Category: George V – 1910- 1936

The Key to Deceit by Ashley Weaver

On By BarbaraIn Barb's Reviews, George V - 1910- 1936, Historical Mystery, Part of a Series, World War II Era (1939-1945)Leave a comment

The Key to Deceit (Electra McDonnell, #2)Barbara’s rating: 5 of 5 stars
Series: Electra McDonnell #2
Publication Date: 6/21/22
Period: WWII – London
Number of Pages: 288

This series was off and running no-holds-barred with the first book in the series, A Peculiar Combination, and now this one is proudly carrying the torch. With strong major characters and strong supporting characters, this book (and this series) will definitely leave you with a pounding heart and fraught nerves! The mystery is excellently plotted and the book is well-written and perfectly paced.

I had wondered if there would be any movement in the quasi-love triangle that was set up in the first book – and the answer is – there is and there isn’t. While the Major’s interest in Ellie is quite obvious to the reader, it isn’t at all obvious to Ellie because she thinks he only tolerates her because he has to. Then there is her childhood friend Felix who is developing feelings for her. Or is he? I wonder if it is more to do with him being injured, etc. and he sees Electra as a solid in his life. Not that he doesn’t care for her, but I wonder if it is ‘the real thing’. I guess we’ll just have to continue to read and find out – but I hope it doesn’t drag on too long because that gets tiring to me – and seems unfair to the character who doesn’t ‘win’.

Everyone is on tenterhooks waiting for the German bombings that they know are coming. They know they are coming, but they are also in denial – until the bombs actually start dropping. Amid the tensions, Major Ramsey arrives at the McDonnell home to ask for their assistance with a lock – which happens to be on the wrist of a body at the morgue. Ellie takes a big breath and then agrees to help – little knowing that it would lead to a search for a nest of German spies who are helping to target London locations for the bombers.

There are banks to rob, suspects to follow, bodies to identify, and spymasters to catch all while London is being bombed into oblivion by the Germans. Before the search is over, the entire McDonnell clan along with Felix and an interesting new character will be involved. While they are pursuing the spies, Ellie and Felix are searching for information on Ellie’s mother (FYI – her mother died in prison after being convicted of murdering Ellie’s father – and she was pregnant with Ellie at the time she was convicted.)

I highly recommend both this book and the series. I hope you will read it and love it as much as I did.

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

View all my reviews

Three Debts Paid by Anne Perry

On By BarbaraIn Barb's Reviews, George V - 1910- 1936, Historical Mystery, Part of a SeriesLeave a comment

Three Debts Paid (Daniel Pitt, #5)Barbara’s rating: 4 of 5 Stars
Series: Daniel Pitt #5
Publication Date: 4/12/22
Period: London – George V (1912)
Number of Pages: 320

With the addition of Inspector Ian Frobisher and the return of Miriam fford Croft, this book was a really enjoyable read. After the last book, I was a bit afraid the series was headed downward (for me anyway). However, with this book, it seems it has once again hit solid footing. I am a huge fan of the Charlotte and Thomas Pitt series and loved the idea of their lawyer son, Daniel having a series. So far, while I really like Daniel, he is not his father and hasn’t seemed strong enough to have the story rest totally on his shoulders (handsome though they are). Hopefully, Ian Frobisher will become a steady character – and with Miriam as a love interest and helpmate, Daniel will find his own path and soar. I’m really looking forward to it.

Toby Kitteridge, Daniel’s friend and immediate senior at the law offices, is taking a holiday and all of the work is falling to Daniel. So, when Inspector Ian Frobisher, an old friend from Cambridge, shows up at the office, Daniel is more than happy to see him. Ian has come to request Daniel take Cambridge professor Nicholas Wolford on as a client. Wolford is a crotchety, temperamental, ill-tempered, mercurial, brilliant professor of Modern History who is being sued for plagiarism and assault. Once Daniel speaks with the professor, he knows the plagiarism case will be very easy to win, but the assault – well, that might be a bit harder since the professor readily admits that he did hit his accuser breaking his nose, jaw, and several teeth.

Ian Frobisher has a serial killer on his hands – and that killer is growing more and more violent with each attack. The killer only attacks on nights when there is a heavy rainstorm – and he mutilates the body by removing a portion of an index finger. There are already two bodies – two lovely, successful young women who were only trying to get home during a rainstorm. Pressure is mounting and Frobisher and his sergeant, Bremner, cannot find anything that ties the women together. When a third body is added to the count, everyone in the city is very afraid and wonders when/where the next victim will turn up. Then, when high government officials tell Ian he cannot investigate the life of the third victim – well – that certainly puts a spanner in the works!

Miriam fford Croft has finally returned from Holland which was the ONLY place in all of Europe where she could become Dr. Miriam fford Croft and be granted the professional status to practice. Now, she is working with the eccentric Dr. Evelyn Hall as a forensic scientist and is ecstatically happy about that. Her very first case is the victims of the serial killer currently terrorizing London. Can she and Dr. Hall unearth enough clues from the wounds and the bodies to help Inspector Frobisher find the murderer?

While each of them is working on their own cases, they are also very aware of what is going on with each other. So, if one comes across information, or can help, they stand ready to do so. How will they ever discover whether any of the victims are related in some way? Could the victims be totally random?

This was a thoroughly enjoyable read and the perpetrator may surprise you. I thoroughly enjoyed the addition of Ian Frobisher to the book and hope we see more of him in future books. Another thing I thoroughly enjoyed was seeing Daniel come to realize that he had feelings for Miriam – and to see the hint that Miriam was becoming aware that she returned those feelings. I don’t really have an issue with the large age difference – she’s 40 and Daniel is 25 – but I’m afraid it may cause them some issues in their relationship as they go on. Not because of their own feelings, but because of the prejudices of others. I guess we’ll just have to wait and see how that all plays out.

I hope you will read and enjoy this book as much as I did.

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

View all my reviews