The Amsterdam Enigma

The Continental Capers of Melody Chesterton #3

by Sarah F. Noel

Despite their best efforts, Melody and Rat found themselves powerless to prevent the crisis in Morocco from spiralling out of control, threatening to ignite the powder keg of tensions between Germany, France, and Britain.

With the spectre of war looming, Britain is determined to expand its influence across Europe. After the Agadir Crisis, the preservation of Dutch neutrality, crucial for Britain's access to Dutch ports, becomes an even more pressing concern. Rat, the new Secret Service Bureau operative, is dispatched to Amsterdam on a mission of the utmost importance- to untangle a puzzle that could decide the fate of Dutch neutrality.

Despite her significant contributions to her brother’s previous cases, Melody is frustrated; Rat is still not convinced that she should continue to be involved and is even trying to persuade Melody to return to London. To add to her frustration, the handsome yet exasperating Conte Alessandro Foscari insists on travelling with them.

Will this be Melody’s last Continental Caper, or will she solve The Amsterdam Enigma?

Genres: Mystery, Historical Fiction, Historical Mystery

224 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 5, 2025

Reviews

[Ka · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars, as usual with this series/author.

I don't know if it's because I read a pair of much better cozy mystery series recently where the main characters are actually likable and reasonable and behave like adult women, but coming back to this series, I was really struck by what a bratty child Melody can be sometimes. It's actually worse that she often internally recognizes that her behavior sucks, and even feels bad about it... but then goes right on behaving the exact same way. I realize that the author needs to get Melody (who is, after all, the main character) involved in the plot somehow, but it's irritating that she apparently can't think of any way that's better than "she demands to be included in dangerous spy work because she just wants to help!! even though she's literally an 18-year-old with little relevant training or knowledge".

It's kind of hilarious that the entire investigation throughout the book ends up being a big nothing in the end... apparently, Germany's nefarious plot was to try to make themselves look reasonable by PRETENDING to be planning to bomb the Dutch royal family at the theatre. They let this info fall into the hands of the British on purpose, hoping that the Brits would then raise the alarm and cause a bunch of chaos, which would make them look paranoid or something as nothing would be found. This plan seems excessively complicated for little gain (as ultimately, nothing would ACTUALLY have happened other than a small kerfuffle), but whatever.

The author subverts our expectations by having Rat meet a nice British girl who is far too friendly and suspiciously knowledgeable about local politics/culture/history, and then having that lady NOT actually be working for the enemy and betray them. (She is apparently ALSO working for the British government, maybe?)

The #1 best thing about this book and the only reason anyone should read it, given that the mystery in it is bullshit, is that Melody FINALLY figures out that her infatuation with the Comte just because he's super hot is shallow, and that he isn't perfect, and that actually the nice young Captain William she met in the previous book (who returns halfway through this one) is a much better love interest for her. This is actual character growth, and given that this series is a spinoff of another where the characters go through 12 books without experiencing any kind of significant change because they are already nearly perfect people, it's surprising! I just don't expect such a thing from this author and I have to say I actually found it very pleasing, since both Melody and Alessandro were just kind of dumb throughout the book.

I hope this is the final book of this series, but I'm guessing it isn't. Sigh.

[Kellye · Rating 5 out of 5]

It leaves with a bit of a cliffhanger…

First, if you haven’t read the Tabitha and Wolf series from this author, you should read those to give good background. It isn’t essential, but it will add a lot of depth. You absolutely should read the first two books in this series first so that the characters and story arc have meaning and richness.

There were some twists and surprises in this mystery that I didn’t expect. No spoilers are going to be offered by me. This is my favorite in the series so far and that ending leads me to believe there will be at least one more, and hopefully far more than just one more. I see lots of loose ends and it is only 1911… Definitely download and read this series. The writing is clever and the character development continues from book to book so that you feel like you really know the characters. They are like friends.

I did receive an advanced reader copy in exchange for my unbiased and truthful review.

[Cri · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a wonderful summer reading!

This series is so gripping and tangled that keeps you wanting for more!

In the third book, our beloved Melody and Rat have to cope with the aftermath of the mission in Morocco and find themselves entangled in a new German plot to undermine Britain in the eyes of the Dutch government.

As usual, the characters are perfectly depicted, the story is well thought out and the mystery awesomely crafted.

I love how Melody is growing up and when she channels her "inner Grannie"!

I am sure there is so much more in store for Melody and Rat and I cannot wait to jump into their next adventure!

I received an advance copy for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily, thanks to the author for it.

[Sheri · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have really enjoyed these charming cozy mysteries that are set in different countries in Europe. This was book 3 was just as interesting and fun as the prior to those. I love the protagonist. She is fun and full of it, humor and a very good brain on her. She makes an equal foil for the men in her life. The setting is Edwardian and she is definitely a young lady ahead of her time. I enjoyed Melody as a character. I really look forward to the next book in the series as these are very quick read/listens. I was fortunate enough to listen to the audio version of it and the audio narrator is excellent and bringing the cast of characters to life. I hope she continues with the series as well.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

After a bit of a slow start the series is picking up. I'm so glad that Melody made the right decision regarding her choice of men. I think it is a shame that Rat is not coming off better in the series. Both of the siblings are doing a lot of growing up. For a while I was afraid that Melody was becoming too much like the old countess (who is my least favorite character) but she is starting to realize and balance out her personality.

[Doris Brase · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spies everywhere you look.

Melody and Rat are on the case of a suspected German plot. The seductive Comte, Alexandro is also on the scene in Amsterdam. Unfortunately, the sexy siren, Fatima is staying in Alrxandro's house. There's lots of twists and turns and red herrings before our fearless group figure out the plot.

[Julie Carithers Overstreet · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the 3rd book in "The Continental Capers of Melody Chesterton" series. It was a good read. I received an ARC and have voluntarily given my review.

[Susie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this one. Hopefully there will be a follow up book later on. The story doesn’t feel as if it’s finished.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the third book in the series The Continental Capers of Melody Chesterton, an offshoot of the author's Tabitha and Wolf Series. Melody and her older brother Matthew "Rat" Langley, were orphaned street urchins in the previous series. Melody was adopted by the Earl and Countess of Pembroke, and Rat by the Earl of Langley. In this series both are now young adults traveling in Europe and Northern Africa. Rat is a fledgling operative for the British Foreign Office and Melody is touring the Continent figuring out what to do with her life. They are both involved in spy escapades with some romantic distractions. Melody is the major protagonist and tends to overshadow her brother. The series is well written, fun, and I'd even call this book charming. I received a free advance copy; this is my voluntary review.

[Thoroughly Clean Indies]

This series is a takeoff from the Tabitha and Wolf Mysteries, and there are references to that series.

Genre: Historical Mystery
Setting: 1911, Amsterdam
Writing style: Multiple POV (within a chapter), 3rd person, past tense
Tone: Pretty even mostly
Character- or plot-driven: Both

Romance: Yes
Clean level: 1 mouth kiss with barest description, another with zero description
*See caveat below

Sensitive aspect: 1 reference to a situation in first book where the main character wanted to go past kissing with a man

I am happy to see how Melody matures over the course of the series. I wasn’t crazy about her in the first book, but I liked her better in the second book and now in the third. Rat is too easily taken with beautiful women, which I suppose is also just a part of his maturing process. Hopefully, he will get past the stage of infatuations and become discerning in seeking someone he can form a connection with (if not with the woman he meets in this book). I appreciate that Alessandro’s character is not romanticized and that Melody is eventually able to acknowledge the flaws in his character for her to finally let go of him. We don’t spend much time with Captain William Somerset in this book or the last, but what we do see suggests a man of real depth. His good looks are matched by a solid character, which reflects a theme I see in the series so far: Many of the characters are good looking but their beauty doesn’t always align with strength of character. Beauty gains true significance only when it is backed up by substance.

In a way, William and Alessandro might be seen as foils for each other. Alessandro fits Melody’s early romantic ideal — flirtatious, passionate, and a bit mysterious — reflecting her immature notions of what love should look like. In contrast, William is steady, wholly devoted to her, and treats her with deep admiration and genuine respect. It is through meeting William that Melody begins to recognize the difference between fleeting infatuation and deep, meaningful connections — to see what love really looks like.

Another major theme in the series is moral ambiguity surrounding the methods of secret service groups. It raises the difficult question: Can the lives of a great number of innocents be risked in the short term to prevent a catastrophe that would threaten even greater numbers in the long run? This dilemma provides a core conflict for Melody and Rat, interpersonally and, for Rat, intrapersonally as well.

Favorite Quotations:
• Whatever small part of her heart remained open to the hope that he would finally declare his love for her needed to be locked away, with the key thrown away permanently.
• “Did you really think he would be so grateful that you saved him that he’d throw himself at your feet?” Even as she uttered these words to herself, it occurred to her that perhaps Alessandro had been so grateful to be released from the Sultan’s prison that he’d thrown himself at one of his saviours’ feet: Fatima’s.
• When his turn arrived, the foreman scrutinised him as if he were a butcher assessing a side of beef.


(I received a free ARC of this book from the author and am gratefully—voluntarily—leaving a review.)