Ace, Marvel, Spy by Jenni L. Walsh
“Walsh has given us a riveting insight into a true wonder woman by blending biography with history and adventure, and an added dash of romance.”
With a flair for mining out remarkable women from obscurity in history, Jenny L. Walsh has once again unearthed the extraordinary in her latest novel Ace, Marvel, Spy. Alice Marble was a trailblazer, tennis champion, spy, and overall American icon. I’ll be the first to admit that I had never heard of Alice Marble before, but she quickly had me wanting to pick up a racket and start swinging.
From Humble Beginnings
Spanning the 1930s and 40s, we first meet a young Alice who plays the game of tennis with fierce determination but no trained skills. Whack the ball as hard as she can is her motto. In steps Teach, a no-nonsense coach, ready to whip Alice into the best player the world has ever seen. And whip into shape she does. Alice proves herself again and again, rising through the ranks to become Wimbledon’s darling and outshining the pros to become a bit of a celebrity on and off the court. When not swinging her racquet to victory, the glamorous star turns her energy to writing “Wonder Women of History” features for DC Comics which tells the stories of prominent women in history in comic form.
A Change in Plans
War rears its ugly head before long and the only thing Alice longs to do more than play tennis is to serve her country. Due to a medical condition, she’s turned away by every branch, but her luck changes when the government realizes she could be much more useful than rolling bandages. As a tennis star, she’s able to rub elbows with the wealthy and influential … most notably those with enemy leanings.
Recruited as a spy, Alice is sent under the guise of a tennis exhibition game in Switzerland to retrieve information on a former lover who may be in cahoots with the Nazis. She harbors a small hope of rekindling their old flame, but the evidence against him is too much and Alice is determined to see him and other war criminals like him brought to justice despite the personal heartbreak it brings her.
A Champion Worth Rooting For
I’m so thrilled I got to step into Alice’s shoes, probably the only time I’ll ever feel what it’s like to be an actual athlete, ha! Though so much of her life appeared to be a whirlwind of grand slams, endless practicing, cheering fans, and parties, it was really the softer, quieter moments in the story that truly resonated with me. Alice suffered a great deal of tragedy in her life including losing loved ones, surviving car accidents, and even the will to play tennis again.
It’s at one particularly black moment where she feels all may be lost that she receives a letter from her friend and Hollywood star, Carole Lombard, who had had her share of ups and downs, including a car crash that threatened to end her career. Something Alice was sorely aware of herself. Doctors told me I was through, Carole wrote, but then I began to think I had nothing to lose by fighting, so I began to fight. I made my career come true, just as you can — if you’ll fight. Such beautiful encouragement to a woman who was at the top of her game (literally) only to have the rug pulled out from under her. Such inspiration for all of us to never give up. Alice’s bravery and determination are attitudes worth aspiring to, sports fanatic or not.
Walsh has given us a riveting insight into a true wonder woman by blending biography with history and adventure, and an added dash of romance in Ace, Marvel, Spy. A truly unique spin (Get it? Because it’s tennis!) that makes it a must-read for fans of unique characters and complex themes.
About Jenni L. Walsh:
Jenni L. Walsh is a USA Today bestselling author of over thirteen books, including Becoming Bonnie, Side by Side, A Betting Woman, The Call of the Wrens, Unsinkable, and the forthcoming Ace, Marvel, Spy. Her passion lies in transporting readers to another world, be it in historical or contemporary settings. She is a graduate of Villanova University, lives in the Philadelphia suburbs with her husband, daughter, son, and various pets, and is a proud member of the Tall Poppy Writers, the only cross-genre, author-driven marketing cooperative in the U.S. that is exclusive to female authors who publish in a variety of genres. To learn more about Jenni and her books, please visit jennilwalsh.com or @jennilwalsh on social media.
More articles by and about Tall Poppy Writers
Publish Date: January 14, 2025
Genre: Historical Fiction
Author: Jenni L. Walsh
Page Count: 336 pages
Publisher: Harper Muse
ISBN: 978-1400246748
