Camille di Maio is 5 for 5!

I just finished Camille di Maio's latest, The First Emma.  This is her 5th book, and I'm very happy to say I have read them all.  All 5 of her books have been at least a 3.5/4 for me.  And The First Emma might be my favorite (by a slim margin).  Those of you who read a lot, and who have large TBR piles, can relate to the satisfaction of knowing that you are going to like what you read.  That's what happens with Camille's books. By the way, her Goodreads ratings are all between 4.07/5-4.35/5.  These are very good scores.  And, before I give you some thoughts, take a look at the synopsis:

The First Emma is the true story of Emma Koehler, whose tycoon husband Otto was killed in a crime-of-the-century murder by one of his two mistresses - both also named Emma - and her unlikely rise as CEO of a brewing empire during prohibition.  When a chance to tell her story to a young teetotaler arises, a tale unfolds of love, war, beer, and the power of women.

Since I never read the blurb before starting a book, I didn't know it was a true story.  It certainly felt true, and I wasn't surprised to learn that it actually is true.  The story starts in 1914 and ends in 1943.  There's a lot of stuff that happens in between.  Trust me that Emma Koehler's story will grab you.

Camille combines a fictional love story with history.  I was thoroughly caught up in both.  On top of that, we get to see a real news article at the end of each chapter, giving us details from different newspapers around the country regarding Otto Koehler's death and the subsequent trial of the mistress that murdered him.  Historical fiction is definitely one of my favorite genres.  But it doesn't normally take place in San Antonio, Texas or deal with a female CEO of a beer company.  This is another example of Camille teaching us something that we are most happy to learn about.  Camille, keep 'em comin'!