Author: Barbara

Avid reader/reviewer of historical romance and historical mysteries.

Murder on the Mirrored Lake by Deb Marlowe

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

Murder on the Mirrored Lake (The Kier and Levett Mystery Series Book 3)

Barbara’s rating: 5 out of 5 Stars
Series: Kier and Levett Mystery #3
Publication Date: 8/25/23
Period: Victorian London
Number of Pages: 262

This riveting, attention-grabbing book is the best of the series so far. Seriously, I read it in one sitting because I couldn’t put it down! The characters are deep and rich and so very relatable and the mystery is filled with suspense and breath-holding excitement. The writing is excellent, the pacing is perfect, the villains are vile, and the supporting characters are witty, intelligent, and endearing. So, what is not to love?

We’ve been waiting for the revelation of Niall’s tightly-held secret and boy did we get it. This whole mystery is about unscrupulous villains nosing around to discover the very well-hidden secret – and being willing to commit any atrocity – murder, kidnapping, robbery, to discover the secret. Or, more importantly, to find the proof of the secret. What is it about this secret that makes it worth all the villains have done – hmmm – you’ll just have to read the book to find out.

The murder of lady’s maid, Sally Doughty, during a ceremony at Lake Nemi, is what piques Kara’s interest. With Niall’s absence, Kara has concentrated on healing from her injury on their last case and catching up with her many orders for custom automatons. However, this murder, it was on her property and she just simply cannot leave it to the police to solve – especially when they are off in all the wrong directions.

As she investigates, she comes to learn the murder has something to do with Niall and his secret. Thank goodness Niall secretly returns to London and they begin to work together to solve the murder and to find who is behind the push to find the documentation of Niall’s secret.

It is harrowing, death-defying, heart-pumping excitement from the first page till the last and I highly recommend the book. Along with our previous supporting cast, we finally get to meet – and love – Niall’s best friend, Rob McRae. I’ll look forward to seeing more of him in future books. I’ll also be looking forward to seeing what villain pops up to beg for a take-down in the next book.

I was happy to see Niall and Kara’s relationship grow – with promises given. I can hardly wait for the next book to see what happens in the romance department. In the meantime, think about Niall’s description of the two of them together – he’s comparing their relationship to a diptych painting.

“I feel like it’s what we are. Both of us complete. Functioning and effective. Creative. Whole, in and of ourselves. But place us together and the world expands. Everything becomes bigger, more beautiful and powerful.”

I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

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While You Were Spying by Shana Galen

On By BarbaraIn Barb's Reviews, Part of a Series, Re-Release / Updated Edition, Regency Era (1811-1820)Leave a comment

While You Were Spying (Regency Spies, #0.5)

Barbara’s rating: 4 out of 5 Stars
Series: Regency Spies
Period: Regency
Number of Pages: 358

Can two individuals who have been deeply hurt by love find the strength to remove their walls and allow love to happen again? You bet they can when Shana Galen is in the writer’s chair. This book is one of Galen’s earlier releases, but it has been dressed up with an enticing new cover. It has a lovely romance along with smuggling, traitors, spies, murder, and, did I say lovely romance?

Ethan Caxton, the Marquess of Winterbourne, will never fall in love with any woman. He tried that once, and she ripped his heart out and stomped on it. He’ll never give another woman a chance to do that to him again because he’d never survive it. He’ll just spend his time working for the Foreign Office and ferreting out traitors and French spies. French spies are what brought him to Hampshire, and he is determined to catch both the smugglers and their leader. That leader just has to be a man of power and influence, most likely an aristocrat. Ethan has been watching the Skerrit farm for days because he’s sure the arms are being stored there – somewhere, somehow. So, he’s beside himself when he catches a young woman trying to rescue an abused horse from Skerrit. He has to get her out of there, but she won’t budge without the horse. Grrrrr.

Miss Francesca Dashing had been betrothed once and that was quite enough for her thank you very much. She’d just continue to live with her parents in the country and save all the sick and injured animals she could find. Her father always acquiesces and lets her add one more animal to their collection at home. At least he did until she brought home a horse she’d just rescued. That, it seemed, was a step too far. But, what was she to do? If that pesky Marquess had just gone on about his business and left her alone, she would have managed just fine. Wasn’t humiliating her in London enough for him?

Ethan has gone on about his business of catching smugglers – and trying to forget that fetching Miss who only wanted to save a horse. But when he learns Francesca has been viciously attacked – not long after a vicious murder occurred – he’s convinced both crimes are related to the smugglers. Ethan will just have to find a way to protect Francesca and guard against any damage to his heart.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and hope you will as well. There is a nasty villain, an entertaining valet, an irate father, a mother who espouses all things Italian, and two deeply wounded people who put on a good front for the rest of the world to see. It was lovely to watch as each of them assaulted the walls built by the other. Will they succeed in tearing down the walls? You’ll just need to read the book to see.

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