Anna Lee Huber: A Certain Darkness

Published: Kensington
Date: 30th August 2022
Source: Publisher via NetGalley

March 1920: Life has turned unsettlingly quiet for former British Intelligence agent Verity Kent and her husband, Sidney. But even that false calm is about to end. As threats remain, the French authorities soon request Sidney’s help with a suspect who claims to have proof of treason—shortly before she is assassinated. And Verity, too, is called to investigate a mystery . . .

The murder of a Belgian lawyer aboard a train seems at first to be a simple case of revenge. But the victim was connected to British Intelligence, and possessed papers detailing the sinking of a gold-laden German ship during the war.

As Verity and Sidney dig deeper, they discover their cases are intertwined—and a lethal adversary persists. Officially, the Great War may be over, but this is a battle of nerves and wits they cannot afford to lose . . .

Verity and Sidney are off on another dangerous adventure.  While World War 1 is over, not everything is over! There are still hang overs from that time in more ways than one. One of those left overs has the pair travelling to France and Belgium.

The journey is fraught with danger and a few murders along the way that they have to figure out who and why. It’s hard for them to know who to trust and even those they may have trusted in the past – they too are in question.

What they eventually discover will send Sidney spiralling and have Verity thinking things she hasn’t considered before. It brings into question too those in political power and how genuine they were in seeking peace rather than war.

It’s only historical fiction I kept reminding myself. But… it could have some kernels of truth. As we well know in this age the power of being misinformed.

It is action packed and ends with another assignment in the future that will likely take this pair right into the heart of their ongoing quest.  I’d advise starting with the first book in this series to fully understand what is at stake.

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? a place to meet up and share what you have been, and are about to be reading over the week. It’s a great post to organise yourself. It’s an opportunity to visit and comment and er… add to your groaning TBR pile! So welcome in everyone. This meme started on J Kaye’s blog and then was hosted by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn here at The Book Date.

Jen Vincent, Teach Mentor Texts, and Kellee of Unleashing Readers decided to give It’s Monday! a kidlit focus. If you read and review books in children’s literature – picture books, chapter books, middle grade novels, young adult novels or anything in those genres – join them.

Welcome all. Hope you are all enjoying life. Mine was a good week filled with all the things I like to do. I took some days off from blogging and visiting and that was great too!

What I read last week:

What I am reading now:

I am still listening to In the Middle of Hickory Lane and my slow and steady read is A Gentleman from Moscow.

Up next:

I usually listen on audio to this series by Allison Brook but this one I am reading from NetGalley.  It’s a series I do enjoy. This is #6.

 

Last Week’s Posts

None this week.

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It’s Monday! What are You Reading?

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? a place to meet up and share what you have been, and are about to be reading over the week. It’s a great post to organise yourself. It’s an opportunity to visit and comment and er… add to your groaning TBR pile! So welcome in everyone. This meme started on J Kaye’s blog and then was hosted by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn here at The Book Date.

Jen Vincent, Teach Mentor Texts, and Kellee of Unleashing Readers decided to give It’s Monday! a kidlit focus. If you read and review books in children’s literature – picture books, chapter books, middle grade novels, young adult novels or anything in those genres – join them.

And August sure is well on its way! We have been promised a cold winter week. We shall see. Snow down in the South Island, but maybe we won’t see much snow up on the Ranges, but you never know.

I don’t seem to have been doing much reading, I just don’t know what I do all day!! I do know on a Sunday I sit there and think, even though I have been retired a few years now, I don’t have to worry about school and teaching for Monday. Soooo good!

What I read last week:

What I am reading now:

I thought I would have this read by now but my reading has been a bit slower this week. Plus this book is a little complicated with its mystery. It’s stretching my brain! I should be finished by the end of today though.

Up next:

Books from the library are piling in on me. I can see I am not going to most likely get my quota of books off my actual shelf read this month. But… thank you library. I am going to try out this one first as lots of reserves waiting for it.

 Last Week’s Posts

July Reading Round Up

August books on my Radar

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September Reading Wrap

Total books read this month:12

New to me authors:

Ali McNamara
Lucy Parker
Carol J. Perry

Top Book for September

Second one in the series. I am hooked.

Book that Most Surprised me.

I have had this book sitting on my shelf for awhile now, and kept putting it off because well when a husband and wife are really happy and then she gets terminally ill. Not really calling to me. Yet once I was reading it I was sucked in, in spite of its more serious subject. Still so well written and the characters were great.

Book that I least liked.

It was a second chance romance, but well, it just didn’t hit the mark with me.

Looking forward to reading in October

Review of Reading Goal for September

My main goal was to read up my Netgalley review books and catch up on them. I didn’t have that many but I had fallen behind.  I caught up and so now I can relax a bit about them. Only 4 I think in the queue.

Libby App at the library. Our library has now switched to this app and it is a lot friendlier. I tried it out and listened to Faro’s Daughter by Georgette Heyer. Not her best book but still good enough.

I cut back my Audible Credits to one a month and I will see how that goes. I still have 8 in hand and some books not listened to.

Main Reading Goal for October

Read some of the more recently acquired books sitting on my print TBR shelf. So a sort of 2:1 ratio. Two print books from my TBR or the library and then one Kindle, be that mine or Netgalley.

Linking up with Nicole from FeedYourFiction Addiction.

Murder Most Fair

Publisher: Kensington
Date: 31st August 2021
Source:Publisher via NetGalley

November 1919. A relaxing few weeks by the seaside with her husband, Sidney, could almost convince Verity Kent that life has returned to the pleasant rhythm of pre-war days. Then Verity’s beloved Great-Aunt Ilse lands on their doorstep. After years in war-ravaged Germany, Ilse has returned to England to repair her fragile health–and to escape trouble. Someone has been sending her anonymous threats, and Verity’s Secret Service contacts can only provide unsettling answers.

Even deep in the Yorkshire Dales, where she joins Verity’s family for the holidays, Ilse encounters difficulties. Normally peaceful neighbors are hostile, seeking someone to blame for the losses they’ve endured. When Ilse’s maid is found dead, Verity must uncover whether this is anti-German sentiment taken to murderous lengths, or whether there is a more personal motive at work. Could Verity’s shadowy nemesis, Lord Ardmore, be involved? And if so, how much closer to home will the blow land when he inevitably strikes again?

Murder Most Fair was another very good addition to the Verity Kent mysteries by Anna Lee Huber. I really enjoyed this one for a number of reasons.

Verity and Sidney finally return to Verity’s family home up in Yorkshire. We have been waiting like her family for this return. However Verity has been dealing with war things, plus she has found it hard to face into the fact her brother Rob will no longer be there. He was shot down during the war in his fighter plane.  

During the whole book we see Verity struggling with re inserting herself into the family, and we get a view of the various family members. Her mother, a rather difficult and fraught relationship, her Dad seems steady, her two brothers with post war related stresses and her sister Grace. Grace is young and has missed her sister. But…

I loved where she lived. Very English – not of Downton Abbey standing but in a much smaller way, still very class oriented. They had a butler and maids, Verity’s mother was sort of the “the” lady of the village.

The fact they have Aunt Ilse with them and her German maid provides some tension as the villagers are not happy to have Germans among them. And so the mystery evolves and comes to its frightful conclusion. I did sort of suspect but didn’t get it totally right. 

All the time the over arcing story of what Lord Ardmore is doing and when he might strike next is always threading its way through the story, which muddies the waters of the present mystery as well.

Truthfully Verity and Sidney and now her family have wormed their way into my heart. I can’t wait to see what happens next.

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? a place to meet up and share what you have been, and are about to be reading over the week. It’s a great post to organise yourself. It’s an opportunity to visit and comment and er… add to your groaning TBR pile! So welcome in everyone. This meme started on J Kaye’s blog and then was hosted by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn here at The Book Date.

Jen Vincent, Teach Mentor Texts, and Kellee of Unleashing Readers decided to give It’s Monday! a kidlit focus. If you read and review books in children’s literature – picture books, chapter books, middle grade novels, young adult novels or anything in those genres – join them.

Another Monday! I did much the same, grocery shopping, a visit to a hospital 40 min away to see my sister and take her some audiobooks on my iPod. And yesterday made a group of 8 -9 books to leave to another sister who has taken up reading again now she has is reaching retirement. A visit from a friend on Saturday oh and yesterday I went to the library. Reading and quilting as well. Just an ordinary week! Nothing wrong with them!

What I read last week:

What I am reading now:

Review book by Australian author

Still listening to Project Hail Mary.

Up next:

Last Week’s Posts

Battle Royal: Lucy Parker

Five Characters I Love

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It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? a place to meet up and share what you have been, and are about to be reading over the week. It’s a great post to organise yourself. It’s an opportunity to visit and comment and er… add to your groaning TBR pile! So welcome in everyone. This meme started on J Kaye’s blog and then was hosted by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn here at The Book Date.

Jen Vincent, Teach Mentor Texts, and Kellee of Unleashing Readers decided to give It’s Monday! a kidlit focus. If you read and review books in children’s literature – picture books, chapter books, middle grade novels, young adult novels or anything in those genres – join them.

Hope your week went well, as we remembered the events of 9/11.

My part of the country now has had its restrictions lifted for the pandemic, not Auckland though. However we now wear masks going into any place outside our homes. I visited someone in  hospital and it was quite an experience. But good they are taking such precautions.

I listened to #298 of the Modern Mrs Darcy podcast. It’s not often I’ve read some of the books discussed and decided I wanted to read one or two others mentioned.

What I read last week:

A good reading week completed with A Good Day for Chardonnay. Oh my, loved the book, I want the next one sooner than it can be published.

What I am reading now:

And I’ve started listening to…

Up next:

 

Last Week’s Posts

Write My Name Across the Sky.   Barbara O’Neal

Five Additions to my Bookshelf

 

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July Reading Look Back

Total books read this month: Eight.

New to me authors:

Tif Marcelo

Top Book for July

Mainly because its well written and I went along with the fun story. Light, fun reading. That said there were a number of books that could have filled this spot for July.

Looking forward to reading in August

Main Reading Goals for August

Ignore all I could and ought to read and just read what I feel like.

Read slowly.

Linking up with Feed Your Fiction Addiction

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? a place to meet up and share what you have been, and are about to be reading over the week. It’s a great post to organise yourself. It’s an opportunity to visit and comment and er… add to your groaning TBR pile! So welcome in everyone. This meme started on J Kaye’s blog and then was hosted by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn here at The Book Date.

Jen Vincent, Teach Mentor Texts, and Kellee of Unleashing Readers decided to give It’s Monday! a kidlit focus. If you read and review books in children’s literature – picture books, chapter books, middle grade novels, young adult novels or anything in those genres – join them.

Hope you all had a great week. Mine was good – I’ve enjoyed watching a bit of the Olympics but not much, mostly what is on the news. I am pleased it seems to be going off pretty well.

What I read last week:

Both great reads.

What I am reading now:

Up next:

Most likely but not locked in!

 

Last Week’s Posts

Knot Ready for Murder. Mary Marks

Reasons I Am Not Reading So Much

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It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? a place to meet up and share what you have been, and are about to be reading over the week. It’s a great post to organise yourself. It’s an opportunity to visit and comment and er… add to your groaning TBR pile! So welcome in everyone. This meme started on J Kaye’s blog and then was hosted by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn here at The Book Date.

Jen Vincent, Teach Mentor Texts, and Kellee of Unleashing Readers decided to give It’s Monday! a kidlit focus. If you read and review books in children’s literature – picture books, chapter books, middle grade novels, young adult novels or anything in those genres – join them.

Well here is the last Monday in July!!!  My reading has slowed for various reasons. I look at the pile of new books to read and the pile of library books and sort of despair! I’ll never get to them all. So hard accepting my human limitations for not being able to accomplish all I want to read.

I had a good week, some bad and some good weather. Some good accomplishments in quilting and another list made of what I want to do this week! A visit to a football game of Mr. Seven whose skills are sure developing, a visit with a friend, walks in the morning and one yesterday on the beach. Oh and of course a bit of reading fitted in. You know – same old, same old but always new!

We closed our travel bubble with Australia ( meant no quarantine either side of the Tasman) but now that Covid has spread in some States in Aussie, our PM has closed borders for 8 weeks. I know my sister will be disappointed because her daughter and two young sons were coming over to NZ for some time with her in August. Oh! And I got my first Covid vaccine – I was getting really annoyed that they are so slow rolling it out, but then I got a text to make an appointment – same day I got one. Happy. Second one mid August. We are only using Pfizer at the moment.

What I read last week:

My sister had lent this to me, and having held it for awhile I felt I ought to read it! I enjoyed it, although I thought a bit of the plot towards the end in France was a bit over the top. Still it was a page turner.

I then moved onto Rachel to the Rescue. This had a great plot idea and I liked the character of Rachel. However I can’t quite pinpoint why I didn’t jell with this book, and it was a DNF. I think it was the tone or chirpy kind of rom com. I have been tripped by other books that are similar. Peculiar to me I think as many others have enjoyed such books.

What I am reading now:

I am really loving this. It’s one of those books I read every line. There are books I skip paragraphs but with books like this, not a word is left out!  And that’s odd because it sort of is romantic comedy but it has an entirely different writing style that just hooks me in.

Listening still to the Rhys Bowen The Twelve Clues of Christmas and enjoying it very much. Have some non – fiction on the go too, which is very slow as I look up meanings of words and write notes!!  The Spiritual Dimension of the Enneagram – Sandra Maitri.

Up next:

I have this one from the library, due 11th August but I can’t renew as there is someone with it on reserve. So this will be next. Besides I have the next one from NetGalley and I think it publishes very soon. I won’t read it by its publishing date but I need to be moving forward!

 

Last Week’s Posts

Incense and Sensibility.  Sonali Dev

Cozy Mystery Series

 

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