‘It is better to speak’ (and then act)

Make No Mistake
by Julie Wise

Penticton: Wise Publications, 2025
$20.99 / 9781069525505

Reviewed by Valerie Green

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This debut novel by Penticton author Julie Wise is a fast-paced and exciting feminist thriller about a heroine, Maggie Carpenter, who fights for justice for women everywhere.

Maggie has spent a lifetime working for women’s rights, during which time she has survived blackmail, death threats, and financial ruin, but nothing has deterred her. Now, an elderly woman in her seventies, she is devastated when she learns that the President of the United States, along with his newly appointed Chief Justice Daniel Power, has quickly eliminated all her years of hard work as an activist with a simple stroke of the pen.

Maggie reads in the newspaper that The Supreme Court has voted to strike down Roe v. Wade, and this ruling “gives state legislature the ability to restrict or eliminate access to abortion. Abortion is illegal effective immediately overturning nearly fifty years of women’s rights.”

The President has taken over control of the Supreme Court and the police as well as Congress. His power seems unstoppable.

Maggie rages over all of this with her friend, Alicia, a fellow activist. Alicia thinks Maggie wants to get involved in the latest fight again but warns her of the dangers. Maggie halfheartedly agrees and fears she is perhaps too old and maybe they should “let the next generation deal with this,” rather than get involved again themselves. Alicia certainly has too much going on in own life to go into action as an activist once again.

But Maggie is angry as she sits with her friend. She states: “Don’t you get it? If men like the President and Daniel Power are allowed to twist and bend the rules of our society to meet their needs, we all suffer.”

Later when Maggie is alone, she remembers the notes she made from the past and while she reads through them, the phone rings. It is Alicia who has obviously also been thinking about the situation. She jogs Maggie’s memory about an idea they once had.

“Plan B, Maggie. Remember?” she says. “I think the time has come to use it.” Maggie certainly remembers and agrees this would be the answer. With the code word ‘Book Club,’ Plan B is put into action, and the fight against the government begins.

The author’s research is both detailed and excellent. Her characters are memorable as she weaves together stories of the women who have lost so much in the past and are fighting for their rights, with the story of Daniel Power and his wife, Madeline, his daughter, Lena, and Madeline’s twin sister, Max. As the story builds, there are many twists and turns the reader will not see coming, including the part being played by the President’s wife and the discovery of a family connection between certain characters.

The code word ‘Book Club’ is used for a purpose—to encourage the formation of book clubs to choose books to read about strong women—many of which have been banned. I enjoyed the book club in this story (named The Cottage Lake Bookies) and its characters such as Audrey and Sam, Lena, Max, Shelley, and Brian, and Janet the librarian, who all brought humour to the story.

The immoral pasts of the three top characters—the President, Daniel Power and Chief Inspector Frank Westholt—are also connected, but readers are not told this at first. Once Plan B is put into action, a revolution soon begins across the country. 

With the help of an undercover agent, and Jack, an investigative reporter working together with Joanna at the World Organization for Women, protesting women everywhere are finally being heard and the new legislation is being strongly challenged. All these characters face danger as they carry out what needs to be done. The code name ‘Magdalene’ is used to fight the latest government legislature.

The President is then on the warpath to find out who ‘Magdalene’ is, so he orders arrests to be made across the country of every woman with that name or similar connotations of it. He then puts one woman, Maria Magdalena Alvarez, on trial as an example to women everywhere. The outcome of this trial is well done; Wise’s chapter is strong and impressive with some convincing prose.

But when Maggie learns information that will change everything, she is forced to choose between justice for all and her own personal revenge on one man. Or perhaps she can have both. The surprising ending is perfect.

Wise’s book also includes Questions for Book Clubs to discuss, and a list of other books for suggested reading, plus an Author Q and A. One question speaks of the writer’s research and how she has incorporated certain real-life events into her own story in Make No Mistake.  

This book is a very worthy—and timely—novel by an author who strongly believes in her topic and tells it with passion.

Valerie Green was born and educated in England, where she studied journalism and law. Her passion was always for writing from the moment she first held a pen. After working at the world-famous Foyles Books in London (followed by a stint with MI5 and legal firms), she moved to Canada and embarked on a long career as a freelance writer, columnist, and author of over twenty nonfiction historical and true-crime books. In 2024, Hancock House released Tomorrow, the final volume of The McBride Chronicles (after Providence, Destiny, and Legacy). Now semi-retired (although writers never really retire!), Green enjoys taking short road trips around BC with her husband, watching their two beloved grandsons grow up and, of course, writing. [Editor’s note: Valerie has recently reviewed books by Peter Freeman, Barbara Adhiya (ed.), Peter Freeman, Collin Varner, Christy K. Lee, Faye Bayko, Joanne Thomson, and Joan Steacy for BCR.]

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The British Columbia Review

Interim Editors, 2023-26: Trevor Marc Hughes (non-fiction), Brett Josef Grubisic (fiction and poetry)
Publisher: Richard Mackie

Formerly The Ormsby Review, The British Columbia Review is an online book review and journal service for BC writers and readers. The Advisory Board now consists of Jean Barman, Wade Davis, Robin Fisher, Barry Gough, Hugh Johnston, Kathy Mezei, Patricia Roy, and Graeme Wynn. Provincial Government Patron (since September 2018): Creative BC. Honorary Patron: Yosef Wosk. Scholarly Patron: SFU Graduate Liberal Studies. The British Columbia Review was founded in 2016 by Richard Mackie and Alan Twigg.

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