In 1872 Leesburg, Virginia, a family’s life is about to change. Three-year-old Maud Lloyd has been sick for a few days but seems to be perking up. Not unaccustomed to death and sadness, having recently lost two sons and another young daughter, the Lloyds are pleased to see her playing with her toys again. But later that evening, Maud lies dead in her bed with a doctor standing over her still body, accusing her mother, Emily, of poisoning her.

Powell Harrison and his older brother, Matthew, have taken over their late father’s esteemed law practice in Leesburg. Known to tackle difficult and sometimes unwinnable cases, the Lloyd case eventually finds its way to the Harrisons. While skeptical of taking it on in the beginning, they know that Emily may be sent to the gallows for what the ambitious prosecutor is labeling a heinous murder. They consider the case and agree to consult, hoping to do what they can to help Emily.

"Virts does a great job making you as a reader feel invested in the case. If you’re looking for rich historical fiction to keep you company on a cool fall evening, VEIL OF DOUBT is your book."

Powell eventually decides to take on the case, convinced that Emily would never be capable of murdering her own child --- and especially not her other three children and her husband, as the prosecution is claiming. While they’re adamant that Emily is not crazy, Powell is not so sure. He is never able to put his suspicion into words, but he feels that something is not quite right the entire time he is trying the case. While he does all he can to save Emily, he can’t stop wondering what he missed to make him so uncertain.

What I loved about this story was the portrayal of Emily Lloyd. Sharon Virts gets into Powell’s head about the case and brings you right along. You also begin to question Emily's sanity. You start to log her odd behaviors alongside Powell while also remembering that this is a woman who lost four children and a husband --- an abusive husband but a provider in 1872 when being a widow was not an easy life --- and may be in the depths of depression and denial. Virts makes you feel sympathetic toward her while trying to determine whether or not this anxious and agitated woman who stands accused of murdering her children in a slow and painful manner could have actually done it.

VEIL OF DOUBT drops you into 19th-century Virginia, a place still dealing with the not-so-distant repercussions of the Civil War. Tensions are high, and the townspeople are readily sharing opinions and thoughts about the case, the widow, and what they believe to be her murdered family thanks to the prosecutor who is looking for a win.

I flew through this book, unwilling to put it down even late into the night, wanting to see what Emily would do next, how she would answer pointed questions from Powell, and to know more about her mysterious neighbors whom no one ever seems to see. Virts does a great job making you as a reader feel invested in the case. If you’re looking for rich historical fiction to keep you company on a cool fall evening, VEIL OF DOUBT is your book.