Friday, October 5, 2018

Sophia Rose Reviews: Treacherous Is the Night by Anna Lee Huber

Once again I put the blog in the capable hands of Sophia Rose who today is reviewing 
Treacherous Is the Night by Anna Lee Huber a historical mystery that takes place in 1919 England.
Enjoy!



Treacherous Is the Night by Anna Lee Huber
#2 Verity Kent
Historical Mystery
Publisher:  Kensington
Published:  9.25.18
ASIN: B078QSYZ3H
Pages:  304
Format: eARC
Source:  Net Galley
Sellers:  Amazon - Barnes andNoble - Kobo:

ADD TO: GOODREADS  










GoodReads Blurb:

In 1919 England, in the shadow of The Great War, many look to the spirit world for answers. But it will take an all too earthbound intrigue to draw in the discerning heroine of Anna Lee Huber’s latest mystery . . .
  It’s not that Verity Kent doesn’t sympathize with those eager to make contact with lost loved ones. After all, she once believed herself a war widow. But now that she’s discovered Sidney is very much alive, Verity is having enough trouble connecting with her estranged husband, never mind the dead. Still, at a friend’s behest, Verity attends a séance, where she encounters the man who still looms between her and Sidney—and a medium who channels a woman Verity once worked with in the Secret Service. Refusing to believe her former fellow spy is dead, Verity is determined to uncover the source of the spiritualist’s top secret revelation.

Then the medium is murdered—and Verity’s investigation is suddenly thwarted. Even Secret Service agents she once trusted turn their backs on her. Undaunted, Verity heads to war-torn Belgium, with Sidney by her side. But as they draw ever closer to the danger, Verity wonders if she’s about to learn the true meaning of till death do us part . . .

Sophia Rose's Review:

After my intro to Verity and her Post WWI world in This Side of Murder, I was eager to press forward with the next installment in this complex and intriguing though exceptionally engaging historical murder mystery series.

Treacherous is the Night is book two and follows closely on the heels of book one.  It builds from the previous events and doesn't make a good one to grab out of order. 

In fact, this book's very blurb provides a spoiler for book one that can't be helped, dear readers, so just know that going forward if you choose to keep reading or investigating this book.

Alright, so that warning given, let me share my thoughts on this one.  The time is just following the harrowing and startling events of the previous suspenseful adventure and Verity is just coming off that high and faced with the reality of the new twist her life has taken.  The author does her home work and presents a historical world and setting that shows what it was like just following the Great War for Brits and for those who are rebuilding and attempting to get on with life after German occupation in Belgium and France.

This was an excruciatingly emotional book on a few levels, but mostly as it tackles the after effects of Verity's new marital circumstances.  There are no simple answers.  Both have blame and both are prickly.  But, love is still there though it is ready to flicker out if they can't find a way.
Verity didn't do well when she thought her husband dead.  She drank heavy, lived wildly, lived dangerously and she rose to the challenge of work in the Secret Service that altered her forever.  Now, she can't stuff herself back into the persona of her early years as Sydney's wife- that is no longer she.  She can only guess that Sydney doesn't know what to do with who and what she is now.  She is still simmers with anger that he allowed her to think him dead and is resentful that now she feels guilty for the secrets she now keeps from him.  
Meanwhile, Sydney is something of a closed book with secrets and shadows of his own from those years.  He, and other returning war vets like him, are no longer the same.  Verity is caught up in her own issues, but slowly realizes that she is not the only stranger in this relationship who needs to be understood and accepted.  It seems that neither are willing to cross the great gulf yawning between them and both are willing to figuratively and sometimes literally run from the big issues they need to confront.  Like I said, this was a hard fought path this pair is on, but this battle did need to be waged. 

The mystery is a breath of fresh air and almost light compared to the anguish of their marriage trouble.  I was glad to see Verity and Sydney, Max and some new faces on the hunt figuring out the odd and mysterious meaning behind a medium's message about Verity's Secret Service work and then the woman's death.  The mystery carries them into danger and a trail back to their past during the war years in Belgium.  I found it a nice blend of tension and steady clue hunting.  The suspense was not as shocking or atmospheric as the previous book, but it was by no means boring, either.

All in all, this will exhaust readers emotionally and maybe even not be their thing if they are only looking for a mystery in a historical setting, but for those who need to connect with the lives of the characters, this will certain do that and there is resolution here and excitement for what is to come from the rest of the series.

I rec'd this book from Kensington through Net Galley to read in exchange for an honest review.

Author Bio:
Anna Lee Huber is the Daphne award-winning author of the national bestselling Lady Darby Mysteries, the Verity Kent Mysteries, the Gothic Myths series, and the forthcoming anthology The Jacobite’s Watch. She is a summa cum laude graduate of Lipscomb University in Nashville, Tennessee, where she majored in music and minored in psychology. She currently resides in Indiana with her family and is hard at work on her next novel.
Website:   www.annaleehuber.com.
Twitter:  https://twitter.com/AnnaLeeHuber






Sophia’s Bio:
Sophia is a quiet though curious gal who dabbles in cooking, book reviewing, and gardening. Encouraged and supported by an incredible man and loving family. A Northern Californian transplant to the Great Lakes Region of the US. Lover of Jane Austen, Baseball, Cats, Scooby Doo, and Chocolate.
Sophia’s Social Media Links:





8 comments:

  1. I do like historical mysteries, they are the best kind of mysteries

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    1. Definitely my soft spot for the mystery genre. Best of both worlds. :)

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  2. That does sound like an emotional story.

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    1. Oh yeah. I ached so hard for this pair to make it after all they'd been through.

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  3. I love the sound of this Sophia Rose and that cover is Fab!
    Thanks

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    1. I think you would probably enjoy these. Oh yeah. One of my favorite covers this year. I want it in print copy so I can look at it often. LOL

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  4. I actually like that this is more than a historical mystery! Great review Sophia

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    1. Yes, the personal side with their marriage is an incredible story all its own. I was glad the author didn't make it easy and sweep it under the rug or it would have felt fake.

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