Tag: Deb Marlowe

Carnage from the Cursed Crown by Deb Marlowe

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

Carnage from the Cursed Crown (The Kier and Levett Mystery, #5)Barbara’s rating: 5 out of 5 Stars
Series: Kier and Levett Mysteries #5
Publication Date: 8/7/24

Oh! My Goodness, this was the best book of the series so far. Kara Levett and her betrothed Niall Kier (newly minted Duke of Sedwick) are in East Lothian, Scotland to inspect his new estate, Tallenford Priory. The estate has been closed and in the care of the Crown for many years, so they have no idea whether it is habitable or not. In the meantime, they will be staying with the Earl of Balstone on his neighboring estate until they can examine the priory and make it habitable. Except, their hostess is very unwelcoming and condescending and their host, well, he appears a bit off his rocker.

Niall and Kara are both determined not to get involved in the investigation when their neighbor’s archaeological assistant is murdered. It seems the murderer has other plans and draws them not only into murder investigation but the investigation of other crimes as well. It seems to be a domino effect with clues in one investigation leading to clues in many other crimes. They know they must follow the clues to the end and solve all of the crimes because multiple attempts have been made on Niall’s life – and that just won’t do.

One of the outstanding things about reading this series is the absolute trust and belief Niall and Kara have in each other. Their love for each other never wavers and their belief in the other’s intelligence and abilities is absolute. I thoroughly enjoyed watching them dissect the clues and follow them to the end where villains get their just desserts and the heroes get the loveliest, most heartwarming final chapter I think I have ever read.

If you are looking for an excellent mystery, with lots of clues and lots of mysteries, along with a bit of romance, this book would be an outstanding choice. The characters are interesting and the mysteries are compelling. This author has done an excellent job of providing the perfect mix of romance and mystery and I am so glad to have read it.

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

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Revenge in the Rogue’s Hideaway by Deb Marlowe

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

Revenge in the Rogue's Hideaway (The Kier and Levett Mystery Series Book 4)

Barbara’s rating: 5 out of 5 Stars
Series: The Kier and Levett Mysteries #4
Publication Date: 4/3/24
Period: Victorian London
Number of Pages: 254

Yet another outstanding entry into this author’s cozy mystery series, The Kier and Levett Mysteries. It has the perfect balance of mystery and romance and will keep you glued to your chair throughout. If you read the last book, you will know there was a shocking revelation about Niall’s parentage. Well, there is a shocking revelation in this book as well, but I won’t tell you what it is – you’ll just have to read it to see.

Josie Lowe, who helped save Niall’s bacon when he was captured by those nasty League men weeks ago, now needs saving. Josie’s riveting voice has been pulling patrons into the Rogues Hideaway for a while now and when she sings, the audience is rapt. They love her, and her wealthy patron, Mr. Frederick Cole, attends every performance. However, things change swiftly when, directly after her performance, Mr. Cole dies of poisoning and Josie is arrested for his murder.

With his ruthless business practices, Mr. Cole had no shortage of enemies, but would they be willing to kill? One of them must have because it surely wasn’t Josie. Could it be the wife who isn’t grieving at all? Perhaps it was the business partners whom he had made insanely rich, but who wanted more/different things? Could it be his illegitimate son who owns the Rogues Hideaway? With his acerbic personality, it could be anyone in London!

Kara and Niall have their work cut out for them when it comes to solving the mystery – but what of their romance? Well, Kara is ready to go forward, but Niall is still dragging his feet. Not that he doesn’t love Kara and wants to marry her – NO – it is that after the revelations about his parentage, he is afraid there may be reprisals against him and he doesn’t want anyone coming after Kara. So, no wedding in this book and I’m beginning to think there is a ‘no wedding’ theme here. 😊 I’m sure they’ll marry – I’m just not sure when. Do you realize Kara will become Kara Kier when they marry? Try saying that name quickly several times without putting a smile on your face. 😊 It sort of sounds medicinal, doesn’t it? 🙂

I would love it if this became a long-running series, but that is up to the author and the publisher. I do wish they would get on with the wedding though as I would love to see them work on cases as a married couple and see how the dynamics of that relationship will work. I’d also like to see some stories where Niall’s past isn’t an issue woven throughout. However – none of that keeps me from absolutely loving the series. The writing is excellent, the mystery is engrossing and will keep you guessing, and we get to know the characters better and better with each new entry. I can hardly wait for the next book in the series – Carnage From The Cursed Crown. Oh! Doesn’t that sound exciting?

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