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Verity Kent Mysteries #2
Treacherous Is the Night
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 . . .
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 . . .
Unknown Binding
First published September 25, 2018
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About the author
Anna Lee Huber
29 books3,668 followersAnna Lee Huber is the USA Today bestselling and Daphne award-winning author of the Lady Darby Mysteries, the Verity Kent Mysteries, the Gothic Myths series, as well as Sisters of Fortune: A Novel of the Titanic and the anthology The Deadly Hours. 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. Visit her online at www.annaleehuber.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 624 reviews
September 14, 2024
What do I think about this book? I think it was a very strong follow up to the first Verity Kent mystery THIS SIDE OF MURDER.
The setting is post WWI London and Verity is being cajoled by her friend Daphne to accompany her to a séance. Verity, a former Secret Service agent, has very stringent beliefs regarding spiritualists especially after having recently discovered she is no longer a war widow. Against Verity's better judgment and to placate Daphne, Verity relents and attends.
Will the séance be a quick lark and all quickly forgotten; or, will the spiritualist prove to be anything but a charlatan and a mystery unfold leading Verity into the treacherous night filled with questions?
This book is recommended to everyone who loves a good mystery and to especially those that may be suffering from a Maisie Dobbs mystery withdrawal. Enjoy!
The setting is post WWI London and Verity is being cajoled by her friend Daphne to accompany her to a séance. Verity, a former Secret Service agent, has very stringent beliefs regarding spiritualists especially after having recently discovered she is no longer a war widow. Against Verity's better judgment and to placate Daphne, Verity relents and attends.
Will the séance be a quick lark and all quickly forgotten; or, will the spiritualist prove to be anything but a charlatan and a mystery unfold leading Verity into the treacherous night filled with questions?
This book is recommended to everyone who loves a good mystery and to especially those that may be suffering from a Maisie Dobbs mystery withdrawal. Enjoy!
November 6, 2018
EXCERPT: "....Mrs Kent, I am ordering you to stay out of this matter. Should I discover you disregarded this warning or should you attempt to visit us here again, I will not hesitate to contact Scotland Yard." His eyes gleamed with the pleasure it would give him to see me arrested. "Is that clear?"
"Except that I'm no longer a member of the service, as you so helpfully reminded me. So you have no authority to order me to do anything," I replied as I closed the door. Perhaps it would have been wiser to hold my tongue and allow Major Davis to believe he'd won, but once the words were out of my mouth, I couldn't call them back.
However, one thing was for sure, he didn’t want me anywhere near this.
ABOUT THIS BOOK: 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 . . .
MY THOUGHTS: Treacherous Is the Night is an excellent second installment to the Verity Kent series. After the brilliant beginning in This Side of Murder, I wondered just where there was left to go. I needn't have worried, this is every bit as good as the first was and it would seem that there are plenty of stories left to tell and adventures to be had as Verity and Sidney attempt to settle into their country home in post-war England.
Each book reveals a little more about Verity and Sidney's roles in the war, and about their relationship.
I will definitely be following this series and am eagerly awaiting the next book.
😍😍😍😍
THE AUTHOR: 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.
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Kensington Books via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of Treacherous Is the Night by Anna Lee Huber for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
Please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com for an explanation of my rating system. This review and others are also published on my blog sandysbookaday.wordpress.com. https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
"Except that I'm no longer a member of the service, as you so helpfully reminded me. So you have no authority to order me to do anything," I replied as I closed the door. Perhaps it would have been wiser to hold my tongue and allow Major Davis to believe he'd won, but once the words were out of my mouth, I couldn't call them back.
However, one thing was for sure, he didn’t want me anywhere near this.
ABOUT THIS BOOK: 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 . . .
MY THOUGHTS: Treacherous Is the Night is an excellent second installment to the Verity Kent series. After the brilliant beginning in This Side of Murder, I wondered just where there was left to go. I needn't have worried, this is every bit as good as the first was and it would seem that there are plenty of stories left to tell and adventures to be had as Verity and Sidney attempt to settle into their country home in post-war England.
Each book reveals a little more about Verity and Sidney's roles in the war, and about their relationship.
I will definitely be following this series and am eagerly awaiting the next book.
😍😍😍😍
THE AUTHOR: 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.
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Kensington Books via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of Treacherous Is the Night by Anna Lee Huber for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
Please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com for an explanation of my rating system. This review and others are also published on my blog sandysbookaday.wordpress.com. https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
November 18, 2018
I've given this a B+ at AAR, so that's 4.5 stars.
Treacherous is the Night is the second book in Anna Lee Huber’s latest series of post-WW1 historical mysteries featuring former secret service agent Verity Kent. The events of this story unfold just a few weeks after those of the previous book, This Side of Murder, and if you’ve not read that, look away now, because there is a massive spoiler for the twist in that story in the next paragraph of this review.
For fifteen months, Verity believed herself to be a widow, the husband she’d married on the eve of the war having been killed in action in 1918. But during her investigation into the murders of some of Sidney’s former comrades, she made a game-changing discovery; namely that Sidney wasn’t dead at all, but had allowed everyone to believe him to be while he pursued an investigation of his own to uncover the identity of the traitor among the officers of his battalion.
After Sidney finally revealed the truth, Verity was – and still is - is a mass of conflicting emotions; relief that he isn’t dead; fury that he’d allowed her to mourn for so many months; guilt at some of things she’d kept from him during their brief reunions during the war –and their relationship is still in a state of flux when we rejoin them at the beginning of Treacherous is the Night. They have decided to work at their marriage to see if they can make a go of it, but it’s not going to be easy for either of them.
The story opens when Verity’s good friend and former War Office colleague, Daphne Merrick, asks Verity to attend a séance with her. Spiritualism saw a huge increase in popularity after the First World War as devastated relatives and friends of the fallen sought comfort in the idea of being able to speak to their loved ones one last time. Verity is sceptical of the whole thing – even more so after a cruel trick that was played on her at the house party she attended in the previous book – but she knows Daphne is desperate to contact her brother, Gil, who lost his life in the early days of the war, and reluctantly agrees to accompany Daphne to the session at Madame Zozza’s.
When they arrive, Verity is surprised to see Max Westfield, the Earl of Ryde also in attendance. They exchange friendly greetings during which Verity recalls their unexplored – interrupted – burgeoning attraction, and then Max goes on to explain that he has accompanied his aunt, Lady Swaffham to the séance. When the proceedings get underway, things go mostly as Verity had expected – until the medium greets Verity – “ma compatriote, where are you?”- and tells her that she is the spirit of Emilie, a spy and courier with whom Verity had worked on several occasions on her various missions into France and Belgium during the war.
Verity is flabbergasted and furious at the medium’s audacity at using both Emilie and her own past as part of a cheap trick, but is determined to find out exactly why the woman should have pretended to channel Emilie in order to deliver a cryptic message – “Beware the man hiding behind the mask.” But Madame Zozza’s assistant whisks her away before Verity can approach her, so Verity determines to pay the woman a visit the following morning to find out what she knows. But that proves impossible; she and Sidney arrive in time to witness her house going up in flames, and learn that Madame Zozza perished in the fire.
There’s nothing for it now but for Verity to look into the matter herself – and she can’t deny that she’s been looking for a way to avoid having to think too hard about the state of her marriage and the ways in which both she and Sidney have become different people – people who might no longer be capable of sustaining a relationship. She needs to find Emilie and answers to the numerous questions the medium’s ‘summoning’ has posed, and in order to do that, she must return to Flanders and track down the members of La Dame Blanche, the network of intelligence gatherers and couriers of which Emilie was a member.
Ms. Huber very skilfully balances the novel’s plot – the uncovering of a deadly scheme for revenge as Verity and Sidney search for Emilie – with the gradual peeling away of the various layers of self-protection that Verity and Sidney have erected around their emotions and the exploration and development of their relationship . They’re different people now, they’ve experienced hardship, danger and the horrors of war in different ways, and they’re cagy and reluctant to reveal the extent of their sorrow, anger, doubt and broken-ness to one another. Verity is keeping a particularly guilty secret (which has been alluded to before) and is also unsure of how her husband will react when he learns the true extent of her work as an agent for the secret service. Will he be appalled that his little wife wasn’t home sitting quietly by the fire knitting socks? Will he ever be able to accept that she’s no longer the starry-eyed young woman he married?
Because the story is told through Verity’s eyes, we never get inside Sidney’s head, but Ms. Huber does a pretty good job of showing readers his feelings and reactions through his dialogue and what Verity observes of his facial expressions and body language. We see him coming to understand, appreciate and admire the determined, independent woman Verity has become, and experience his gradually reawakening trust as he allows himself to reveal more of his own fears and insecurities just as Verity reveals hers. Their internal struggles feel very real, and their rapprochement is gradual and not always easy, but it’s superbly done and I became fully invested in their relationship and was rooting for them long before the end.
If you’ve read This Side of Murder, you may be wondering about Max, who was clearly set up as a potential love interest for Verity in that story – which obviously couldn’t go anywhere once Sidney was revealed to be alive after all. Max makes a couple of brief appearances in this story, and has an important role to play in the finale; there is still a frisson of attraction between him and Verity, and Sidney is obviously jealous of their friendship, but with Verity’s commitment to making her marriage work, the attempt to create some sort of uncertainty falls flat, and I’m not quite sure why it was included.
Ms. Huber’s eye for historical detail is excellent, and she makes some shrewd social observations with a light touch, about the about the glamourisation of war, the treatment of its veterans and how the women who had taken men’s roles during it were suddenly expected to go back into their ‘womanly’ boxes and act as if they’d never had that taste of independence and freedom.
Treacherous is the Night is entertaining, well-researched and well-written, and I enjoyed it very much. I was as caught up in the exploration of the Kents’ troubled marriage as I was intrigued by the mystery plot, and would definitely encourage fans of well-written historical mysteries to consider giving this series a try.
Treacherous is the Night is the second book in Anna Lee Huber’s latest series of post-WW1 historical mysteries featuring former secret service agent Verity Kent. The events of this story unfold just a few weeks after those of the previous book, This Side of Murder, and if you’ve not read that, look away now, because there is a massive spoiler for the twist in that story in the next paragraph of this review.
For fifteen months, Verity believed herself to be a widow, the husband she’d married on the eve of the war having been killed in action in 1918. But during her investigation into the murders of some of Sidney’s former comrades, she made a game-changing discovery; namely that Sidney wasn’t dead at all, but had allowed everyone to believe him to be while he pursued an investigation of his own to uncover the identity of the traitor among the officers of his battalion.
After Sidney finally revealed the truth, Verity was – and still is - is a mass of conflicting emotions; relief that he isn’t dead; fury that he’d allowed her to mourn for so many months; guilt at some of things she’d kept from him during their brief reunions during the war –and their relationship is still in a state of flux when we rejoin them at the beginning of Treacherous is the Night. They have decided to work at their marriage to see if they can make a go of it, but it’s not going to be easy for either of them.
The story opens when Verity’s good friend and former War Office colleague, Daphne Merrick, asks Verity to attend a séance with her. Spiritualism saw a huge increase in popularity after the First World War as devastated relatives and friends of the fallen sought comfort in the idea of being able to speak to their loved ones one last time. Verity is sceptical of the whole thing – even more so after a cruel trick that was played on her at the house party she attended in the previous book – but she knows Daphne is desperate to contact her brother, Gil, who lost his life in the early days of the war, and reluctantly agrees to accompany Daphne to the session at Madame Zozza’s.
When they arrive, Verity is surprised to see Max Westfield, the Earl of Ryde also in attendance. They exchange friendly greetings during which Verity recalls their unexplored – interrupted – burgeoning attraction, and then Max goes on to explain that he has accompanied his aunt, Lady Swaffham to the séance. When the proceedings get underway, things go mostly as Verity had expected – until the medium greets Verity – “ma compatriote, where are you?”- and tells her that she is the spirit of Emilie, a spy and courier with whom Verity had worked on several occasions on her various missions into France and Belgium during the war.
Verity is flabbergasted and furious at the medium’s audacity at using both Emilie and her own past as part of a cheap trick, but is determined to find out exactly why the woman should have pretended to channel Emilie in order to deliver a cryptic message – “Beware the man hiding behind the mask.” But Madame Zozza’s assistant whisks her away before Verity can approach her, so Verity determines to pay the woman a visit the following morning to find out what she knows. But that proves impossible; she and Sidney arrive in time to witness her house going up in flames, and learn that Madame Zozza perished in the fire.
There’s nothing for it now but for Verity to look into the matter herself – and she can’t deny that she’s been looking for a way to avoid having to think too hard about the state of her marriage and the ways in which both she and Sidney have become different people – people who might no longer be capable of sustaining a relationship. She needs to find Emilie and answers to the numerous questions the medium’s ‘summoning’ has posed, and in order to do that, she must return to Flanders and track down the members of La Dame Blanche, the network of intelligence gatherers and couriers of which Emilie was a member.
Ms. Huber very skilfully balances the novel’s plot – the uncovering of a deadly scheme for revenge as Verity and Sidney search for Emilie – with the gradual peeling away of the various layers of self-protection that Verity and Sidney have erected around their emotions and the exploration and development of their relationship . They’re different people now, they’ve experienced hardship, danger and the horrors of war in different ways, and they’re cagy and reluctant to reveal the extent of their sorrow, anger, doubt and broken-ness to one another. Verity is keeping a particularly guilty secret (which has been alluded to before) and is also unsure of how her husband will react when he learns the true extent of her work as an agent for the secret service. Will he be appalled that his little wife wasn’t home sitting quietly by the fire knitting socks? Will he ever be able to accept that she’s no longer the starry-eyed young woman he married?
Because the story is told through Verity’s eyes, we never get inside Sidney’s head, but Ms. Huber does a pretty good job of showing readers his feelings and reactions through his dialogue and what Verity observes of his facial expressions and body language. We see him coming to understand, appreciate and admire the determined, independent woman Verity has become, and experience his gradually reawakening trust as he allows himself to reveal more of his own fears and insecurities just as Verity reveals hers. Their internal struggles feel very real, and their rapprochement is gradual and not always easy, but it’s superbly done and I became fully invested in their relationship and was rooting for them long before the end.
If you’ve read This Side of Murder, you may be wondering about Max, who was clearly set up as a potential love interest for Verity in that story – which obviously couldn’t go anywhere once Sidney was revealed to be alive after all. Max makes a couple of brief appearances in this story, and has an important role to play in the finale; there is still a frisson of attraction between him and Verity, and Sidney is obviously jealous of their friendship, but with Verity’s commitment to making her marriage work, the attempt to create some sort of uncertainty falls flat, and I’m not quite sure why it was included.
Ms. Huber’s eye for historical detail is excellent, and she makes some shrewd social observations with a light touch, about the about the glamourisation of war, the treatment of its veterans and how the women who had taken men’s roles during it were suddenly expected to go back into their ‘womanly’ boxes and act as if they’d never had that taste of independence and freedom.
Treacherous is the Night is entertaining, well-researched and well-written, and I enjoyed it very much. I was as caught up in the exploration of the Kents’ troubled marriage as I was intrigued by the mystery plot, and would definitely encourage fans of well-written historical mysteries to consider giving this series a try.
April 2, 2024
I am enjoying reading about the adventures of Verity Kent, former WWI British Secret Service operative, as she and her thought to be deceased soldier husband, Sidney, travel to Belgium to check on a former spy she worked with after being warned of her danger. Verity attended a seance with friend Daphne who wanted to connect with her brother killed in the war. Instead of hearing from Daphne's brother, the medium warned Verity about her friend, Emilie, and danger. This was classified information, so Verity was very concerned about who had told the medium about the relationship. Verity and Sidney traveled across battled torn areas as they retrieved information and clues to find Emilie, danger at every turn, and tension between the two as they are dealing with personal secrets and a strained relationship, and not knowing who to trust. I recommend reading book one before reading this one. I am looking forward to book 3.
September 5, 2018
Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for providing me with an advance digital copy of Treacherous Is the Night by Anna Lee Huber in exchange for an unbiased review. The second in a series featuring former Secret Service Agent Verity Kent in the time immediately following World War I. this books stands alone. Although there are a few references to the first book in the series, having not read it in no way lessened the enjoyment of this novel.
As the book opens, Verity gives the reader a glimpse into some of the struggles she is experiencing, including attempts to repair her marriage which was almost torn apart by WWI, her drinking, which she feels may make her husband more critical of her, and several secrets she is holding that may drive the couple further apart. In spite of these concerns, her time and attention are quickly captured by an experience she has while attending a seance at the insistence of a close friend. It becomes apparent almost immediately that her presence has been manipulated and there is a message for her from Emilie, a former colleague and fellow agent from Belgium which leads to a need to find the woman whom Verity believes is in peril.
In response to her deductions regarding information received, Verity decides it is imperative to travel to Belgium to try and find her compatriot, even though it puts additional stress on her marriage and may cause it to break. While her relationship with her husband is an active storyline in the book, it is by no means the chief focus and as a result this book remains exactly what it purports to be, a historical mystery featuring intrigue and espionage. There are some wonderful descriptions that allow the reader brief glimpses into the result of a land ravaged by war, even though again, this is not the main focus of the book.
The pacing of the book is excellent as the reader is swept along a tide of cryptic occurrences and clues in which Verity seeks to learn the whereabouts of her colleague. At the same time she is trying to discover who has learned of their efforts during the war and what form of reckoning they now seek. Is it only a personal vendetta or does it go beyond that to one of more far-reaching destruction toward one or more of the Allied Countries.
Throughout the book, the reader gets glimpses of the period in terms of behavior, dress, and attitudes, although it is all woven skillfully into the plot line of intrigue. The reader is pulled through the book at a steady pace, one that encourages continued reading for “just one more chapter” or “just another half hour”. There is enough tension to create additional interest which creates a perfect pitch for reading and enjoyment.
If you like strong female protagonists, historical settings, and interesting secondary and tertiary plot lines, this may be the perfect book for you. There is just enough history to allow the reader to feel a part of the time while enjoying a well plotted and detailed story.
As the book opens, Verity gives the reader a glimpse into some of the struggles she is experiencing, including attempts to repair her marriage which was almost torn apart by WWI, her drinking, which she feels may make her husband more critical of her, and several secrets she is holding that may drive the couple further apart. In spite of these concerns, her time and attention are quickly captured by an experience she has while attending a seance at the insistence of a close friend. It becomes apparent almost immediately that her presence has been manipulated and there is a message for her from Emilie, a former colleague and fellow agent from Belgium which leads to a need to find the woman whom Verity believes is in peril.
In response to her deductions regarding information received, Verity decides it is imperative to travel to Belgium to try and find her compatriot, even though it puts additional stress on her marriage and may cause it to break. While her relationship with her husband is an active storyline in the book, it is by no means the chief focus and as a result this book remains exactly what it purports to be, a historical mystery featuring intrigue and espionage. There are some wonderful descriptions that allow the reader brief glimpses into the result of a land ravaged by war, even though again, this is not the main focus of the book.
The pacing of the book is excellent as the reader is swept along a tide of cryptic occurrences and clues in which Verity seeks to learn the whereabouts of her colleague. At the same time she is trying to discover who has learned of their efforts during the war and what form of reckoning they now seek. Is it only a personal vendetta or does it go beyond that to one of more far-reaching destruction toward one or more of the Allied Countries.
Throughout the book, the reader gets glimpses of the period in terms of behavior, dress, and attitudes, although it is all woven skillfully into the plot line of intrigue. The reader is pulled through the book at a steady pace, one that encourages continued reading for “just one more chapter” or “just another half hour”. There is enough tension to create additional interest which creates a perfect pitch for reading and enjoyment.
If you like strong female protagonists, historical settings, and interesting secondary and tertiary plot lines, this may be the perfect book for you. There is just enough history to allow the reader to feel a part of the time while enjoying a well plotted and detailed story.
January 6, 2019
I have officially given up at 70%. I tried plowing through it, and when that did not work, I tried reading a tiny bit every day hoping to eventually reach the end. That too became a chore. I think if I had read the first book in Huber's new series, this second book would have made much more sense to me. In any case, I found the mystery itself tedious. I also failed to care for any of the main characters. I loved Simone St. James's Lost Among the Living, which too features a soldier husband presumed to be dead during the Great War, and a wife struggling to move forward with her life. I think the premise is a very intriguing one, but in this book, the husband seemed petulant that his wife forged ahead for herself during his absence. There is a love triangle that failed to materialize here, and ultimately Verity Kent did not emerge as a particularly interesting or complex character. I hate to give up, but I'm calling it :(
September 26, 2018
Full disclosure, I’ve been a huge fan of Anna Lee Huber for years. I absolutely love all of her books and I can’t get enough of the heroines, mysteries, and of course the covers! The Verity Kent series is no different.
I read the first book in the Verity Kent series earlier this year and I loved it! It was an interesting start to a different type of heroine for Huber. I was eager to see what else was in store for Verity in this latest book in the series.
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.
While I might have enjoyed Verity Kent the first time around, the second time around made me love her. In this book we really dive into the complex emotions that many of the characters had about post war life. For instance, in the first book I was not a fan of Sidney.
I didn’t feel like I could trust him and I just felt that he was wrong for Verity. But as we get into the deeper nuances of their marriage and their post war life in this book, it becomes clear what Sidney’s intentions are. Personally I want to now know more about his life in hiding after the war and his war work. I hope that the next book is a little more about Sidney.
What I absolutely loved about this book was exploring post war life. I think in a lot of books there is so much focus on the Great War and it’s effects on people but then the peace treaties were signed and boom it was over. I loved that this book went into the whole fall out from the peace treaties. I especially loved touring the Flemish countryside in this book. It’s easy to forget that it took decades for these small village to rebuild and flourish again after the devastation and I thought the author did a marvelous job depicting that.
The whole time I was reading this book all I could think about was how I wanted to go and tour some of the old battlefields for my next vacation. She did such a marvelous job with her descriptions that I was dying to know more…..and I love the Great War history so I am partial to this time period but Huber’s writing made me love it so much more.
The mystery in this one was a little more like solving a riddle and following bread crumbs rather than an a traditional murder mystery as the previous book in this series. I loved this approach. It made me be more of an active reader and think about possible connections or motives. This was a smart and well written mystery.
This one would probably read ok as a stand alone mystery however why cheat yourself? Read the first one as well…..Verity is fun, mature, sassy, smart, and a different character than those of Huber’s other books. I highly recommend Verity Kent as well as all of Huber’s other works!
See my full review here
I read the first book in the Verity Kent series earlier this year and I loved it! It was an interesting start to a different type of heroine for Huber. I was eager to see what else was in store for Verity in this latest book in the series.
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.
While I might have enjoyed Verity Kent the first time around, the second time around made me love her. In this book we really dive into the complex emotions that many of the characters had about post war life. For instance, in the first book I was not a fan of Sidney.
I didn’t feel like I could trust him and I just felt that he was wrong for Verity. But as we get into the deeper nuances of their marriage and their post war life in this book, it becomes clear what Sidney’s intentions are. Personally I want to now know more about his life in hiding after the war and his war work. I hope that the next book is a little more about Sidney.
What I absolutely loved about this book was exploring post war life. I think in a lot of books there is so much focus on the Great War and it’s effects on people but then the peace treaties were signed and boom it was over. I loved that this book went into the whole fall out from the peace treaties. I especially loved touring the Flemish countryside in this book. It’s easy to forget that it took decades for these small village to rebuild and flourish again after the devastation and I thought the author did a marvelous job depicting that.
The whole time I was reading this book all I could think about was how I wanted to go and tour some of the old battlefields for my next vacation. She did such a marvelous job with her descriptions that I was dying to know more…..and I love the Great War history so I am partial to this time period but Huber’s writing made me love it so much more.
The mystery in this one was a little more like solving a riddle and following bread crumbs rather than an a traditional murder mystery as the previous book in this series. I loved this approach. It made me be more of an active reader and think about possible connections or motives. This was a smart and well written mystery.
This one would probably read ok as a stand alone mystery however why cheat yourself? Read the first one as well…..Verity is fun, mature, sassy, smart, and a different character than those of Huber’s other books. I highly recommend Verity Kent as well as all of Huber’s other works!
See my full review here
August 29, 2018
Treacherous Is the Night is the second book in Verity Kent series by Anna Lee Huber. In this book Verity travels to Belgium and France with Sydney to investigate a mystery concerning one of La Dame Blanche (Belgian underground intelligence) agents with whom she worked during WW1 and whom she considers a friend. It appears that this friend is now in peril and may need Verity's help.
In the first book we didn't know a lot about Verity's role with Secret Service during the war but in this book we finally learn about many of her assignments and some of her secrets. We also get to know Sydney much better. The one character I was missing desperately is Max, the Earl of Ryde. He had such a big presence in the first book but in this book he is relegated to the sidelines with only a small part in the story. This was really disappointing because he was my favorite character in This Side of Murder.
Regardless, I did enjoy Treacherous Is the Night and am looking forward to the next installment. And I do hope that we'll get a lot more of Max in the third book!
*ARC provided by the publisher and the author in exchange for an honest review.
In the first book we didn't know a lot about Verity's role with Secret Service during the war but in this book we finally learn about many of her assignments and some of her secrets. We also get to know Sydney much better. The one character I was missing desperately is Max, the Earl of Ryde. He had such a big presence in the first book but in this book he is relegated to the sidelines with only a small part in the story. This was really disappointing because he was my favorite character in This Side of Murder.
Regardless, I did enjoy Treacherous Is the Night and am looking forward to the next installment. And I do hope that we'll get a lot more of Max in the third book!
*ARC provided by the publisher and the author in exchange for an honest review.
June 12, 2022
Is it terrible that I am rooting for Max? Or that I didn’t understand WHY Verity had to go to the continent? Or that I stopped reading this book to read two different ones because it wasn’t holding my attention.
I want to like Verity. I’ll give the series one more try.
I want to like Verity. I’ll give the series one more try.
October 26, 2025
Outstanding series.
September 30, 2018
Dollycas’s Thoughts
In this follow up to This Side of Murder, Ex-Secret Service Agent Verity Kent is doing her best to reconnect with the husband she believed was killed in the war. His surprising return happened in the last book just as she started to have feelings for another man. It is difficult to curb those new feelings when the man seems to pop up everywhere as he did to a séance her friend had dragged her too.
In This Side of Murder a Quija board upset Verity greatly and this time a séance sends her into a tizzy when the medium singles her out and reveals secret information about one of the other agents Verity has worked with. Before Verity has a chance to question the medium is suspiciously killed. Unsure who she can trust Verity starts her own investigation and she and her husband Sidney travel to Belgium. They know they have been followed but she needs to find the truth no matter how dangerous her mission seems.
Verity Kent is a complex woman who has had quite a life for her young years. Working as a Secret Service Agent during the war took her to dangerous places and put her in dangerous situations. Her husband quickly sees this is not the same woman he left behind when he went into battle. She has become confident and almost fearless. It makes him see his own service in a different light too. Their relationship had become stunted because they both held everything in. While he wants to escape to the country she can’t back away from the search for her compatriot. This could be the final straw that breaks their marriage.
In addition to the relationship struggles of our protagonist, the author delivers an excellent mystery. Verity’s quest to find her cohort takes us deeply into La Dame Blanche (Belgian underground intelligence). She knows her friend needs her help and the path we follow with her is absolutely captivating and at times scary. Each twist, each turn, a breadcrumb here, a breadcrumb there, she doesn’t give up. As a reader, I enjoyed following this strong, smart. woman wherever she went.
Anna Lee Huber gives us a look at England and beyond after World War I in rich detail. She describes the places and the people so vividly. This author knows how to build a story that is full of intrigue. She has done her research and I always feel like I learn something while reading her books. The detail while great did slow down the pace just a bit in places, but when the pace picked up I was glued to the pages to the very end.
The book leaves me with a bit of a conundrum. I really like Max, the other man in Verity’s life, but I should want her to be with her husband, right. Sidney may have had his reasons for what he did, but it just toasts me that he just thinks Verity should welcome him with open arms. I am very interested to see what the author has planned for Verity.
This book can be read all on its own, but I recommend reading them in order to fully understand Verity and the situations that occur within this story.
In this follow up to This Side of Murder, Ex-Secret Service Agent Verity Kent is doing her best to reconnect with the husband she believed was killed in the war. His surprising return happened in the last book just as she started to have feelings for another man. It is difficult to curb those new feelings when the man seems to pop up everywhere as he did to a séance her friend had dragged her too.
In This Side of Murder a Quija board upset Verity greatly and this time a séance sends her into a tizzy when the medium singles her out and reveals secret information about one of the other agents Verity has worked with. Before Verity has a chance to question the medium is suspiciously killed. Unsure who she can trust Verity starts her own investigation and she and her husband Sidney travel to Belgium. They know they have been followed but she needs to find the truth no matter how dangerous her mission seems.
Verity Kent is a complex woman who has had quite a life for her young years. Working as a Secret Service Agent during the war took her to dangerous places and put her in dangerous situations. Her husband quickly sees this is not the same woman he left behind when he went into battle. She has become confident and almost fearless. It makes him see his own service in a different light too. Their relationship had become stunted because they both held everything in. While he wants to escape to the country she can’t back away from the search for her compatriot. This could be the final straw that breaks their marriage.
In addition to the relationship struggles of our protagonist, the author delivers an excellent mystery. Verity’s quest to find her cohort takes us deeply into La Dame Blanche (Belgian underground intelligence). She knows her friend needs her help and the path we follow with her is absolutely captivating and at times scary. Each twist, each turn, a breadcrumb here, a breadcrumb there, she doesn’t give up. As a reader, I enjoyed following this strong, smart. woman wherever she went.
Anna Lee Huber gives us a look at England and beyond after World War I in rich detail. She describes the places and the people so vividly. This author knows how to build a story that is full of intrigue. She has done her research and I always feel like I learn something while reading her books. The detail while great did slow down the pace just a bit in places, but when the pace picked up I was glued to the pages to the very end.
The book leaves me with a bit of a conundrum. I really like Max, the other man in Verity’s life, but I should want her to be with her husband, right. Sidney may have had his reasons for what he did, but it just toasts me that he just thinks Verity should welcome him with open arms. I am very interested to see what the author has planned for Verity.
This book can be read all on its own, but I recommend reading them in order to fully understand Verity and the situations that occur within this story.
December 31, 2019
So good and I'm happy that things end up a bit more sorted with the romance!
Can't wait to pick up the next one.
Can't wait to pick up the next one.
August 9, 2018
My thoughts while reading the book of this National Bestselling Author:
Verity and her husband have a slightly awkward conversation. Immediately afterwards the narration spends to pages on explaining how her relationship has changed because of what they saw in the war and what happened after the war. That their relationship will never be the same as it was before. That they both still have to work through all those issues but that both have problems opening up to the other because they feel they don’t really know the other person anymore.
When Verity’s friend asks her to accompany her to the seance and that she hopes to contact her brother we are told in great detail how close that friend and her brother were, how hard it was for her when he fell and a detailed run-down of the friend’s other family members (and friends) and why it would be a bad idea when they accompanied her.
This happens again and again. And when we aren’t told what the characters feel, we get plain infodumps about the war, Verity’s work in the secret service, Belgian architecture and a lot of other things we don’t need to know in that much detail.
All this already made me almost quit the book a few chapters in because while I understand that sometimes an author just has to dump some stuff on the reader unceremoniously (especially in a case like this where they want the reader to be able to start reading a series at any point without getting confused by vague allusions to past events) this was just too much. But the mystery was quite intriguing so I read on.
That was a bad idea.
Because it quickly turned out that Verity’s husband is a horrible human being.
You see, Sidney wasn’t just missing presumed dead and turned up again. He deliberately faked his own death to draw out some traitors. Verity though he was dead for 15 months before he appeared again and demanded her help in his plot.
Verity now has some issues. They had a whirlwind romance anyway and quickly after they married he went to war so they didn’t really get to know each other. Then he died and she grieved for him (FOR 15 MONTHS) and then he just pops up again. And he is a different man now because war changes people. It has also changed Verity and now they are essentially a married couple that barely know each other. And that is somehow Verity’s fault as far as Sidney is concerned. When Verity is reluctant to share her own experiences he is all hurt. He shouts at his wife, who he let believe he was dead for 15 months because she can’t bring herself to share intimate details with him.
After one of these confrontations she points out the whole You-made-me-think-you-were-dead thing and he yells “So this is all my fault?”
Yes, Sidney. It is. It might have been unavoidable to fake your own death. It might have even been unavoidable to not tell her in advance because the grief had to be genuine. But you could have considered telling her quicker than those 15 months. And if that wasn’t possible then you have to fucking deal with it. Deal with the fact that you can’t pick up exactly where you left off.
But of course, Verity doesn��t tell him that. She assures him that it isn’t his fault. (Which I guess means it is her fault. Stupid womenfolk).
That placates him until he finds out that she slept with another man. While she thought he was dead, grieved for him and was probably not exactly emotionally stable. But of course, Sidney is angry that after learning he was dead, his wife did not lock herself in, had no contact with anybody and just dealt with her grief just by sobbing uncontrollably.
When they encounter Verity’s one-night-stand again Sidney punches him. Because that’s an emotionally mature reaction and doesn’t at all suggest that he will again react with violence when he doesn’t like something.
But men getting violent because of something you did is so romantic, right?
But despite all that, they reconcile and have sex. And after that, he asks “I hope you don’t mind that I didn’t take precautions?” Because hey! It’s always better to ask for forgiveness than permission!
In all that it felt like the mystery was just a backdrop to Verity’s and Sidney’s relationship issues (which I felt weren’t handled well…as you can probably tell). It wasn’t bad (yes there were some convenient coincidences but that’s the case in most mysteries) but it would have needed to be fleshed more out in some parts to work really well. But that space was needed to convince us what a great guy Sidney is…
ARC provided by NetGalley
Verity and her husband have a slightly awkward conversation. Immediately afterwards the narration spends to pages on explaining how her relationship has changed because of what they saw in the war and what happened after the war. That their relationship will never be the same as it was before. That they both still have to work through all those issues but that both have problems opening up to the other because they feel they don’t really know the other person anymore.
When Verity’s friend asks her to accompany her to the seance and that she hopes to contact her brother we are told in great detail how close that friend and her brother were, how hard it was for her when he fell and a detailed run-down of the friend’s other family members (and friends) and why it would be a bad idea when they accompanied her.
This happens again and again. And when we aren’t told what the characters feel, we get plain infodumps about the war, Verity’s work in the secret service, Belgian architecture and a lot of other things we don’t need to know in that much detail.
All this already made me almost quit the book a few chapters in because while I understand that sometimes an author just has to dump some stuff on the reader unceremoniously (especially in a case like this where they want the reader to be able to start reading a series at any point without getting confused by vague allusions to past events) this was just too much. But the mystery was quite intriguing so I read on.
That was a bad idea.
Because it quickly turned out that Verity’s husband is a horrible human being.
You see, Sidney wasn’t just missing presumed dead and turned up again. He deliberately faked his own death to draw out some traitors. Verity though he was dead for 15 months before he appeared again and demanded her help in his plot.
Verity now has some issues. They had a whirlwind romance anyway and quickly after they married he went to war so they didn’t really get to know each other. Then he died and she grieved for him (FOR 15 MONTHS) and then he just pops up again. And he is a different man now because war changes people. It has also changed Verity and now they are essentially a married couple that barely know each other. And that is somehow Verity’s fault as far as Sidney is concerned. When Verity is reluctant to share her own experiences he is all hurt. He shouts at his wife, who he let believe he was dead for 15 months because she can’t bring herself to share intimate details with him.
After one of these confrontations she points out the whole You-made-me-think-you-were-dead thing and he yells “So this is all my fault?”
Yes, Sidney. It is. It might have been unavoidable to fake your own death. It might have even been unavoidable to not tell her in advance because the grief had to be genuine. But you could have considered telling her quicker than those 15 months. And if that wasn’t possible then you have to fucking deal with it. Deal with the fact that you can’t pick up exactly where you left off.
But of course, Verity doesn��t tell him that. She assures him that it isn’t his fault. (Which I guess means it is her fault. Stupid womenfolk).
That placates him until he finds out that she slept with another man. While she thought he was dead, grieved for him and was probably not exactly emotionally stable. But of course, Sidney is angry that after learning he was dead, his wife did not lock herself in, had no contact with anybody and just dealt with her grief just by sobbing uncontrollably.
When they encounter Verity’s one-night-stand again Sidney punches him. Because that’s an emotionally mature reaction and doesn’t at all suggest that he will again react with violence when he doesn’t like something.
But men getting violent because of something you did is so romantic, right?
But despite all that, they reconcile and have sex. And after that, he asks “I hope you don’t mind that I didn’t take precautions?” Because hey! It’s always better to ask for forgiveness than permission!
In all that it felt like the mystery was just a backdrop to Verity’s and Sidney’s relationship issues (which I felt weren’t handled well…as you can probably tell). It wasn’t bad (yes there were some convenient coincidences but that’s the case in most mysteries) but it would have needed to be fleshed more out in some parts to work really well. But that space was needed to convince us what a great guy Sidney is…
ARC provided by NetGalley
September 29, 2018
A bit far-fetched and confusing for me. Treacherous Is the Night by Anna Lee Huber is the second entry in the Verity Kent mystery series that is set in London right after WWI. Verity is a likeable heroine, she’s tough and in control, and always seems to know what to do or say in any given situation. I like her and am always ready to listen to her put someone in his or her place or take someone by surprise. Because I like the character of Verity so much, I struggled a lot with my opinions about this book. I found the mystery here to be too confusing and complicated. Verity attends a séance and then embarks on a journey to find a spy with that she worked with during WWI. The journey takes her to Belgium, where we spend the majority of the book. The setting of Belgium after WWI was fascinating to me. I haven’t read anything about Belgium before, and I found the descriptions of the cities and towns, and also the destruction quite interesting to read about.
While the setting was interesting, sadly, the characters, besides Verity, I couldn’t connect to. I’m not a huge fan of Verity’s husband, Sidney, and this book was very Sidney-centric, and while I honestly don’t think the book could’ve gone (or even should’ve gone) in a different direction in regards to their relationship at this point, I still just can’t get behind the Verity-Sidney pairing. There’s something holding me back from embracing Sidney’s character, and I can’t figure out what that is. He’s strong and caring, but he also let Verity think he was dead for over a year before he came out of the shadows in book one, This Side of Murder. But, while I’m not overly fond of Sidney, Verity sure is and they make a good team as they think similarly and bring out each others strengths.
Besides Verity and Sidney, there are other characters tied to the mystery, and there were so many captains and lieutenants and majors with no distinguishing characteristics, and I couldn’t tell any of them apart! And as such, quickly got lost in all of the shuffle of the mystery and the who-why-what-when. Once I finally decided to stop trying to figure out who anyone was and just go with it, I ended up enjoying the story much more!
Besides the confusing characters, we also have a far-fetched plot with a séance in London sending our sleuths to Belgium to find a spy in hiding. The spy in hiding leaves clues along the way to her whereabouts, and while the clues were clever, Verity and Sidney would solve them instantly, and the whole plotline felt too unrealistic and stretching. So for me, this one was a bit of a miss, but I’m torn on this series because I loved book one, I enjoy the character of Verity and look forward to what comes next for her.
Bottom Line: Too confusing and far-fetched, but the character of Verity is a lot of fun.
***I voluntarily reviewed an eARC provided by the publisher, via NetGalley. This review first posted on my blog, luvtoread.***
While the setting was interesting, sadly, the characters, besides Verity, I couldn’t connect to. I’m not a huge fan of Verity’s husband, Sidney, and this book was very Sidney-centric, and while I honestly don’t think the book could’ve gone (or even should’ve gone) in a different direction in regards to their relationship at this point, I still just can’t get behind the Verity-Sidney pairing. There’s something holding me back from embracing Sidney’s character, and I can’t figure out what that is. He’s strong and caring, but he also let Verity think he was dead for over a year before he came out of the shadows in book one, This Side of Murder. But, while I’m not overly fond of Sidney, Verity sure is and they make a good team as they think similarly and bring out each others strengths.
Besides Verity and Sidney, there are other characters tied to the mystery, and there were so many captains and lieutenants and majors with no distinguishing characteristics, and I couldn’t tell any of them apart! And as such, quickly got lost in all of the shuffle of the mystery and the who-why-what-when. Once I finally decided to stop trying to figure out who anyone was and just go with it, I ended up enjoying the story much more!
Besides the confusing characters, we also have a far-fetched plot with a séance in London sending our sleuths to Belgium to find a spy in hiding. The spy in hiding leaves clues along the way to her whereabouts, and while the clues were clever, Verity and Sidney would solve them instantly, and the whole plotline felt too unrealistic and stretching. So for me, this one was a bit of a miss, but I’m torn on this series because I loved book one, I enjoy the character of Verity and look forward to what comes next for her.
Bottom Line: Too confusing and far-fetched, but the character of Verity is a lot of fun.
***I voluntarily reviewed an eARC provided by the publisher, via NetGalley. This review first posted on my blog, luvtoread.***
Read
September 10, 2019I just finished my second read. What an expertly plotted and delicious edition to Huber’s intelligent canon. There doesn’t seem to be an era or locale she cannot wield to her talented pen. While Sidney and Verity are still rebuilding from the shocking revelations of the first book, they are also finding their way back to each other and it is this tenuous romance and carefully sparked ( but so swoon worthy) attraction that is at the beating heart of their adventure. Sidney recognizes that his wife withstood the same danger he experienced at the front due to her work with the Secret Service— but her role required the use of her incredible brain. Sidney’s growing respect and deepening love for the woman he is now married to and not the girl he initially fell in love with is a lovely, deep backdrop to this well-paced and complicated mystery.
September 12, 2023
Ten ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️s!
If Anna Lee Huber’s Verity Kent series debut, This Side of Murder, was a stunner for me, then this second outing in the series, Treacherous Is the Night is a barnburner of a read! I couldn’t put it down, but forced myself to do so I could savor every moment. The first book in the series, introduces the characters nicely, but in the second of the series it takes off as Verity Kent is plunged into an espionage-thriller-mystery-murder laced whodunit after an unexpected message is sent to her at séance she reluctantly attends—a message, purportedly, from beyond the grave from a former agent Verity worked closely with behind the lines during the Great War. Whereas in the first book, we are treated to a murder mystery with treasonous repercussions during the war involving Verity’s dead husband Sydney, in the second, we delve into Verity’s own work with the British Secret Service in Europe. From the first pages, we are sent on a thrilling ride from Britain into Belgium and France in search of answers. And we discover the depth of friendship, comradeship, heroism, and love. Verity ventures into war-torn Europe in the months just after the war as nations are trying to rebuild but are still wary of past threats and possible threats in the future to seek answers as to her friend’s fate, not knowing who to trust. For even though the war is over, danger still lurks. A brilliant whodunit whose end you’ll never see coming! A new favorite series!
Very highly recommended!
Two asides—one whimsical, the other not so much…
First, every time mention is made of the red Pierce-Arrow automobile Verity drives, which belonged to her husband, I have to smile. As a young teenager in the mid-70s, my father used to take me around to classic car shows and one of my favorite cars was the sleek and stylish Pierce-Arrow. It was a stunner of a car, especially the red ones, so I can imagine Verity driving it around London or the Belgian and French countryside. Just one of those simple, minor detail is just an example of Mr. Huber’s descriptions that lends a sense of authenticity to the story that certainly resonated with this reader!
Second, Ms. Huber does a fine job of describing the atmosphere of the Great War, the war to end all wars, and the devastating destruction the German Army visited upon the countryside and cities of Belgium and France. Most novels use WWII as the background. Fewer are written about WWI. Too often we are more familiar with Hitler and his Nazi goons of the Third Reich, but in this war it was the German Kaiser and his bid for a German Empire embracing all of Europe. In his bid, the perpetrators were no less ruthless and no more inhuman than the Nazi scum that came along twenty years later. Ms. Huber has written an absorbing novel, not about the lives of the soldiers at the front bogged down with its unimaginable horrors of trench warfare, but of the aftermath of that war and about the people who risked their lives behind the lines. Although it is a whodunit, the author’s grasp and description of the magnitude of that war live on in the memory long after you finish the story. And trust me… Ms. Huber is no slacker when it comes to research for her series. Just check out her Research Book Shelf here on Goodreads just for this series. https://www.goodreads.com/review/list...
If Anna Lee Huber’s Verity Kent series debut, This Side of Murder, was a stunner for me, then this second outing in the series, Treacherous Is the Night is a barnburner of a read! I couldn’t put it down, but forced myself to do so I could savor every moment. The first book in the series, introduces the characters nicely, but in the second of the series it takes off as Verity Kent is plunged into an espionage-thriller-mystery-murder laced whodunit after an unexpected message is sent to her at séance she reluctantly attends—a message, purportedly, from beyond the grave from a former agent Verity worked closely with behind the lines during the Great War. Whereas in the first book, we are treated to a murder mystery with treasonous repercussions during the war involving Verity’s dead husband Sydney, in the second, we delve into Verity’s own work with the British Secret Service in Europe. From the first pages, we are sent on a thrilling ride from Britain into Belgium and France in search of answers. And we discover the depth of friendship, comradeship, heroism, and love. Verity ventures into war-torn Europe in the months just after the war as nations are trying to rebuild but are still wary of past threats and possible threats in the future to seek answers as to her friend’s fate, not knowing who to trust. For even though the war is over, danger still lurks. A brilliant whodunit whose end you’ll never see coming! A new favorite series!
Very highly recommended!
Two asides—one whimsical, the other not so much…
First, every time mention is made of the red Pierce-Arrow automobile Verity drives, which belonged to her husband, I have to smile. As a young teenager in the mid-70s, my father used to take me around to classic car shows and one of my favorite cars was the sleek and stylish Pierce-Arrow. It was a stunner of a car, especially the red ones, so I can imagine Verity driving it around London or the Belgian and French countryside. Just one of those simple, minor detail is just an example of Mr. Huber’s descriptions that lends a sense of authenticity to the story that certainly resonated with this reader!
Second, Ms. Huber does a fine job of describing the atmosphere of the Great War, the war to end all wars, and the devastating destruction the German Army visited upon the countryside and cities of Belgium and France. Most novels use WWII as the background. Fewer are written about WWI. Too often we are more familiar with Hitler and his Nazi goons of the Third Reich, but in this war it was the German Kaiser and his bid for a German Empire embracing all of Europe. In his bid, the perpetrators were no less ruthless and no more inhuman than the Nazi scum that came along twenty years later. Ms. Huber has written an absorbing novel, not about the lives of the soldiers at the front bogged down with its unimaginable horrors of trench warfare, but of the aftermath of that war and about the people who risked their lives behind the lines. Although it is a whodunit, the author’s grasp and description of the magnitude of that war live on in the memory long after you finish the story. And trust me… Ms. Huber is no slacker when it comes to research for her series. Just check out her Research Book Shelf here on Goodreads just for this series. https://www.goodreads.com/review/list...
September 23, 2018
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.
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.
August 17, 2018
5+ stars!!
Ms. Huber has penned another fabulous mystery in this series. She has demonstrated great skill as she writes in a new setting that is roughly 90 years later than her popular Lady Darby series. Many authors are not able to adapt from one setting to another as successfully as she.
With lyrical prose that appeals to the senses, Ms. Huber adeptly draws her readers into the setting of post-war Europe that is filled with danger and intrigue. The shadow of the Great War continues to haunt Verity and Sidney as they travel to Belgium to uncover secrets that threaten the lives of many who worked undercover for the British Secret Service and the Allies. After believing that Sidney was dead for 15 months, Verity finds that the years of the war have changed both of them. As they work together, Verity and Sidney find that the secrets they reveal not only have the power to uncover a murderer, the secrets of Verity's role in the war have the power to either destroy or strengthen their fragile relationship as well. Huber gives us a heroine that is compelling with her courage, strength and independence. But she is also fragile and endearing in her insecurities.
This exquisite story will appeal to fans of historical fiction and mysteries alike, providing a lyrical tale filled with danger, intrigue, endearing characters and a little bit of romance to satisfy the reader's heart. I look forward to reading more of Verity's exploits in the future.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book from the author/publisher. I was not required to write a review. All opinions expressed are my own.
Ms. Huber has penned another fabulous mystery in this series. She has demonstrated great skill as she writes in a new setting that is roughly 90 years later than her popular Lady Darby series. Many authors are not able to adapt from one setting to another as successfully as she.
With lyrical prose that appeals to the senses, Ms. Huber adeptly draws her readers into the setting of post-war Europe that is filled with danger and intrigue. The shadow of the Great War continues to haunt Verity and Sidney as they travel to Belgium to uncover secrets that threaten the lives of many who worked undercover for the British Secret Service and the Allies. After believing that Sidney was dead for 15 months, Verity finds that the years of the war have changed both of them. As they work together, Verity and Sidney find that the secrets they reveal not only have the power to uncover a murderer, the secrets of Verity's role in the war have the power to either destroy or strengthen their fragile relationship as well. Huber gives us a heroine that is compelling with her courage, strength and independence. But she is also fragile and endearing in her insecurities.
This exquisite story will appeal to fans of historical fiction and mysteries alike, providing a lyrical tale filled with danger, intrigue, endearing characters and a little bit of romance to satisfy the reader's heart. I look forward to reading more of Verity's exploits in the future.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book from the author/publisher. I was not required to write a review. All opinions expressed are my own.
September 6, 2018
Strong second book in the Verity Kent series.
In the last book, Verity discovered that her husband Sidney, whom she’d been told over a year earlier was dead, was still very much alive. After the ripples from that discovery and its associated investigation start dying down, Verity and Sidney are left to see if their marriage is salvagable. After only a few days as newlyweds, they were separated for nearly five years, with only sporadic visits and too many secrets between them. Both had been changed by their respective roles in the war and they are unsure if their marriage would be able to weather those changes. When a strange “visitation” during a seance tells Verity that an old comrade from her days as a spy might be in trouble, she hares off to Belgium to save her old friend.
Through Verity’s search, we learn much of her role during the war, something only lightly touched upon in the first book. The “mystery” itself was somewhat convoluted and much could have been avoided/solved by better communication and a bit of common sense. While I found that aspect of the book less than compelling, the strongest aspect of the story had to do with the personal interactions and growth of the characters.
I look forward to reading more of Verity’s adventures with...you’ll need to read the book to find out.
In the last book, Verity discovered that her husband Sidney, whom she’d been told over a year earlier was dead, was still very much alive. After the ripples from that discovery and its associated investigation start dying down, Verity and Sidney are left to see if their marriage is salvagable. After only a few days as newlyweds, they were separated for nearly five years, with only sporadic visits and too many secrets between them. Both had been changed by their respective roles in the war and they are unsure if their marriage would be able to weather those changes. When a strange “visitation” during a seance tells Verity that an old comrade from her days as a spy might be in trouble, she hares off to Belgium to save her old friend.
Through Verity’s search, we learn much of her role during the war, something only lightly touched upon in the first book. The “mystery” itself was somewhat convoluted and much could have been avoided/solved by better communication and a bit of common sense. While I found that aspect of the book less than compelling, the strongest aspect of the story had to do with the personal interactions and growth of the characters.
I look forward to reading more of Verity’s adventures with...you’ll need to read the book to find out.
October 8, 2024
This is only the second book in this series but I'm already hooked. It's 1919 and spiritualism has become quite popular since so many people died during WWI and then the Spanish flu epidemic. Verity attends a seance with a friend even though she is skeptical and dreading it. Imagine her surprise when the medium tells Verity that someone she knew when a spy for the British government is trying to reach her. Verity is once again in the spy game, this time with husband Sidney. They are a very good team and the mystery is intriguing. On to the next one in the series!
April 22, 2023
I liked this one a lot! It took me a while to read just because life was happening, but I appreciated the way Verity and Sidney have handled their relationship and I found the mystery more interesting this time. I think it also helped that there were fewer new characters to have to track/follow this time, and some of the supporting cast we knew already. Interested to see where this series goes next!
September 7, 2018
Though it is 1919 and despite the horrendous war and the after effects of it, the position of women seemed roughly unchanged. They took up the challenge,motor to every known occupation available, filled in all the gaps admirably but when the war was over they were expected to go back to their routine lives of home and family.
To those like Verity who worked behind the scenes and without anyone's knowledge in extremely desperate circumstances all for the good of the country, this must have been a hard act to follow. In her husband however she had a stalwart supporter. Right now however Verity is in a precarious position also with her husband. He was presumed dead for a long time and his sudden resurrection was a planned one by him, verity cannot forgive him easily for the heartbreak of fifteen months when she thought she was a widow.
Now her history has come back with a vengeance because there seems to be someone following up on a very clandestine operation that very few knew about. No one even knew the names of the operators and so when a spiritualist in London makes a few strange remarks to verity, which she disbelievers, but which is followed by the gruesome murder of the spiritualist, Verity knows that she has to be careful and that she must try to reach out to Emilie her contact in Belgium in order to know that she is safe and well.
The journey to Brussels and trying to find Emilie is a hazardous one - but it also shows Verity and Sydney that someone is on their trail with an intent to kill. But who and why is the problem and the story unravels slowly.
Despite the slow unraveling the story is far from boring. Romance, history, espionage and a lot of mystery entwine he selves in this very well presented book.
To those like Verity who worked behind the scenes and without anyone's knowledge in extremely desperate circumstances all for the good of the country, this must have been a hard act to follow. In her husband however she had a stalwart supporter. Right now however Verity is in a precarious position also with her husband. He was presumed dead for a long time and his sudden resurrection was a planned one by him, verity cannot forgive him easily for the heartbreak of fifteen months when she thought she was a widow.
Now her history has come back with a vengeance because there seems to be someone following up on a very clandestine operation that very few knew about. No one even knew the names of the operators and so when a spiritualist in London makes a few strange remarks to verity, which she disbelievers, but which is followed by the gruesome murder of the spiritualist, Verity knows that she has to be careful and that she must try to reach out to Emilie her contact in Belgium in order to know that she is safe and well.
The journey to Brussels and trying to find Emilie is a hazardous one - but it also shows Verity and Sydney that someone is on their trail with an intent to kill. But who and why is the problem and the story unravels slowly.
Despite the slow unraveling the story is far from boring. Romance, history, espionage and a lot of mystery entwine he selves in this very well presented book.
September 22, 2018
Verity Kent attended a seance and the medium revealed items that occur during the time she was working for the Secret Service. Her efforts to talk with the medium were not successful. With her husband, Sidney at her side. They leave for war-torn Belgium. There she meets friends that help her in war. She feels her friend, the midwife, Emilie
is in trouble and no one knows where she is now. Following the clues, they take a treasure hunt through Belgium seeing all the damage caused by the war but not finding Emilie Will Verify friend her before she becomes a victim of the war? I highly recommend this book and series.
Disclosure: Many thanks to Kensington Books for a review copy. The opinions expressed are my own.
is in trouble and no one knows where she is now. Following the clues, they take a treasure hunt through Belgium seeing all the damage caused by the war but not finding Emilie Will Verify friend her before she becomes a victim of the war? I highly recommend this book and series.
Disclosure: Many thanks to Kensington Books for a review copy. The opinions expressed are my own.
November 24, 2018
4.5 stars. I liked the first book in this series, but Treacherous Is the Night took it to another level! The first one was a bit more cozy mystery, with the classic English house party setup, but this one felt much deeper. Most of the historical mystery series I read are lighter than this, and while I love the sparkliness and humor they have to offer, I also loved the darker, more serious feel of this book, and the issues it explored.
After I finished the first book, I was rather skeptical of Sidney and his sudden reappearance, and I rather wanted Verity to just run off with Max. But here we saw Verity and Sidney exploring the distance between them and the things they had each seen and suffered during the war. We get to find out more about Verity's work as a spy, and through her eyes we see the changes in Sidney since he's come back from the trenches.
I highly recommend this series to everyone who likes historical mysteries, though you should definitely start with the first book, This Side of Murder.
After I finished the first book, I was rather skeptical of Sidney and his sudden reappearance, and I rather wanted Verity to just run off with Max. But here we saw Verity and Sidney exploring the distance between them and the things they had each seen and suffered during the war. We get to find out more about Verity's work as a spy, and through her eyes we see the changes in Sidney since he's come back from the trenches.
I highly recommend this series to everyone who likes historical mysteries, though you should definitely start with the first book, This Side of Murder.
July 17, 2019
“Treacherous Is the Night” by Anna Lee Huber is a thrilling mystery set during 1919 England just after the war, when many who are grieving seek solace from spiritualists. Atmospheric and engaging, it features Verity Kent, once a member of the Secret Service who sets out to uncover the truth about the supposed death of a female spy. Then the medium who channels the lost spy is murdered, and Verity is blocked by her former spook colleagues in discovering what truly happened — and finds her own life in danger. Highly recommended!
Pub Date 25 Sep 2018
Thanks to Kensington Books and NetGalley for the review copy. Opinions are mine.
#TreacherousIsTheNight #NetGalley
Pub Date 25 Sep 2018
Thanks to Kensington Books and NetGalley for the review copy. Opinions are mine.
#TreacherousIsTheNight #NetGalley
December 6, 2018
Verity who was a strong woman in the first book has turned into a doormat here who takes on the guilt and blame of everything and everyone when she shouldn't. Her husband Sydney turns out to be the biggest chauvinistic asshole ever. And Verity just takes it and rationalizes everything....I would have dumped him and at this point in time, she wouldn't have been blamed for doing so. The mystery plot in this book is slim and takes a back seat to the problems of Verity and Sydney which shouldn't have taken up this much time. I don't think I'll read the next book if it has Sydney in it or Verity keeps on with the self-blaming and doormat behavior.
September 21, 2018
Series: Verity Kent #2
Publication Date: 9/25/18
This is a captivating, suspenseful and beautifully written tale set in the aftermath of WWI. It moves quickly and is filled with twists and turns. There is so much rich period detail that is so well done that you feel as if you are there. This author does a lot of research and I always learn something new when I read her work. The characters are so well written that you would like to introduce yourself and make them your friend. I particularly like Max and can’t wait for him to get his HEA. Once I began my read, I couldn’t put it down!
If you read the first book in the series, This Side of Murder, you saw Verity’s reaction to a séance. So, just imagine her reaction when her best friend, Daphne, asks her to attend a séance with her. Verity did her best to decline the request, but Daphne is a very persuasive lady, and Verity ends up at the séance. Two big surprises await her there – (1) is the fact that Max is attending with his aunt and (2) the medium ‘channels’ one of Verity’s contacts from her days as an operative during the war. Verity doesn’t believe for a minute that the reading is true, but how could that medium possibly know about Emelie. Verity is very shaken when she leaves the séance – and even more shaken when she returns to the medium’s home the next morning to find the house burning and the medium dead.
Verity immediately begins to dig into the matter and finds a trail of breadcrumbs. As she and Sidney follow them, the danger increases. They leave England and head across the channel to some of the more horrific scenes of the war – and to the areas where Verity spent a lot of time acting for the crown. The crumbs are sparse and it takes Verity a lot of effort to follow them and find the solution to the mystery – and the madman at the end of the journey.
With the backdrop of the mystery and its solution, Verity and Sidney are still trying to figure out how to make their marriage work. Their fifth anniversary is approaching, but they’ve not spent more than a couple of months of that time together. Sidney was shipped off the war three days after they married and he had very few leaves where he could come home. Then, the unthinkable happened – Sidney died – and Verity went into deep, deep mourning for him. She didn’t care whether she lived or died and she took some big risks – some of them in her spying. She is keeping secrets from Sidney and until they clear the air, they’ll never come together. She’s afraid he’ll hate her if she tells him all. So, it is really nice to see them forgive each other and get back to that love you just knew they always had for each other. Although – I still think Sidney got off a bit easy for what he put her through. All in all, I loved the character development between Verity and Sidney and Verity’s struggle with reconciling her wartime work and settling into a normal life.
I loved the mystery with Emelie because it was really well done and kept me guessing until the end. There are just so many things that I loved about this book that there is no way I can mention all of them here. I can say, however, if you want to be thoroughly entertained and learn something in the process, this book is for you! I can hardly wait for their next adventure!
Please check out my reviews at:
Blog: https://flippinpages.blog/
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/flippinpages...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/FlippinPagesRev
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BarbBookReview
"I requested and received this e-book at no cost to me and volunteered to read it; my review is my honest opinion and given without any influence by the author or publisher."
Publication Date: 9/25/18
This is a captivating, suspenseful and beautifully written tale set in the aftermath of WWI. It moves quickly and is filled with twists and turns. There is so much rich period detail that is so well done that you feel as if you are there. This author does a lot of research and I always learn something new when I read her work. The characters are so well written that you would like to introduce yourself and make them your friend. I particularly like Max and can’t wait for him to get his HEA. Once I began my read, I couldn’t put it down!
If you read the first book in the series, This Side of Murder, you saw Verity’s reaction to a séance. So, just imagine her reaction when her best friend, Daphne, asks her to attend a séance with her. Verity did her best to decline the request, but Daphne is a very persuasive lady, and Verity ends up at the séance. Two big surprises await her there – (1) is the fact that Max is attending with his aunt and (2) the medium ‘channels’ one of Verity’s contacts from her days as an operative during the war. Verity doesn’t believe for a minute that the reading is true, but how could that medium possibly know about Emelie. Verity is very shaken when she leaves the séance – and even more shaken when she returns to the medium’s home the next morning to find the house burning and the medium dead.
Verity immediately begins to dig into the matter and finds a trail of breadcrumbs. As she and Sidney follow them, the danger increases. They leave England and head across the channel to some of the more horrific scenes of the war – and to the areas where Verity spent a lot of time acting for the crown. The crumbs are sparse and it takes Verity a lot of effort to follow them and find the solution to the mystery – and the madman at the end of the journey.
With the backdrop of the mystery and its solution, Verity and Sidney are still trying to figure out how to make their marriage work. Their fifth anniversary is approaching, but they’ve not spent more than a couple of months of that time together. Sidney was shipped off the war three days after they married and he had very few leaves where he could come home. Then, the unthinkable happened – Sidney died – and Verity went into deep, deep mourning for him. She didn’t care whether she lived or died and she took some big risks – some of them in her spying. She is keeping secrets from Sidney and until they clear the air, they’ll never come together. She’s afraid he’ll hate her if she tells him all. So, it is really nice to see them forgive each other and get back to that love you just knew they always had for each other. Although – I still think Sidney got off a bit easy for what he put her through. All in all, I loved the character development between Verity and Sidney and Verity’s struggle with reconciling her wartime work and settling into a normal life.
I loved the mystery with Emelie because it was really well done and kept me guessing until the end. There are just so many things that I loved about this book that there is no way I can mention all of them here. I can say, however, if you want to be thoroughly entertained and learn something in the process, this book is for you! I can hardly wait for their next adventure!
Please check out my reviews at:
Blog: https://flippinpages.blog/
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/flippinpages...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/FlippinPagesRev
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BarbBookReview
"I requested and received this e-book at no cost to me and volunteered to read it; my review is my honest opinion and given without any influence by the author or publisher."
December 18, 2018
Delving deeper into the complexities of husband Sidney's return from his WWI presumed death, Verity Kent's life is, yet again, no longer as it once was. Neither is Sidney's. And there lie the concerns. How does one pick up life as a couple when you've believed yourself, and lived as, one widowed?
Which this second entry in the Verity Kent series seeks to sort through.
Until a murder the morning following Verity's invitation to visit the woman at her home. Now the complexities compound... relational and life threatening.
Verity's former Secret Service employer and automatic go to doesn't offer the outcome she anticipates, yet intuition leads her back across the channel in search of clues. Tension mounts as sleuthing returns them to battle zones literally and figuratively.
A multi-layered novel of conflicts and ultimate resolution allowing readers the inside look at who the characters of this Verity Kent series have been and now are.
Offering insights of their tragedies and tenderness that draw readers into understanding and anticipation of where this new beginning will lead them next. . .
Which this second entry in the Verity Kent series seeks to sort through.
Until a murder the morning following Verity's invitation to visit the woman at her home. Now the complexities compound... relational and life threatening.
Verity's former Secret Service employer and automatic go to doesn't offer the outcome she anticipates, yet intuition leads her back across the channel in search of clues. Tension mounts as sleuthing returns them to battle zones literally and figuratively.
A multi-layered novel of conflicts and ultimate resolution allowing readers the inside look at who the characters of this Verity Kent series have been and now are.
Offering insights of their tragedies and tenderness that draw readers into understanding and anticipation of where this new beginning will lead them next. . .
September 29, 2018
I really enjoyed the second book in Huber's Verity Kent series in which Verity Kent finds herself embroiled in an intrigue related to her time as a Secret Service agent during the war. Verity learns that a former contact may be in danger and that someone has been sharing secrets that should not have been made public, spurring Verity to make a trip to Belgium to discover more. Accompanying Verity is her husband, Sidney, who has recently returned to her after being thought dead for 15 months (read the first book for more on this). For Verity, this jaunt to Belgium is a way to deflect the problems that she and Sidney are having - they were only married for a short time before the war and that war has also changed both of them dramatically. The drama in their marriage was really well done and balanced nicely with the mystery element.
Altogether, Treacherous Is the Night was a great instalment in this post-war mystery series. If you've read any of Simone St. James' historical novels, Huber's newest series will absolutely appeal. The post-war era is one that continually draws my attention, and I think Huber captures that tumultuous time exceedingly well.
*Review copy provided by NetGalley.
Altogether, Treacherous Is the Night was a great instalment in this post-war mystery series. If you've read any of Simone St. James' historical novels, Huber's newest series will absolutely appeal. The post-war era is one that continually draws my attention, and I think Huber captures that tumultuous time exceedingly well.
*Review copy provided by NetGalley.
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