Loyalty by Ingrid Thoft

Loyalty by Ingrid Thoft is all about family, friendship, and trust. This is Thoft’s first novel and it is brilliant. Two families are intertwined through legal entanglements that lead to revenge and murder. Both families show loyalty to each other while tearing the flesh from the other and others around them. Women are very protective of their young, which get them killed, jailed, and praised. There are good women gone bad, made bad by circumstances, and bad by nature. Then there are those women who are just good. The men in their lives, too, fit into these categories and as all these people interact a most daring and fascinating tale emerges with so many great surprises and not so great surprises.

Fina, short for Josefina, is the youngest of four, three older Ludlow brothers. She is the toughest one. They are lawyers in their dad’s firm. She is their private detective, because she couldn’t do what it takes to be a lawyer, follow rules and sit still. She is as good at her job as they are at theirs. Some might think, better. As in all families there are secrets, deep dark, horrible secrets and the Ludlows are not exempt. They are a powerful Boston family.

In contrast, there is a powerful Southern family, the Dupreys. They, too, have secrets, are depraved, and are ruthless. They are on the opposite sides of the law from the Ludlows.

When these two families interact it is like oil and water. Fina is the match that ignites the fire that scorches both families. Fina is a great fresh new character who fights for the truth no matter what. She is a hero and I hope to see more of her.