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“Newcomer Haines, artistic director of a regional-theater company, knowingly describes thespian combativeness and audition politics…But her real success is her pitch-perfect rendering of the early ‘40s, from rationing to java stops at the automat.” Kirkus Reviews
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“Haines brings home the painful price the “greatest generation” paid more gallantly than anyone then knew.” Publishers Weekly
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“A breezy look back at the 40s, complete with starlets in short skirts and mobsters smoking Cuban cigars.” Kirkus Reviews
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“Haines capably combines homefront ambience (rationing, worries over soldier boyfriends)with plenty of backstage drama…and Rosie and Jane make a winning team of fiesty homefronters.” Booklist
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“Give Kathryn Haines...a standing ovation!” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
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“Haines assured debut brings the WWII era to vivid life.” Publishers Weekly
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“Lively....Full of evocative period detail....this entry, for all its humorous and lighthearted moments, builds to a dramatic and sobering conclusion.” Publishers Weekly
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“A fun romp.” Publishers Weekly
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“Highly satisfying and clever...a well-constructed theatrical treasure hunt.” Pittsburgh Magazine
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“Delightfully nostalgic and entertaining.” Acadiana LifeStyle (LA)
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“The historical atmosphere is deftly evoked, and Rosie is great company.” Sullivan County Democrat
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“Haines particularly excels at drawing interesting characters, and her story of USO performers in the South Pacific is well-paced.” Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
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“Haines...excels at breezy nostalgia.” Kirkus Reviews
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“Firmly set in its wartime locale.” Booklist
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“Haines...always provides a good read.....Winter in June is a terrific summer read.” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
About the Author
Kathryn Miller Haines is an actor, mystery writer, award-winning playwright, and artistic director of a Pittsburgh-based theater company.