Tag: Callie Hutton

The Mystery of Albert E. Finch by Callie Hutton

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

The Mystery of Albert E. Finch (Victorian Book Club Mystery, #3)Barbara’s rating: 4 of 5 Stars
Series: Victorian Book Club Mystery #3
Publication Date: 1/11/22
Period: Victorian Bath, England – 1892
Number of Pages: 330

The Wedding Day! It has finally arrived and Amy and William couldn’t be happier. After the ceremony, they’ll be off to Brighton Beach for their honeymoon. Well – that was the plan anyway. The wedding went off perfectly and the wedding breakfast was going wonderfully until Alice Finch falls face-first into her plate – dead – poisoned. When the two most bumbling detectives in Bath (maybe the only two detectives in Bath) show up, William and Amy know there won’t be a honeymoon anytime soon.

Detectives Edwin Marsh and Ralph Carson do the same thing they always do – they rush to judgment and immediately arrest the person they think is the most obvious suspect. Amy isn’t so sure though and she and William start their own ‘secret’ investigation. The detectives know what they are doing and take great delight in exerting power over them. After all, William and Amy cannot leave for their honeymoon without the detectives allowing them to leave town. Poor William is frustrated beyond belief when they are repeatedly refused permission to leave.

Things go from bad to worse for William and Amy when a solicitor arranges to have Albert Finch released into their custody. It is either that or leave the man in an unforgivably awful jail, so they give in and allow it. Little do they know Amy’s loud, argumentative, demanding family is also going to descend on them – along with a thirty-year-old, Shakespeare-quoting cockatoo named Othello. Ah! Sweet William, did you ever expect your quiet, peaceful life to be turned upside down like this? Isn’t it a good thing he loves her?

“Only a few weeks ago, he had lived in this house with just himself and a staff of five. Now he had a wife, a brother-in-law, a father-in-law, an aunt, a bird, a dog, and an ever-growing staff of temporary and permanent employees. This was certainly not what he had intended when he’d proposed to Amy.”

With almost no clues – other than the obvious suspect – Amy and William find themselves running in circles – and then there is a second body. This body is discovered in their home!

There is so very much to love in this book! The wit and humor will keep you smiling even while you are commiserating with poor William who just wants to go on his honeymoon. The crimes will puzzle you – but you might think you know who committed one of the murders – but what about the other? You’ll root for Amy’s brother to get his own HEA, and you’ll take great delight at seeing Amy’s father thwarted.

I definitely recommend this book and this series. I hope you’ll give it a read 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.

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A Rose for Laura by Callie Hutton

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

A Rose for Laura (The Rose Room Rogues, #4)Barbara’s rating: 5 of 5 Stars
Series: The Rose Room Rogues #4
Publication Date: 9/30/21
Period: Victorian (1892) London
Number of Pages: 241

Just so you know – I would have given this book 5-stars just for the epilogue alone! As the last book in the series, I did so want an epic epilogue – and this author delivered! We’ve seen each of the Rose brothers find their HEAs and thanks to this wonderful epilogue, we get to see where life’s journey has taken them and their families six years later. OH! Just so I don’t forget – there is a wonderful, romantic, heartwarming, and witty story that comes before that epilogue. You DEFINITELY don’t want to miss that.

Keniel Singh is of mixed origins – his mother was half Jamaican and half Indian and his father is white English. Keniel lead a comfortable life in Jamaica even though he had no idea who sired him. His mother, a gifted artist, was part of Jamaica’s aristocracy and therefore Keniel was as well. Keniel never had any issues with not knowing anything about his father, but, on her death bed, his mother told him all about his father and made him promise to find his English family. Reluctantly, Keniel made the promise and after her death, he made the journey to England. He had no intention of immediately making himself known to his English family because he wanted to assure himself that these were honorable and upright people. The best way he found to get the measure of them was to take a job in their club – The Rose Room. There is nothing like working with someone day after day to get their measure. He came to like and respect his half-brothers but was having a hard time convincing himself to tell them the truth. He intends to do so – just not yet. He is still unsure how they would react to hearing they have a multi-racial half-brother.

Miss Laura Benson is the much-loved only child of a very, very wealthy businessman. Their business ventures have given them exposure to all cultures and they have admired all of those cultures and enjoyed learning more of them. While they are not members of the ton, they are accepted by them and receive invitations to all of the best venues. Laura is growing more and more tired of the social side of the ton and therefore accepts fewer and fewer invitations. Her main focus at the moment is the children’s orphanage she and her two other committee members sponsor. The building that houses the orphanage is due to be torn down by the end of the month and she has to find a new home for the children – and fast.

The initial meeting between Keniel and Laura is priceless and you’ll read it and all of the subsequent meetings with a huge smile on your face. Laura is sweet, lovely, giving, and very forthright. Keniel is caring, handsome, and very pragmatic about his reception by London society even though he has the full support of his half-brothers. It was a delight to see Keniel and Laura find their HEA.

I thoroughly enjoyed the read and can highly recommend it. My only, only, only complaint is that we saw four very nasty women walk away from a truly despicable act without any punishment at all. Surely there was something that could have happened to them – maybe they all got the pox from the same man or something. Happy reading!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. All thoughts and o/pinions are my own.

View all my reviews