A Perilous Perspective (Lady Darby, #10) by Anna Lee Huber – Review

Tags

5 stars, Anna Lee Huber, Book Review, historical, historical mystery, mystery, romance, Scotland, series

Review of A Perilous Perspective

During a wedding party, artist Kiera Gage discovers forgeries in the collection belonging to the groom’s great-uncle, the Marquess of Barbreck.  As Kiera and Sebastian begin to look into the matter, a young woman is found murdered in the gallery.  Are the two things connected?  Readers of the Lady Darby series probably know the answer to that.  For anyone new to the series, you will have to read the book to figure that out. 

The mystery in A Perilous Perspective is tied up in a half-century relationship between the Marquess and his neighbor who he was once engaged to.  Some good, but mostly bad feelings between them have been complicated by things like forgeries and siblings.  Kiera and Sebastian will have to dig through all the unsavory family history to root out the forgers and killers.  Doing so will inevitably put Kiera in one or more precarious situations.

As a long-time fan of the series, I have grown to appreciate the give and take between Kiera and Sebastian as they work all the angles.  I am also familiar with several of the secondary characters such as Charlotte and Rye (bride and groom) and Sebastian’s brother Henry.  In this book, Henry is overcoming the challenge of becoming part of a family that did not know he existed until recently.  I look forward to Sebastian and Henry becoming closer.  The Gage’s new baby girl brings a delightfulness to what can become a dire situation. 

If you are new to the series, know that this book can easily be read as a standalone.  A Perilous Perspective is for mystery readers who want to step back in time, soak up the 1800’s Scottish countryside and test their wits solving a mystery.

Through Netgalley, the publisher provided a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

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About A Perilous Perspective by Anna Lee Huber

Argyll, Scotland. July 1832. After a trying few months in Edinburgh, Kiera and her husband and investigative partner, Sebastian Gage, are eager to escape to the Highlands with their three-month-old child. Kiera is overjoyed for her cousin Rye and her detractor-turned-friend Charlotte who are being wed in a private ceremony at the estate of Rye’s great-uncle, the Marquess of Barbreck, in what seems to be the perfect wedding party.
 
But when Kiera is invited to peruse Barbreck’s extensive art collection, she is disturbed to discover that one of his most priceless paintings seems to be a forgery. The marquess’s furious reaction when she dares to mention it leaves her shaken and the entire house shocked. For it turns out that this is not the first time the word forgery has been uttered in connection with the Barbreck household.
 
Matters turn more ominous when a maid from a neighboring estate is found murdered where the forged painting hangs. Is her death connected to the forgeries, perhaps a grisly warning of what awaits those who dare to probe deeper? With unknown entities aligned against them, Kiera and Gage are forced to confront the fact that they may have underestimated their opponent. For they are swiftly made to realize that Charlotte’s and Rye’s future happiness is not the only issue at stake, and this stealthy game of cat and mouse could prove to have deadly consequences.

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A Treacherous Trade (Fiona Mahoney Mystery, #2) by Kerrigan Byrne – Review

Tags

5 stars, Book Review, historical, historical mystery, Jack the Ripper, Kerrigan Byrne, mystery, series, thriller, Victorian England

Review of A Treacherous Trade

Fiona’s job of cleaning up after dead bodies (postmortem sanitation specialist) pays well, especially when it leads to not-quite-legal side jobs for a crime boss.  It allows her to be independent in an era where single women are generally not taken care of.  It also puts her in contact with the death of prostitutes.  Which causes her to get involved with finding justice for the women, since the police have no interest in solving the murders. 

A Treacherous Trade contains plenty of twists and turns to lead Fiona down several trails, following up on leads.  Just about everyone she comes into contact with falls under suspicion.  This keeps the reader guessing – just like this reader likes it.

This book has many fascinating characters, including a cop, an organized crime boss, an assassin, Oscar Wilde, and a psychic aunt. Each deftly carries out their vital part in the story.  There are no less than 3 men who seem to be attracted to Fiona who is steadfastly single, with no intentions of marrying.  Fiona may end up fighting some small attraction to one or more of them.

Jack the Ripper, who was responsible for the murder of Fiona’s friend (backstory) is in the background in this book.  The Ripper is always on Fiona’s mind though, and will be in the picture for the foreseeable future – if my guess is correct.

Book 2 in the Fiona Mahoney Mystery series has all the same exquisite, sinister qualities that I appreciated in the first book:  1) a protagonist with a dark side, 2) supporting characters that are eccentric, fascinating, vital, and often equally dark, 3) and the gloomy, shadowy city of London for the story setting.  A Treacherous Trade is completely stand alone.  But, like the first book in the series, the last chapter is a teaser for the next book which looks to be due out in October.   

Thanks to the publisher who provided a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

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About A Treacherous Trade by Kerrigan Byrne

Nothing interrupts a good confession like a murder.

Fiona Mahoney stands in the ashes of her hopes facing her tempting adversary, Inspector Grayson Croft. Her sins are about to spill from her lips, when he says the one thing that could dispel all thoughts of revelation or redemption.

Someone is leaving the corpses of prostitutes in the streets, and a name is being whispered in the fearful shadows. The name against which Fiona would sell her very soul for vengeance.

Jack the Ripper.

Only the promise of justice could entice Fiona to do something as reckless and daring as infiltrating the ranks of elite courtesans who accept the threat of violence as a nightly norm. She quickly learns that sin and scandal are powerfully compelling motives for murder, and that the secrets of the dead are sometimes worth keeping… if only to avoid becoming the next victim.

When the danger becomes too deadly to face alone, Fiona is forced to call upon old enemies and new friends including “the Hammer” a charismatic gangster, and “the Blade” an enigmatic assassin, and maybe even the Ripper, himself. Who better to help pursue a relentless evil than the devil you know?

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Hunt the Stars (Starlight’s Shadow, #1) by Jessie Mihalik – Review

Tags

5 stars, Book Review, Jessie Mihalik, mystery, pets, romance, scifi, scifi romance, series

Review of Hunt the Stars

Hunt the Stars takes place in a post war setting where former enemies team up to find something that has been stolen.  Torran is the Valoff former general who hires human Tavi (Octavia) and her team because it was humans that stole something from him. 

It is pretty obvious from the beginning that Tavi and Torran are meant for each other.  But as enemies, neither is likely to jump right into anything.  That’s okay.  Pressure to find the prize and the time it takes to do so will force them to be in close proximity. 

The Valoffs have some scary psychic abilities.  Telekinetic, telepathic, energy healing, empathic.  Think about how those abilities could be used against an enemy and you will understand why Tavi and her crew are very apprehensive about teaming up with the Valoffs.  Many of them experienced the Valoffs close up in war.  But the money is soooo good, they can’t refuse.  And Torran has sworn that Tavi’s team will not be in danger from them. 

The humans only powers are that they are just good at what they do.  Tavi is a motivator, Kee is the techno-geek.  Eli is the protector.  Add a Scotty (engineer Anja) and a finder (Lexi) and you have a well-rounded and skilled team.

Tavi’s and Torren’s past is doled out throughout the story as their history becomes necessary to the plot.  While the rest of the characters must also have a past, I can only assume we will learn more about them in future books.

The story goes from straightforward retrieval to complex high-level conspiracy.  So, in the beginning, when you wonder why Tavi and her team were recruited for a relatively uncomplicated recovery operation, rest assured, all will be explained.

The last chapter of the book is all about setting you up for the next book in the series.  When you get to that point, you will be pleased that there is another adventure coming.

Sci-fi romance lovers – this book is for you.  Hunt the Stars is almost 100% pure non-stop adventure.  Romance is secondary, but enriches the story.  The combination is compelling and addictive.  I loved this one!

Through Netgalley, the publisher provided a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

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About Hunt the Stars by Jessie Mihalik

Octavia Zarola would do anything to keep her tiny, close-knit bounty hunting crew together—even if it means accepting a job from Torran Fletcher, a ruthless former general and her sworn enemy. When Torran offers her enough credits to not only keep her crew afloat but also hire someone to fix her ship, Tavi knows that she can’t refuse—no matter how much she’d like to.

With so much money on the line, Torran and his crew insist on joining the hunt. Tavi reluctantly agrees because while the handsome, stoic leader pushes all of her buttons—for both anger and desire—she’s endured worse, and the massive bonus payment he’s promised for a completed job is reason enough to shut up and deal.

But when they uncover a deeper plot that threatens the delicate peace between humans and Valoffs, Tavi suspects that Torran has been using her as the impetus for a new war. With the fate of her crew balanced on a knife’s edge, Tavi must decide where her loyalties lie—with the quiet Valoff who’s been lying to her, or with the human leaders who left her squad to die on the battlefield. And this time, she’s put her heart on the line.

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