Tag: historical mystery

Book Review: A Sinister Revenge (Veronica Speedwell #8) by Deanna Raybourn

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Historical Mystery
Length: 336 pages
Author: Deanna Raybourn
Publisher: Berkley
Release Date: March 7th, 2023
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Veronica must find and stop a devious killer when a group of old friends is targeted for death in this new adventure from the New York Times bestselling and Edgar Award-nominated author Deanna Raybourn.

Veronica’s natural-historian beau, Stoker, has been away in Bavaria for months and their relationship is at an impasse. But when Veronica shows up before him with his brother, Tiberius, Lord Templeton-Vane, he is lured back home by an intriguing job offer: preparing an iguanodon for a very special dinner party.

Tiberius has received a cryptic message-along with the obituaries of two recently deceased members of his old group of friends, the Seven Sinners-that he too should get his affairs in order. Realizing he is in grave danger but not knowing why, he plans a reunion party for the remaining Sinners at his family estate to lure the killer out while Veronica and Stoker investigate.

As the guests arrive and settle in, the evening’s events turn deadly. More clues come to light, leading Veronica, Stoker, and Tiberius to uncover a shared past among the Sinners that has led to the fatal present. But the truth might be far more sinister than what they were prepared for.

A GOOD FAREWELL.

At least that’s the vibe I got from this one and I was happy with how things wrapped up. After struggling through books six and seven I felt like this really returned to some of my favorite aspects that I’ve enjoyed over the past 8 books.

I liked this mystery and that we got to see a lot of Stoker’s brother, Tiberius. I love the banter between the group and how intriguing this mystery was. The one set location was great and I had a good time listening to the story unfold.

The romance getting some more spotlight was nice too. I needed to see some good development and it was a good turn back to the original vibes I loved between Veronica and Stoker.

Overall audience notes:

  • Historical Mystery + Romance
  • Language: very little
  • Romance: closed door
  • Violence: moderate
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: murder, poisoning, near death experiences

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ARC Book Review: The Girl from the Hidden Forest by Hannah Linder

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Historical Mystery
Length: 320 pages
Author: Hannah Linder
Publisher: Barbour Books
Release Date: April 30th, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Eliza’s Memories Threaten to Kill Her Enjoy another Gothic Style Regency from Hannah Linder. Eliza Ellis has stayed hidden in Balfour Forest for as long as she can remember. Perhaps her only friends are the trees, or her little dog, or her story-telling father called Captain. But at least she is safe from the cruel world outside, a world Captain has warned her against and protected her from. That is, until a handsome stranger named Felton Northwood invades her quiet forest and steals her away. Why does he tell such lies? Why does he insist that her name is Miss Eliza Gillingham, daughter of a viscount, who disappeared fourteen years ago after the murder of her own mother? A murder Eliza is said to have witnessed. When Felton returns Eliza to Monbury Hall and reunites her with a man who is told to be her father, all she remembers are the strange nightmares that have plagued her since childhood. Why have they suddenly grown worse? Are the answers hidden inside her own mind? As danger mounts and lethal attempts are made on her life, Eliza and Felton must work together to uncover the identity of a killer who has stayed silent for fourteen years. When she finally uncovers the horrendous memories trapped in her mind, will divulging the truth cost her the man she loves–and both of their lives?

Thank you to AustenProse and the publisher for an eARC.

MYSTERIOUS.

I really liked the atmosphere of this book. There’s a subtle haunting vibe woven throughout that makes the book feel perfectly eerie. I was intrigued from the first chapter. It hooks you and pulls you in to a mystery that needs solving. A murderer that needs found an absolution that needs given. For awhile the story kept my attention.

The middle lost me a little bit because I felt different scenes dragged out or felt repetitive. And while the snippet POV’s of the antagonist were there I’m not sure how helpful they were to the whole story. I think keeping the POV’s for Felton and Eliza would have smoothed out some plot bumps. There subtle romance was sweet and I’m glad the found each other and were able to learn to trust throughout the extenuating circumstances.

The chapters are longer but I enjoyed the fast pace switching of POV’s. There’s a nice level of heated action, and not knowing who’s going to survive. I thought the reveals were surprising and liked how everything wrapped up in the end.

Overall audience notes:

  • Historical Mystery
  • Language: none
  • Romance: kisses
  • Violence: moderate
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: multiple attempted murders, loss of loved ones, near death experiences, kidnapping, brief torture

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ARC Book Review: Walking on Hidden Wings by Rachel Scott McDaniel

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Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: Historical Mystery Romance
Length: 328 pages
Author: Rachel Scott McDaniel
Publisher: Kregel Publications
Release Date: April 23rd, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Geneva Ashcroft Hayes’s marriage to a newspaper mogul might have been arranged, but the New York socialite is devastated when her husband’s plane crashes a few short months after their nuptials. When the authorities suspect murder, Geneva sets out on a wild mission to find his killer—and to prove it wasn’t her.

When mysterious notes surface threatening to expose Geneva’s guilt in his death, they only strengthen her resolve. She has little to go on except for a detective friend’s cryptic list of locations connected to her dead spouse. When her friend also disappears, she trades her sparkling gowns for coveralls and pilot goggles.

Armed with a new name and career as a wingwalker and barnstormer, she travels from town to town in hopes of unearthing clues and locating her missing friend. But Geneva discovers that her past may not belong to her . . . what she once believed as truth may be nothing more than lies and deception.

In this meticulously researched historical romance set in the 1920s, author Rachel Scott McDaniel takes the reader on a daring aviation adventure highlighting the seldom-covered barnstorming era.

Thank you to the author and publisher for the free book.

GLUED TO THIS.

Decided to read a few chapters one day, proceeded to binge this book the entire afternoon. This was incredibly good. I loved that this was set in the 1920’s but had a bit of a different focus than I usually see in this time period. I loved all of the aviation aspects because I love to vicariously live through those who enjoy flying while I keep my feet firmly planted on the ground.

This had a unique take on the romance too. The way Warren and Geneva fought for themselves and each other was incredibly romantic. The whole dang book is romantic. I loved the swoon factor, the passion in reconnecting and the pursuit of truth. I could not get enough of these two and loved how much page time I got of them.

The mystery had me in a chokehold. I was literally making commentary out loud because I was INVESTED. The twists and reveals were perfectly timed and I loved how everything came together. This was a beautiful story woven with great themes and is my new favorite McDaniel book.

Overall audience notes:

  • Historical Mystery + Romance
  • Language: none
  • Romance: closed door
  • Violence: low
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: attempted murder, arsenic poisoning, miscarriage

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ARC Book Review: The House on Biscayne Bay by Chanel Cleeton

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Rating: ★★★★☆
Audience: Historical Mystery
Length: 336 pages
Author: Chanel Cleeton
Publisher: Berkley
Release Date: April 9th, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

As death stalks a gothic mansion in Miami, the lives of two women intertwine as the past and present collide in New York Times bestselling author Chanel Cleeton’s atmospheric new novel.

With the Great War finally behind them, many Americans flock to South Florida with their sights set on making a fortune. When wealthy industrialist Robert Barnes and his wife, Anna, build Marbrisa, a glamorous estate on Biscayne Bay, they become the toast of the newly burgeoning society. Anna and Robert appear to have it all, but in a town like Miami, appearances can be deceiving, and one scandal can change everything.

Years later following the tragic death of her parents in Havana, Carmen Acosta journeys to Marbrisa, the grand home of her estranged older sister, Carolina, and her husband, Asher Wyatt. On the surface, the gilded estate looks like paradise, but Carmen quickly learns that nothing at Marbrisa is as it seems. The house has a treacherous legacy, and Carmen’s own life is soon in jeopardy . . . unless she can unravel the secrets buried beneath the mansion’s facade and stop history from repeating itself.

Thank you Berkley Pub for the eARC.

LOVED THIS MYSTERY.

A fantastic historical mystery that kept me on my toes. I was in the dark (in the best ways) about how this entire plot was going to come together and it delivered. I love when I feel like shouting I KNEW IT because I’m enjoying the book so much that I can’t put it down, needing to know what happened next.

In classic Cleeton fashion, there’s history, intrigue and even a small subtle dash of romance. I looooved the setting. It was haunting and just the right side of creepy where I was wondering what was lurking in the shadows each evening. I loved the dual POV between Anna and Carmen. Each chapter begged me to keep going. The flow and ease of the author’s writing is one of the reasons I always have grabby hands every time I see a new book annoucement.

Highly recommend. Seriously a great book. Beautiful writing, the location and historical aspects are clearly well researched, and you’ll be hoping that your favorite characters make it out of the story in the end.

Overall audience notes:

  • Historical Mystery
  • Language: low
  • Romance: closed door
  • Violence: moderate
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: cheating, murder, loss of loved ones

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