Author: Barbara

Avid reader/reviewer of historical romance and historical mysteries.

The Heron’s Cry by Ann Cleeves

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The Heron's Cry (Two Rivers, #2)

Barbara’s rating: 4 out of 5 Stars
Series: Two Rivers #2
Publication Date: 9/7/21
Period: Contemporary North Devon, England
Number of Pages: 400

I thoroughly enjoyed this English Police Procedural with its team of quirky, talented police investigators. There is Detective Inspector Matthew Venn who heads the team and was raised as part of a religious cult. Jen Rafferty, his colleague, is divorced, has two children, and often parties much too hard. Ross May, the third member of the team, is married and is the golden boy of their Detective Chief Inspector. They all manage to work and solve crimes together despite their disparate personalities. If you enjoy J.L. Ross’s books, you’ll probably enjoy this series.

The team is called to the scene of a murder where the victim’s daughter discovered him with a very large piece of art glass through him. The glass was handmade by his daughter. The victim, Mr. Nigel Yeo was a gentle, caring man. So, who would want to murder him? Could it have something to do with his employment in the healthcare system?

It seems the victim had tried to speak with Jen at a party the previous night, but since she had overindulged, he decided not to do so. Was he going to tell her something that led to his murder? It seems they’ll never know.

With more victims, the team becomes more and more perplexed. What are they missing? What has it to do with old suicides?

The case will perplex you and it will keep you guessing throughout. There are many false trails and red herrings to keep you wondering.

One thing I enjoyed was learning more and more about who each member of the team was – especially with straight-laced, uptight Matthew Venn who was raised within the confines of a religious cult before he left as a young man. Matthew firmly compartmentalizes his life between work and personal, but in this book, those lines crossed several times when a number of witnesses and victims were acquainted with his husband Jonathan.

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

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The Detective Duke by Scarlett Scott

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

The Detective Duke (Unexpected Lords #1)

Barbara’s rating: 4.3 out of 5 Stars
Series: Unexpected Lord’s #1
Publication Date: 11/18/21
Period: Victorian – 1886 – London and Buckinghamshire
Number of Pages: 318

I thoroughly enjoyed this first-in-series book by a new-to-me author. The title and premise sounded intriguing, so, of course, I was excited to read the book. We have Hudson Stone, a very successful Detective Chief Inspector at Scotland Yard who absolutely loves his profession – yet, out of the blue, he finds out he’s now the Duke of Wycombe. Bummer that! Then, we have Lady Elysande Collingwood, who was betrothed to the previous duke, not because it was a love match, but because her parents said she had to marry and he was as good as any other male. So, in her view – the new duke will do just fine as well.

I liked Elysande who was brilliant, independent, determined, and at the same time vulnerable and insecure. I really liked Hudson also – because the poor guy just had his whole world turned upside down when they tracked him down as the heir to a Duchy. He didn’t care for aristocrats – and suddenly he was one – and a penniless one to boot. Can he and Elysande make a go of it? You’ll just have to read it and see.

Making a go of it won’t be easy when Hudson takes off to London to help capture an escaped criminal – his last case. Then, he is accused of murder – and another – and … Elysand can just walk away and let it be – or she can believe in him and help prove his innocence. Which will it be? You’ll just have to read it and see.

This was fast-paced, well-written, very spicy, and romantic. I absolutely loved the supporting characters – especially Elysande’s family – and I believe several (maybe all) of them will be featured in future books in the series. I enjoyed the read so much that I purchased the second book as soon as I finished this one. Happy Reading!

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