A Grave Gift by Christy Carlyle

On By BarbaraIn Barb's Reviews, Historical Mystery, Historical Paranormal/Fantasy, Part of a Series, Victorian Era (1837-1901)Leave a comment

A Grave Gift (Electra Poole Mysteries, #1)

Barbara’s rating: 5 out of 5
Series: Electra Poole Mysteries #1
Publication Date: 12/23/25
Period: Victorian London
Number of Pages: 269


I’ve long been a fan of this author’s historical romances, so I was delighted to find she has also leaped into historical mysteries. Now, I have become an even bigger fan of her historical mysteries than I am of her historical romances.


This new series features a unique young Victorian woman, Electra Poole, who is gifted (or cursed, she hasn’t decided yet) with psychometry. She has the ability to ‘see’ past events by touching an object or person. To me, her psychic gift seems to be going a bit beyond psychometry, but I don’t have a word for that. 😊 Electra has kept her gift hidden all of her life because her mother had the same gift and was placed into an asylum because of it. However, now that her father has died (he’s the one who committed her mother), she’s beginning to explore her gifts. She has no real control over them yet, but she’s learning.


In order to support herself, Electra has slowly begun to use London’s obsession with mediums, seances, and spiritualists by holding her own version of a séance. She doesn’t claim to be able to contact the dead, but curates the experience toward offering help to find lost things, etc.


Electra has no clue what the invitation to hold a reading for Lady Becknell will lead to, or she might have declined. The whole reading is a very strange encounter in the Becknell household – and it leads to her foreseeing the death of Lady Becknell.


Electra feels deeply regretful that she foresaw the death, but didn’t share it with Lady Becknell. Therefore, she feels driven to help solve the murder even though the Detective Inspector wants her to stay out of his case. DI Gideon Pierce shares a past with Electra, and though they’ve been estranged for several years, he is still drawn to her. Although he doesn’t necessarily believe in or trust her gift, he fully believes in her.


The investigation takes them through the higher echelons of British Aristocracy and leads Electra into danger. The inner workings of the Becknell household are a twisted abyss that will test Gideon and Electra to the end. There are plenty of red herrings, twists, turns, and more suspects than the law allows.


If you enjoy a well-plotted and excellently paced historical mystery, this is the book for you. I’m loving the mystery and the paranormal aspects, and cannot wait to read the second book.

The Dove and The Rogue by Harper St. George

On By TracyIn Part of a Series, Top Pick - Highly Recommended, Tracy's Reviews, Victorian Era (1837-1901)Leave a comment

The Dove and the Rogue (The Doves of New York, #3)The Dove and the Rogue by Harper St. George

Tracy’s Rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Series: The Doves of New York, #3

Release Date: May 26, 2026

For Jenny Dove, her sisters’ happiness is worth any price, so when it becomes clear that their “guardian” Mr. Hathaway, isn’t going to give her sister Eliza her promised inheritance, because he didn’t approve of her choice of a husband, Jenny knows what she has to do. She makes a deal with Lord David Felding, the heir to the Duke of Strathmore, to marry him and spend one night in his bed before she leaves for her opera debut in Paris, agreeing to live separate lives until enough time has passed to get a divorce. He agrees to her terms and Jenny then approaches her guardian to make a deal, she will marry the heir to a duke and Hathaway will give both Jenny and Eliza their inheritance, knowing the draw of duke would cinch the deal. She thinks she has it all worked out, until she spends a night, she will never forget with David. But David is a rake and Jenny has been burned before, so even if he makes her heart flutter and her body sing, she can’t risk giving in to her desire to stay.

Lord David Felding has wanted Jenny since the first moment he met her, but she has consistently shot him down, so when she comes to her with a request for a marriage of convenience and the promise of a night in his bed, he is all in. He figured the desire for her would wear off once he has spent the night with her, but he couldn’t be more wrong. Even after she leaves for Paris, he can’t forget her and can’t seem to pick up his life. When a request for his signature on a contract comes, he jumps at the chance to go to her and is determined to woo his wife into a real marriage. Too bad Jenny is just as determined to get a divorce. Can he convince her that his heart is true, and she can trust him with her heart or is she too scared to take the risk?

I have been waiting Jenny and David’s story since the first book – their chemistry has always been undeniable and the pages sizzle whenever they are together, so I was a little worried that this book might not live up to expectations. Thankfully that was not the case, in fact, this book exceeded expectations! The book had all the same emotion, banter and angst as the previous books, but with more spice – a lot more (FYI – That is NOT a complaint)! I could feel Jenny’s pain and David’s desperation; I wanted so bad for them to let go of their fears and realize that they truly were soulmates and then I was overjoyed when they finally confessed their love – even though I knew this book would end with a HEA! So, if you are looking for a romance with wonderful characters, steamy love scenes, some angst, excellent chemistry and witty banter – look no further, this is the book you have been looking for! This is the third book in the series and while you could read this book as a standalone, I would recommend reading the series in order for the best reader experience.

*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that I requested and was provided to me by the publisher/author. All opinions in this review are my own. *