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Mary & Hugh #1.5 (Weapon of Choice)
The Deadly Hours
"Charming... Four interconnected visits to a world of danger, wit, beauty and genuine romance. Treat yourself!"—ANNE PERRY, internationally bestselling author
A stellar line-up of historical mystery novelists weaves the tale of a priceless and cursed gold watch as it passes through time wreaking havoc from one owner to another. The characters are irrevocably linked by fate, each playing a key role in breaking the curse and destroying the watch once and for all.
From 1733 Italy to Edinburgh in 1831 to a series of chilling murders in 1870 London, and a lethal game of revenge decades later, the watch touches lives with misfortune, until it comes into the reach of one young woman who might be able to stop it for good.
This outstanding collaboration of authors includes:
Susanna Kearsley – New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of compelling time slip fiction.
C.S. Harris – bestselling author of the Sebastian St. Cyr Regency mystery series.
Anna Lee Huber – award-winning author of the national bestselling Lady Darby Mysteries.
Christine Trent – author of the Lady of Ashes Victorian mystery series.
More praise for The Deadly Hours:
"A fantastic read."—Tasha Alexander, New York Times bestselling author
"What a treat!"—Victoria Thompson, USA Today bestselling author
A stellar line-up of historical mystery novelists weaves the tale of a priceless and cursed gold watch as it passes through time wreaking havoc from one owner to another. The characters are irrevocably linked by fate, each playing a key role in breaking the curse and destroying the watch once and for all.
From 1733 Italy to Edinburgh in 1831 to a series of chilling murders in 1870 London, and a lethal game of revenge decades later, the watch touches lives with misfortune, until it comes into the reach of one young woman who might be able to stop it for good.
This outstanding collaboration of authors includes:
Susanna Kearsley – New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of compelling time slip fiction.
C.S. Harris – bestselling author of the Sebastian St. Cyr Regency mystery series.
Anna Lee Huber – award-winning author of the national bestselling Lady Darby Mysteries.
Christine Trent – author of the Lady of Ashes Victorian mystery series.
More praise for The Deadly Hours:
"A fantastic read."—Tasha Alexander, New York Times bestselling author
"What a treat!"—Victoria Thompson, USA Today bestselling author
347 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 1, 2020
909 people are currently reading
6941 people want to read
About the author
Susanna Kearsley
32 books8,956 followersNew York Times, USA Today, and Globe and Mail bestselling author Susanna Kearsley is a former museum curator who loves restoring the lost voices of real people to the page, interweaving romance and historical intrigue with modern adventure.
Her books, published in translation in more than 20 countries, have won the Catherine Cookson Fiction Prize, RT Reviewers’ Choice Awards, a RITA Award, and National Readers’ Choice Awards, and have finaled for the UK’s Romantic Novel of the Year and the Crime Writers of Canada's Arthur Ellis Award for Best Novel.
She lives near Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
(Aka Emma Cole, a pseudonym she used for one novel, Every Secret Thing, a thriller which at the time was intended to be the first of a trilogy featuring heroine Kate Murray, and which may yet be finished, some day. Meantime, Every Secret Thing has been reissued under Kearsley's name, and the Emma Cole pseudonym is no longer in use.)
Her books, published in translation in more than 20 countries, have won the Catherine Cookson Fiction Prize, RT Reviewers’ Choice Awards, a RITA Award, and National Readers’ Choice Awards, and have finaled for the UK’s Romantic Novel of the Year and the Crime Writers of Canada's Arthur Ellis Award for Best Novel.
She lives near Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
(Aka Emma Cole, a pseudonym she used for one novel, Every Secret Thing, a thriller which at the time was intended to be the first of a trilogy featuring heroine Kate Murray, and which may yet be finished, some day. Meantime, Every Secret Thing has been reissued under Kearsley's name, and the Emma Cole pseudonym is no longer in use.)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 526 reviews
November 5, 2021
I picked up this book up on a Kindle sale because I've been on a bit of a Susanna Kearsley binge lately. She wrote the first of this set of four interlocking novellas, by four different historical fiction authors, about the long history of a magnificent but cursed gold watch and the people who come into contact with it over the centuries.
The watch's story begins (at least for the reader) in 1733 Italy, in Kearsley’s story “Weapon of Choice,” which I was delighted to find out has two couples from prior Kearsley novels as its main characters, Anna and Edmund from The Firebird and Mary and Hugh from A Desperate Fortune, along with a political assassin whose plot the four of them are trying to foil. Lots of fun.
The second novella jumps to Edinburgh in 1830, where Lady Darby (the main character in a long-running mystery series by Anna Lee Huber) tries to figure out if the watch is responsible for an outbreak of disease in the city. Meh. I was a little bored.
Then we go to 1870 for the third novella, where the watch is implicated in a series of violent murders in a well-to-do area of London. Violet Harper, an undertaker (from another series by Christine Trent), unfortunately dug up the watch from where Lady Darby had thrown it in a grave many years before, when moving a body to a new grave. Violet gets involved in trying to figure out why the watch temporarily stops (!) an hour before each of these murders. Fairly interesting novella.
We finally end up in a small English village during WWII, where the watch may be the object of a search by a murderous Nazi spy. A former Spitfire pilot, now with MI5, reluctantly joins forces with a local gentlewoman, Rachel Townsend-Smythe, to investigate. This fourth novella, by C.S. Harris, felt a bit rushed at novella length, but it was well-written and makes me inclined to go read more by Harris.
The first and last novellas are definitely a step above the middle two in writing style, for my money. But it was worth the price for those two stories, and for the chance to meet up with Anna and Edmund from The Firebird later in their lives.
3.75 stars, averaged out.
The watch's story begins (at least for the reader) in 1733 Italy, in Kearsley’s story “Weapon of Choice,” which I was delighted to find out has two couples from prior Kearsley novels as its main characters, Anna and Edmund from The Firebird and Mary and Hugh from A Desperate Fortune, along with a political assassin whose plot the four of them are trying to foil. Lots of fun.
The second novella jumps to Edinburgh in 1830, where Lady Darby (the main character in a long-running mystery series by Anna Lee Huber) tries to figure out if the watch is responsible for an outbreak of disease in the city. Meh. I was a little bored.
Then we go to 1870 for the third novella, where the watch is implicated in a series of violent murders in a well-to-do area of London. Violet Harper, an undertaker (from another series by Christine Trent), unfortunately dug up the watch from where Lady Darby had thrown it in a grave many years before, when moving a body to a new grave. Violet gets involved in trying to figure out why the watch temporarily stops (!) an hour before each of these murders. Fairly interesting novella.
We finally end up in a small English village during WWII, where the watch may be the object of a search by a murderous Nazi spy. A former Spitfire pilot, now with MI5, reluctantly joins forces with a local gentlewoman, Rachel Townsend-Smythe, to investigate. This fourth novella, by C.S. Harris, felt a bit rushed at novella length, but it was well-written and makes me inclined to go read more by Harris.
The first and last novellas are definitely a step above the middle two in writing style, for my money. But it was worth the price for those two stories, and for the chance to meet up with Anna and Edmund from The Firebird later in their lives.
3.75 stars, averaged out.
August 14, 2020
This anthology of four novellas by popular historical authors, based around a cursed watch, La Sirène as it travels through history, makes for a very entertaining read.
Starting in 1733 ('Weapon of Choice' by Susanna Kearsley), a young Jacobite and his wife are travelling to Genoa by sea to meet the Duke of Ormonde and protect him from an assassin while escorting him to King James' court in Rome. When a storm forces them to seek harbour at Portofino, they are forced into company with a dangerous man who shows them an elegant gold watch with an outer case engraved with a ship tossed at sea and all manner of sea creatures among the waves. Inside the inner case is engraved with a beautiful mermaid (La Sirène) and an inscription "Je suis le seul maître de mon temps" (I am the only master of my time). He tells them the curse will only be removed once the watch has travelled through the four elements of water, earth, air and fire.
Before they resume their journey, a man will be dead and the watch will next turn up in Edinburgh in 1831 ('In a Fevered Hour' by Anna Lee Huber), where it is blamed for an epidemic sweeping the city. In 1870, the watch will surface again in Edinburgh ('A Pocketful of Death' by Christine Trent) and be linked to several deaths in a wealthy family and then finally it emerges in 1944 on the Kent coast ('Siren's Call' by C.S. Harris) where a German spy is being sought by MI5.
All four stories were engaging, featuring strong, clever women working alone or alongside their husbands. Fans of Anna Lee Huber will recognise her unconventional sleuth Lady Darby and followers of Christine Trent will be acquainted with undertaker Violet Morgan. Mary, wife of inquiry agent Hugh Dundas has also featured in one of Susanna Kearsley's previous novels while C.S. Harris's museum curator Rachel Townsend-Smythe is a new invention in a story that nicely rounds off the anthology. Overall, these were four well written and engaging novellas each a suspense featuring danger and death, all solidly immersed in their own time period, with only the cursed watch to connect them.
With many thanks to Poisoned Pen Press and Netgalley for a copy of the book to read
Starting in 1733 ('Weapon of Choice' by Susanna Kearsley), a young Jacobite and his wife are travelling to Genoa by sea to meet the Duke of Ormonde and protect him from an assassin while escorting him to King James' court in Rome. When a storm forces them to seek harbour at Portofino, they are forced into company with a dangerous man who shows them an elegant gold watch with an outer case engraved with a ship tossed at sea and all manner of sea creatures among the waves. Inside the inner case is engraved with a beautiful mermaid (La Sirène) and an inscription "Je suis le seul maître de mon temps" (I am the only master of my time). He tells them the curse will only be removed once the watch has travelled through the four elements of water, earth, air and fire.
Before they resume their journey, a man will be dead and the watch will next turn up in Edinburgh in 1831 ('In a Fevered Hour' by Anna Lee Huber), where it is blamed for an epidemic sweeping the city. In 1870, the watch will surface again in Edinburgh ('A Pocketful of Death' by Christine Trent) and be linked to several deaths in a wealthy family and then finally it emerges in 1944 on the Kent coast ('Siren's Call' by C.S. Harris) where a German spy is being sought by MI5.
All four stories were engaging, featuring strong, clever women working alone or alongside their husbands. Fans of Anna Lee Huber will recognise her unconventional sleuth Lady Darby and followers of Christine Trent will be acquainted with undertaker Violet Morgan. Mary, wife of inquiry agent Hugh Dundas has also featured in one of Susanna Kearsley's previous novels while C.S. Harris's museum curator Rachel Townsend-Smythe is a new invention in a story that nicely rounds off the anthology. Overall, these were four well written and engaging novellas each a suspense featuring danger and death, all solidly immersed in their own time period, with only the cursed watch to connect them.
With many thanks to Poisoned Pen Press and Netgalley for a copy of the book to read
July 17, 2020
Overall, four solid novellas in this cohesive anthology explore a cursed gold watch traveling through Europe over a period of several hundred years, bringing death and destruction to nearly everyone unfortunate enough to cross its path. Each of the four writers here picks up the story in a new era with a new set of characters and develops an entirely new and unique mystery around the watch's ghastly ability to wreak havoc.
There are enough commonalities among the stories to render the curse plausible, including healthy skepticism from main characters in each new generation and story about the watch's powers. I like too that each author considers the relevance of the historical moment they choose for a setting to understand the impact cultural superstition can have on people. For historical mystery readers, Kearsley, Huber, and Trent fans will enjoy reconnecting with familiar characters from these authors' series. C. S. Harris though departs a bit by introducing entirely new characters, and though I would not have minded a Sebastian St. Cyr mystery around the cursed watch at all, her new characters here are utterly fascinating and her story was easily my favorite of this anthology and worth the purchase of this book on its own.
I did find the book a bit uneven in that while Kearsley's book is solid and enjoyable, Huber's and Trent's stories were less interesting. I've not though alas been a fan of the Lady Darby books, but fans of her series might enjoy this story more. Harris's story, however, demonstrates to me why she is just so good at what she does. Setting her story in a small village in England during WWII to wrap up the anthology, she shows how the traveling watch fulfills its curse. The story relies on the historical facts around Hitler's fascination with the occult and his desire to locate cultural items hidden in other nations and steal them on behalf of the Motherland. This plot was actually the plot of the first Indiana Jones saga. As usual, Harris researches history well and provides lots of interesting information to create a tale ostensibly about a cursed watch but in actuality about the connections between past and present. A society susceptible to conspiracy theories and open to scapegoating its most vulnerable citizens is a broken society capable of being exploited by demagogues. If this sounds familiar, I think that's the point. I love too the underlying discussions about the hardships of a nation living through incredible sacrifices, including necessary blackouts at night to prevent German bombers from hitting their targets. It's hard to imagine today's citizens being willing en masse to sacrifice their freedoms for the sake of each other. I came away thinking a lot too about what it means to live through challenging historical times and how much a belief in transitions as an underlying philosophy that things will get better is needed to see people through. I am committed to the Sebastian St. Cyr books but I wouldn't mind at all reading more about Jude and Rachel. Their romance was satisfying on its own terms but they are such well-developed characters that I would eagerly read more of them. And Harris's command of the WWII period was really quite wonderful.
There are enough commonalities among the stories to render the curse plausible, including healthy skepticism from main characters in each new generation and story about the watch's powers. I like too that each author considers the relevance of the historical moment they choose for a setting to understand the impact cultural superstition can have on people. For historical mystery readers, Kearsley, Huber, and Trent fans will enjoy reconnecting with familiar characters from these authors' series. C. S. Harris though departs a bit by introducing entirely new characters, and though I would not have minded a Sebastian St. Cyr mystery around the cursed watch at all, her new characters here are utterly fascinating and her story was easily my favorite of this anthology and worth the purchase of this book on its own.
I did find the book a bit uneven in that while Kearsley's book is solid and enjoyable, Huber's and Trent's stories were less interesting. I've not though alas been a fan of the Lady Darby books, but fans of her series might enjoy this story more. Harris's story, however, demonstrates to me why she is just so good at what she does. Setting her story in a small village in England during WWII to wrap up the anthology, she shows how the traveling watch fulfills its curse. The story relies on the historical facts around Hitler's fascination with the occult and his desire to locate cultural items hidden in other nations and steal them on behalf of the Motherland. This plot was actually the plot of the first Indiana Jones saga. As usual, Harris researches history well and provides lots of interesting information to create a tale ostensibly about a cursed watch but in actuality about the connections between past and present. A society susceptible to conspiracy theories and open to scapegoating its most vulnerable citizens is a broken society capable of being exploited by demagogues. If this sounds familiar, I think that's the point. I love too the underlying discussions about the hardships of a nation living through incredible sacrifices, including necessary blackouts at night to prevent German bombers from hitting their targets. It's hard to imagine today's citizens being willing en masse to sacrifice their freedoms for the sake of each other. I came away thinking a lot too about what it means to live through challenging historical times and how much a belief in transitions as an underlying philosophy that things will get better is needed to see people through. I am committed to the Sebastian St. Cyr books but I wouldn't mind at all reading more about Jude and Rachel. Their romance was satisfying on its own terms but they are such well-developed characters that I would eagerly read more of them. And Harris's command of the WWII period was really quite wonderful.
September 5, 2020
I received an advanced copy of this book from Net Galley and Poison Pen Press in return for an honest review. The release date for this book was 1 Sept 2020
I really enjoyed this anthology surrounding a cursed pocket watch. The four authors stories woven together made a riveting tale. The stories themselves could stand on their own but when brought together made for great entertainment. With romance and mystery combined in each story this book has a lot of breath and depth to it. I highly recommend it to all.
I really enjoyed this anthology surrounding a cursed pocket watch. The four authors stories woven together made a riveting tale. The stories themselves could stand on their own but when brought together made for great entertainment. With romance and mystery combined in each story this book has a lot of breath and depth to it. I highly recommend it to all.
September 18, 2020
Oh my, some of my favorite historical mystery authors joined up to write a novel together. The authors include Christine Trent, Anna Lee Huber, C.S. Harris, and Susanna Kearsley. At the heart of the novel is a priceless gold watch passing through time and place and leaving its mark along the way.
It begins in Italy in 1733 and eventually lands in 1944. Deadly Hours reads like four historical mystery stories tied together by the cursed watch. It was a unique way to read a historical mystery, and I loved each and every story. It’s also a great way to get a taste of each author’s style. I’m a big fan already of C.S. Harris and Anna Lee Huber and already want to read more books by the other two authors featured. Well-done and highly recommend for historical mystery fans!
I received a gifted copy. All opinions are my own.
Many of my reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com and instagram: www.instagram.com/tarheelreader
It begins in Italy in 1733 and eventually lands in 1944. Deadly Hours reads like four historical mystery stories tied together by the cursed watch. It was a unique way to read a historical mystery, and I loved each and every story. It’s also a great way to get a taste of each author’s style. I’m a big fan already of C.S. Harris and Anna Lee Huber and already want to read more books by the other two authors featured. Well-done and highly recommend for historical mystery fans!
I received a gifted copy. All opinions are my own.
Many of my reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com and instagram: www.instagram.com/tarheelreader
November 27, 2021
3.5 rounded to 4
Four short stories about a cursed watch causing death and wrath.
Each story by a different author in a different time and place, all connected to one another.
Some of the stories were better than others. I enjoyed the story by Susanna Kearsley the best. I discovered new authors which I have never read.
Enjoyable read.
Four short stories about a cursed watch causing death and wrath.
Each story by a different author in a different time and place, all connected to one another.
Some of the stories were better than others. I enjoyed the story by Susanna Kearsley the best. I discovered new authors which I have never read.
Enjoyable read.
November 15, 2020
This gorgeous anthology written by four historical mystery authors is such a stellar collaboration! I was not familiar with every one of these authors and now have some new favorites to add to my shelves.
The Deadly Hours, told in four parts, each by a different author, tells the story of a cursed pocket watch. A watch that travels throughout history for almost two hundred years and affects the lives of all who come in direct contact. Let me just say, the description of this gold pocket watch is beautiful! I probably would have attempted to possess it too.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book! Each story is woven so perfectly together. The characters are well written, the storyline - beginning in 1733 Italy and ending in 1944 Kent, England was incredibly fascinating. I had to keep reminding myself each novella was written by a different author because the flow never stopped.
Historical mystery lovers, grab this book! This was my very first anthology and definitely won't be my last. Such an interesting concept! Huge thank you to Poisoned Pen Press for my copy. The Deadly Hours hit shelves on September 1st.
The Deadly Hours, told in four parts, each by a different author, tells the story of a cursed pocket watch. A watch that travels throughout history for almost two hundred years and affects the lives of all who come in direct contact. Let me just say, the description of this gold pocket watch is beautiful! I probably would have attempted to possess it too.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book! Each story is woven so perfectly together. The characters are well written, the storyline - beginning in 1733 Italy and ending in 1944 Kent, England was incredibly fascinating. I had to keep reminding myself each novella was written by a different author because the flow never stopped.
Historical mystery lovers, grab this book! This was my very first anthology and definitely won't be my last. Such an interesting concept! Huge thank you to Poisoned Pen Press for my copy. The Deadly Hours hit shelves on September 1st.
Read
November 11, 2020I bought this book because contributor Susanna Kearsley's a favorite--and I was delighted that the MCs from my favorite of her novels (A Desperate Fortune) take the lead again in the 17th-century adventure that opens the collection.
Wonderfully, the stories are connected!--in a series of mysteries and semi-thrillers that span centuries. The link is a golden watch with a bit of magic and plenty of magnetism--generation after generation will defy the rumored curse to possess the treasure. The plot is wonderfully intricate, and the historical connections apt and clever.
Recommended if you like historical mysteries.
The other contributors are new to me, and I was glad to meet them.
Many thanks to Sourcebooks and the editors and agents who matched up this group!
Wonderfully, the stories are connected!--in a series of mysteries and semi-thrillers that span centuries. The link is a golden watch with a bit of magic and plenty of magnetism--generation after generation will defy the rumored curse to possess the treasure. The plot is wonderfully intricate, and the historical connections apt and clever.
Recommended if you like historical mysteries.
The other contributors are new to me, and I was glad to meet them.
Many thanks to Sourcebooks and the editors and agents who matched up this group!
July 22, 2020
This is a collection of 4 novellas, each by a different author. The stories, which extend from the 18th to the 20th century, are linked by an allegedly cursed watch and those who possess it. I was interested in reading the book because I am a fan of Anna Lee Huber's Lady Darby mysteries, and her story and the third one by Christine Trent were my favorites. Thanks to the publisher and Edelweiss for providing me with an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
September 1, 2020
Brilliant!
Four fabulous historical mystery writers have banded together to beguile us with the ominous story of a gold pocket watch. A mesmerizing piece with a siren engraved on it. Down through the ages it has garnered the name, La Sirène. This legendary object made from cursed gold can apparently affect many things including the weather. Greed, obsessiveness, maleficence and death on both a narrow and wide scale follow in its wake.
It was reputedly "first cursed by God when French buccaneers stole the gold from the holy altars as they sacked the city of Cartagena.” Doom is it's stamp.
There was so much packed into these novellas. Each was a sleek and deep read, with an overlay of the Gothic. I was entranced! I just loved the atmosphere and tension each writer brings to the overall premise. Characters we know from their novels are called to deal with the watch and its impact within their historical time frame. Each sequence adds a satisfying revelation about the watch as our known and loved characters battle La Sirène's cursed impact.
The miasma of evil hangs heavy and only the courage and intelligence of our beloved proponents are able to banish it from their time.
This had everything one could wish to make it a startling and satisfying read.
A Poisoned Pen ARC via NetGalley
Please note: Quotes taken from an advanced reading copy maybe subject to change
Four fabulous historical mystery writers have banded together to beguile us with the ominous story of a gold pocket watch. A mesmerizing piece with a siren engraved on it. Down through the ages it has garnered the name, La Sirène. This legendary object made from cursed gold can apparently affect many things including the weather. Greed, obsessiveness, maleficence and death on both a narrow and wide scale follow in its wake.
It was reputedly "first cursed by God when French buccaneers stole the gold from the holy altars as they sacked the city of Cartagena.” Doom is it's stamp.
There was so much packed into these novellas. Each was a sleek and deep read, with an overlay of the Gothic. I was entranced! I just loved the atmosphere and tension each writer brings to the overall premise. Characters we know from their novels are called to deal with the watch and its impact within their historical time frame. Each sequence adds a satisfying revelation about the watch as our known and loved characters battle La Sirène's cursed impact.
The miasma of evil hangs heavy and only the courage and intelligence of our beloved proponents are able to banish it from their time.
This had everything one could wish to make it a startling and satisfying read.
A Poisoned Pen ARC via NetGalley
Please note: Quotes taken from an advanced reading copy maybe subject to change
August 5, 2020
3.5 stars rounded up to 4
Thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for an egalley in exchange for an honest review.
Four short stories set in different time periods that are all interconnected by a timepiece( Le Sirene) that is rumored to be cursed. The historical mystery novelists in this anthology are Susanna Kearsley, Anna Lee Huber, Christine Trent, and C.S. Harris. As is my practice when it comes to these collections, I do like to discuss and rate each story separately.
Weapon of Choice Susanna Kearsley 4 stars
Dedicated to her friend, Diana Gabaldon, Susanna Kearsley re-introduces readers to Scotsman Hugh and his wife Mary( A Desperate Fortune )during events in 1733. Once again, Kearsley weaves Jacobite history and brings the tale of an assassin named Douglas who wants to bring down the heavily guarded King James. Of course, a treasured watch might not be the best good luck charm.
I have read the majority of SK's titles and as I am most familiar with her work, I cannot deny that it is hard to be impartial. I love her characters, the way she recreates the atmosphere of the 18th century time period. I felt that the whole storyline really worked and I was sad when it came to a conclusion.
In a Fevered Hour: A Lady Darby Novella Anna Lee Huber 3 stars
Set in Edinburgh, Scotland in 1831, Lady Darby and her husband, Sebastian Gage are enlisted to track down a watch that could spell disaster for the entire city if not found as those who carry it have met their impending doom. The clock is ticking...
I have long wanted to read a Lady Darby mystery and I really enjoyed both her personality and that of her husband. Anna Lee Huber manages to create a chilling atmosphere and certainly made the cursed watch even more terrifying.
A Pocketful of Death Christine Trent 3 stars
Edinburgh: 1870, Violet Harper has been tasked by a recently appointed viscount to reunite the remains of a family long separated, and in the process discovers the haunted timepiece. Although she isn't yet aware of what horrors it can invoke, she's certainly going to discover it soon.
Another strong-willed Victorian protagonist that I quite enjoyed, I hadn't heard of this author and her historical mysteries before but call me intrigued.
< i>Siren's Call C.S. Harris 4 stars
England: 1944: Rachel Wellington and Jude Lowe must race to stop German spies from stealing a watch rumored to be cursed before it falls into Hitler's hands.
Obviously, I cannot escape this time period even when I try and make an effort. Haha! Although far fetched I couldn't help but fall hard for this intriguing culmination in the watch's history.
Expected Publication 01/09/20
Goodreads review 05/08/20
Thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for an egalley in exchange for an honest review.
Four short stories set in different time periods that are all interconnected by a timepiece( Le Sirene) that is rumored to be cursed. The historical mystery novelists in this anthology are Susanna Kearsley, Anna Lee Huber, Christine Trent, and C.S. Harris. As is my practice when it comes to these collections, I do like to discuss and rate each story separately.
Weapon of Choice Susanna Kearsley 4 stars
Dedicated to her friend, Diana Gabaldon, Susanna Kearsley re-introduces readers to Scotsman Hugh and his wife Mary( A Desperate Fortune )during events in 1733. Once again, Kearsley weaves Jacobite history and brings the tale of an assassin named Douglas who wants to bring down the heavily guarded King James. Of course, a treasured watch might not be the best good luck charm.
I have read the majority of SK's titles and as I am most familiar with her work, I cannot deny that it is hard to be impartial. I love her characters, the way she recreates the atmosphere of the 18th century time period. I felt that the whole storyline really worked and I was sad when it came to a conclusion.
In a Fevered Hour: A Lady Darby Novella Anna Lee Huber 3 stars
Set in Edinburgh, Scotland in 1831, Lady Darby and her husband, Sebastian Gage are enlisted to track down a watch that could spell disaster for the entire city if not found as those who carry it have met their impending doom. The clock is ticking...
I have long wanted to read a Lady Darby mystery and I really enjoyed both her personality and that of her husband. Anna Lee Huber manages to create a chilling atmosphere and certainly made the cursed watch even more terrifying.
A Pocketful of Death Christine Trent 3 stars
Edinburgh: 1870, Violet Harper has been tasked by a recently appointed viscount to reunite the remains of a family long separated, and in the process discovers the haunted timepiece. Although she isn't yet aware of what horrors it can invoke, she's certainly going to discover it soon.
Another strong-willed Victorian protagonist that I quite enjoyed, I hadn't heard of this author and her historical mysteries before but call me intrigued.
< i>Siren's Call C.S. Harris 4 stars
England: 1944: Rachel Wellington and Jude Lowe must race to stop German spies from stealing a watch rumored to be cursed before it falls into Hitler's hands.
Obviously, I cannot escape this time period even when I try and make an effort. Haha! Although far fetched I couldn't help but fall hard for this intriguing culmination in the watch's history.
Expected Publication 01/09/20
Goodreads review 05/08/20
September 10, 2020
At least 4.5 stars.
I had so much fun reading this! The idea for the anthology is so clever--a gold pocket watch, believed to be cursed, is the link between each of the four stories. It appears that the watch brings death to those who possess it, but does it truly do that? Or is that just superstition?
We first encounter the watch in Susanna Kearsley's 'Weapon of Choice', set in Italy in 1733. Long time fans of Ms. Kearsley's work will be happy to meet up again with Hugh MacPherson and Mary from A Desperate Fortune. An intriguing tale of greed and sudden death.
The watch next appears in Anna Lee Huber's 'In a Fevered Hour', set in Edinburgh, 1831. Lady Darby stars in this story of an epidemic sweeping the city. Caused by the watch's curse? A certain gentleman from the criminal class certainly believes so and hires Lady Darby to find the watch before it's too late.
Christine Trent keeps us in Edinburgh, but the year is now 1870. 'A Pocketful of Death' features Violet Harper, lady undertaker, who finds the watch in the course of her job and tries to reunite it with its owner's family. However, the watch soon appears to be predicting murders! Or is something else afoot?
The saga concludes with CS Harris's 'Siren's Call', set in Kent, England, 1944. People who have a connection to the watch are being murdered. Is someone trying to steal the watch? Are the deaths connected to the rumor of a German spy at work in the quiet village of New Godwick? MI5's Jude Lowe and local museum curator Rachel Townsend-Smythe join forces to solve the mysteries and deal with the watch.
I thought all four stories were strong and well coordinated. Each author played to their own strength and narrative style. I had a favorite and I had one teeny, tiny disappointment. I shall say no more.
Highly recommended for fans of the authors. Also recommended for readers curious about the authors, as it offers a fine sampling of their work.
I had so much fun reading this! The idea for the anthology is so clever--a gold pocket watch, believed to be cursed, is the link between each of the four stories. It appears that the watch brings death to those who possess it, but does it truly do that? Or is that just superstition?
We first encounter the watch in Susanna Kearsley's 'Weapon of Choice', set in Italy in 1733. Long time fans of Ms. Kearsley's work will be happy to meet up again with Hugh MacPherson and Mary from A Desperate Fortune. An intriguing tale of greed and sudden death.
The watch next appears in Anna Lee Huber's 'In a Fevered Hour', set in Edinburgh, 1831. Lady Darby stars in this story of an epidemic sweeping the city. Caused by the watch's curse? A certain gentleman from the criminal class certainly believes so and hires Lady Darby to find the watch before it's too late.
Christine Trent keeps us in Edinburgh, but the year is now 1870. 'A Pocketful of Death' features Violet Harper, lady undertaker, who finds the watch in the course of her job and tries to reunite it with its owner's family. However, the watch soon appears to be predicting murders! Or is something else afoot?
The saga concludes with CS Harris's 'Siren's Call', set in Kent, England, 1944. People who have a connection to the watch are being murdered. Is someone trying to steal the watch? Are the deaths connected to the rumor of a German spy at work in the quiet village of New Godwick? MI5's Jude Lowe and local museum curator Rachel Townsend-Smythe join forces to solve the mysteries and deal with the watch.
I thought all four stories were strong and well coordinated. Each author played to their own strength and narrative style. I had a favorite and I had one teeny, tiny disappointment. I shall say no more.
Highly recommended for fans of the authors. Also recommended for readers curious about the authors, as it offers a fine sampling of their work.
October 17, 2021
Very uneven stuff. In addition to being poorly written, the middle two stories didn’t work for me at all. But even the first and last, which were noticeably better, had their share of sloppy writing.
The second story was notable for misplaced commas and that awkward historical tone you come across every once in a while; it was meant to sound period but only sounded stilted. It also had these two sentences:
The third story was such a nonentity - such an irrelevant piece of the tale, with a sloppy, obvious mystery and its clock element completely unresolved - that I’m skipping right over it. The fourth story did more to advance the “air” aspect in two sentences than the entire third story did.
The fourth story was good. Obvious and predictable, maybe, but well-written and direct in a way that came as a relief after the previous two stories.
But it’s the first one I really want to talk about, because it’s the reason I read this in the first place: a Susanna Kearsley with more Mary and Hugh? Yeah, I was interested.
I love the characters who show up - I love that ending - and I’m pretty torn about the character decisions made along the way.
I want more stories about the Marys- the quiet women who find their own ways to shape their worlds. It’s funny: I don’t think I realized until now that her story is my favorite of the Kearsleys.
Hugh said nothing. Stepped up to the rail. “Tell me why we’ve changed course.”You really can’t be described as saying nothing and then talk.
The second story was notable for misplaced commas and that awkward historical tone you come across every once in a while; it was meant to sound period but only sounded stilted. It also had these two sentences:
His bass rumble made both men wheel about. Both men wheeled about at the sound of Sergeant Maclean’s bass rumble.I’ve been saying this a lot the last few years: WHERE IS YOUR EDITOR?
The third story was such a nonentity - such an irrelevant piece of the tale, with a sloppy, obvious mystery and its clock element completely unresolved - that I’m skipping right over it. The fourth story did more to advance the “air” aspect in two sentences than the entire third story did.
The fourth story was good. Obvious and predictable, maybe, but well-written and direct in a way that came as a relief after the previous two stories.
But it’s the first one I really want to talk about, because it’s the reason I read this in the first place: a Susanna Kearsley with more Mary and Hugh? Yeah, I was interested.
I love the characters who show up - I love that ending - and I’m pretty torn about the character decisions made along the way.
I want more stories about the Marys- the quiet women who find their own ways to shape their worlds. It’s funny: I don’t think I realized until now that her story is my favorite of the Kearsleys.
August 20, 2020
Four novellas by four different authors with a cursed pocket watch connecting them all? Sign me up. I was fascinated by the plot summary and jumped right in. Although I read quite a bit of historical fiction, I was not familiar with any of the authors. Another good reason to jump into this book. It was a good book, but not great for me. Perhaps if I had been a fan of one or more of the authors I would have felt more of a connection to the book as some of the material is linked to ongoing series. The end is worth hanging in there for, that is a promise.
Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press and Edelweiss+ for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press and Edelweiss+ for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.
May 11, 2020
“Je suis le seul maître de mon temps”; “I am the only master of my time”
Weapon Of Choice by Susanna Kearsley
Hugh and Mary are travelling to Genoa on a mission for their king. En route, they encounter a storm and are forced to take shelter at Portofino. It is the year 1733 and the Jacobites are facing trouble in Rome and all the court of King James is under heavy guard. There are also other visitors in the inn, Anna and Edmund who have their own secrets to carry and who warns Hugh of an assassin called Douglas sent to murder the Duke of Ormonde, they are then joined by the captain Lambert Vautour and the assassin himself. As they wait out the storm, events begin to unfold in the small inn and the tale of La Sirène , a pocket watch made of solid gold, is introduced.
The story is quite intriguing with a feel of closed room mystery, with talks about the La Sirène’s curse that dooms every man that holds it, and the anticipation of having to divert the assassin’s attempt. There is a sense of something waiting to happen during the fearsome storm that is believed to be brought about by the curse and how Mary uses her skill to understand the murderer’s methods and helps in entrapping him makes for a very fascinating tale.
In a Fevered Hour by Anna Lee Huber
Edinburgh in 1831 is facing a crisis, hundreds have fallen ill to a mysterious illness and Bonnie Brock Kincaid a master criminal believes that the cause is La Sirène’s curse and seeks help from Lady Darby and her husband Sebastian Gage. Keira and Gage begin their inquiries and determine that a watch matching the La Sirène’s description is doing the rounds and if its not found in time, the whole of Edinburgh will be doomed.
The mystery behind the watch causing the illness was outstanding and how Kiera manages to find a part of the watch and bury it was quite brilliantly said.
A Pocketful of Death by Christine Trent
It is 1870 and Violet Harper who runs the Morgan Undertaking has been commissioned by the Ashenhurst family to move all dead relatives to the family cemetery. Unhappy about disturbing the dead but still forced to do the job, Violet discovers a part of La Sirène hidden in the grave and gives it to the family as an heirloom. A series of murders soon rocks the very peaceful and affluent street where the Ashenhurst reside and rumors of the cursed watch begin to do the rounds so much that is believed that the watch somehow portends the murder. Violet manages to discover the murderer and find a logical reasoning for the timepiece’s peculiar behavior but does the curse still hold?
Once again, a brilliant story that has taken the timepiece further into the years as we follow its cursed journey through centuries. How Violet uses her skill to discover the killer and find answers was interesting.
Siren’s Call by C.S Harris
The World War is still killing thousands in June 1944, but a sleepy and quiet out of the way village in Kent, New Godwick, has suddenly been noticed by the War office as mysterious transmissions in German has been discovered from the place. Jude Lowe from military intelligence along with Remus Stokes from Scotland Yard is on a trail of investigation when Major Crosby who serves as the enemy aircraft spotter is murdered and found by Rachel Townsend-Smythe. It is Rachel who brings Jude’s attention to the missing timepiece belonging to the vast collection of Major Crosby and thus the curse of La Sirène is resurrected.
German spies, murders in a small village, the devastation of war and even romance plays a part in this lovely cozy mystery.
I loved the anthology by these four brilliant authors, each novella adding to the mystique that is La Sirène . A pocket watch made with exquisite craftmanship from gold plundered from the holy city of Cartagena, the outer case engraved with a scene of ship in tempest and a beautiful inscription and balance cock engraved in the form of a mermaid, we follow the watch as the outer and inner case gets separated and each story adds to breaking of the curse of the watch. It is the brilliance of the writing by these fantastic authors that I was actually sad after completing it, coz I just realized that even being a fan of historical mysteries, I have read only Susanna Kearsely and is yet to try all the other authors’. So much catching up to do with such beguiling characters like Violet Harper and Lady Darby.
Highly recommended!
Weapon Of Choice by Susanna Kearsley
Hugh and Mary are travelling to Genoa on a mission for their king. En route, they encounter a storm and are forced to take shelter at Portofino. It is the year 1733 and the Jacobites are facing trouble in Rome and all the court of King James is under heavy guard. There are also other visitors in the inn, Anna and Edmund who have their own secrets to carry and who warns Hugh of an assassin called Douglas sent to murder the Duke of Ormonde, they are then joined by the captain Lambert Vautour and the assassin himself. As they wait out the storm, events begin to unfold in the small inn and the tale of La Sirène , a pocket watch made of solid gold, is introduced.
The story is quite intriguing with a feel of closed room mystery, with talks about the La Sirène’s curse that dooms every man that holds it, and the anticipation of having to divert the assassin’s attempt. There is a sense of something waiting to happen during the fearsome storm that is believed to be brought about by the curse and how Mary uses her skill to understand the murderer’s methods and helps in entrapping him makes for a very fascinating tale.
In a Fevered Hour by Anna Lee Huber
Edinburgh in 1831 is facing a crisis, hundreds have fallen ill to a mysterious illness and Bonnie Brock Kincaid a master criminal believes that the cause is La Sirène’s curse and seeks help from Lady Darby and her husband Sebastian Gage. Keira and Gage begin their inquiries and determine that a watch matching the La Sirène’s description is doing the rounds and if its not found in time, the whole of Edinburgh will be doomed.
The mystery behind the watch causing the illness was outstanding and how Kiera manages to find a part of the watch and bury it was quite brilliantly said.
A Pocketful of Death by Christine Trent
It is 1870 and Violet Harper who runs the Morgan Undertaking has been commissioned by the Ashenhurst family to move all dead relatives to the family cemetery. Unhappy about disturbing the dead but still forced to do the job, Violet discovers a part of La Sirène hidden in the grave and gives it to the family as an heirloom. A series of murders soon rocks the very peaceful and affluent street where the Ashenhurst reside and rumors of the cursed watch begin to do the rounds so much that is believed that the watch somehow portends the murder. Violet manages to discover the murderer and find a logical reasoning for the timepiece’s peculiar behavior but does the curse still hold?
Once again, a brilliant story that has taken the timepiece further into the years as we follow its cursed journey through centuries. How Violet uses her skill to discover the killer and find answers was interesting.
Siren’s Call by C.S Harris
The World War is still killing thousands in June 1944, but a sleepy and quiet out of the way village in Kent, New Godwick, has suddenly been noticed by the War office as mysterious transmissions in German has been discovered from the place. Jude Lowe from military intelligence along with Remus Stokes from Scotland Yard is on a trail of investigation when Major Crosby who serves as the enemy aircraft spotter is murdered and found by Rachel Townsend-Smythe. It is Rachel who brings Jude’s attention to the missing timepiece belonging to the vast collection of Major Crosby and thus the curse of La Sirène is resurrected.
German spies, murders in a small village, the devastation of war and even romance plays a part in this lovely cozy mystery.
I loved the anthology by these four brilliant authors, each novella adding to the mystique that is La Sirène . A pocket watch made with exquisite craftmanship from gold plundered from the holy city of Cartagena, the outer case engraved with a scene of ship in tempest and a beautiful inscription and balance cock engraved in the form of a mermaid, we follow the watch as the outer and inner case gets separated and each story adds to breaking of the curse of the watch. It is the brilliance of the writing by these fantastic authors that I was actually sad after completing it, coz I just realized that even being a fan of historical mysteries, I have read only Susanna Kearsely and is yet to try all the other authors’. So much catching up to do with such beguiling characters like Violet Harper and Lady Darby.
Highly recommended!
October 14, 2022
I was so in awe at how well the four amazing authors worked together 💝 The cursed watch ~ La Sirène ~ has traveled through time ~ to mete out justice and yeah ~ revenge upon deserving murderers. All four novellas were worthy of Five Super-Fantastic-Historical-Mystery Stars!
Weapon of Choice by Susanna Kearsley took us back to February of 1733 introduced me to Hugh and Mary and the non human main character of the cursed gold watch ~ La Sirène ~ with its defiant inscription of ‘Je suis le seul maître de mon temps,’ I am the only master of my time. Being defiant hasn't helped the ones who owned La Sirène escaping their crimes ⚖️♎️ The play of switching identities for security purpose was brilliant!
In a Fevered Hour: A Lady Darby Novella by Anna Lee Huber was also my first read of the author's highly recommended mystery series ❣️I was transported back to Edinburgh, Scotland: May 1831! What a location! What a gripping mystery to love! What a captivating novella! La Sirène was relentless in avenging the past wrong! My blood thirsty heart was content to learn that a loyalist assassin workin’ for the English Crown and survived in #1 novella Weapon of Choice was killed at the battle of Culloden!
Thanks a million to this novella! I've now read and love the entire Lady Darby Mysteries series!
A Pocketful of Death by Christine Trent didn't grab me as totally as the other three novellas. Yet it was still a Five-Star mystery! I was in Edinburgh, in March 1870 in this novella with Violet, whose work as an undertaker was super cool! And Sam, her husband had his studio out of the corner of her shop, as a photographer of postmortem for Violet's clients! I felt like reading more of this series, one of these days!
Sharing one of the best quotes:
Siren's Call by C.S. Harris was my favorite in the superb anthology! In this epic finale, I was taken to New Godwick, Kent, England: June 1944!
Side Note: I was also one of the biggest fans of the author's Sebastian St. Cyr mystery 💝 I read & loved every single book written by the author & published in E-edition. Wishing for an E-edition of her only book I couldn't get my hands on The Bequest to be released sometime soon.
There was nothing surprising that I absolutely love this super cruel ~ intriguing ~ mesmerizing ~ romantic novella the best! But I didn't think I was too biased to have loved this novella so much ~ pleased check out the final murderer, whom La Sirène bestowed her justice upon ~ maybe for the final time of Her Existence/Creation, too? ↙️
Sharing one of my favorite Rachel and Jude 💘 scenes:
Weapon of Choice by Susanna Kearsley took us back to February of 1733 introduced me to Hugh and Mary and the non human main character of the cursed gold watch ~ La Sirène ~ with its defiant inscription of ‘Je suis le seul maître de mon temps,’ I am the only master of my time. Being defiant hasn't helped the ones who owned La Sirène escaping their crimes ⚖️♎️ The play of switching identities for security purpose was brilliant!
In a Fevered Hour: A Lady Darby Novella by Anna Lee Huber was also my first read of the author's highly recommended mystery series ❣️I was transported back to Edinburgh, Scotland: May 1831! What a location! What a gripping mystery to love! What a captivating novella! La Sirène was relentless in avenging the past wrong! My blood thirsty heart was content to learn that a loyalist assassin workin’ for the English Crown and survived in #1 novella Weapon of Choice was killed at the battle of Culloden!
Thanks a million to this novella! I've now read and love the entire Lady Darby Mysteries series!
A Pocketful of Death by Christine Trent didn't grab me as totally as the other three novellas. Yet it was still a Five-Star mystery! I was in Edinburgh, in March 1870 in this novella with Violet, whose work as an undertaker was super cool! And Sam, her husband had his studio out of the corner of her shop, as a photographer of postmortem for Violet's clients! I felt like reading more of this series, one of these days!
Sharing one of the best quotes:
“Never underestimate the power of a deranged person,” Violet said.
Siren's Call by C.S. Harris was my favorite in the superb anthology! In this epic finale, I was taken to New Godwick, Kent, England: June 1944!
Side Note: I was also one of the biggest fans of the author's Sebastian St. Cyr mystery 💝 I read & loved every single book written by the author & published in E-edition. Wishing for an E-edition of her only book I couldn't get my hands on The Bequest to be released sometime soon.
There was nothing surprising that I absolutely love this super cruel ~ intriguing ~ mesmerizing ~ romantic novella the best! But I didn't think I was too biased to have loved this novella so much ~ pleased check out the final murderer, whom La Sirène bestowed her justice upon ~ maybe for the final time of Her Existence/Creation, too? ↙️
Sharing one of my favorite Rachel and Jude 💘 scenes:
But soon her father the general would be home, and she would be moving back into the big house to live the life of the lady of the manor. He might have a university degree, but he was still the spawn of innkeepers and smugglers. And worse.
He realized she was looking at him with a smile in her eyes. She said, "So will you ask me now? Or were you planning to wait until Japan falls, too?"
He gave a low startled laugh. She was everything he wanted in a woman, fiercely brave, quietly noble and humane, formidably intelligent. It took his breath to realize that all he had to do was reach for her.
And so he did. 💘💎⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️"
May 5, 2020
4.5 stars to WEAPON OF CHOICE by Susanna Kearsley:
MY HEART. What a perfectly paced and satisfying novella. It is 100% fan service and it is glorious. The entire novella is from Hugh’s POV and the couples we see are Hugh/Mary (A DESPERATE FORTUNE), Edmund/Anna (THE FIREBIRD), and Daniel/Eva (THE ROSE GARDEN). It definitely works as a stand-alone (I’ve only read A DESPERATE FORTUNE and was able to follow along easily).
Longer review to come near release date and after I’ve read the other novellas. I simply couldn’t resist reading the SK novella once I sampled the first few pages.
Disclaimer: I received a free e-ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
MY HEART. What a perfectly paced and satisfying novella. It is 100% fan service and it is glorious. The entire novella is from Hugh’s POV and the couples we see are Hugh/Mary (A DESPERATE FORTUNE), Edmund/Anna (THE FIREBIRD), and Daniel/Eva (THE ROSE GARDEN). It definitely works as a stand-alone (I’ve only read A DESPERATE FORTUNE and was able to follow along easily).
Longer review to come near release date and after I’ve read the other novellas. I simply couldn’t resist reading the SK novella once I sampled the first few pages.
Disclaimer: I received a free e-ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
June 24, 2020
JE SUIS LE SEUL MAITRE DE MON TEMPS
This is a hard book to review as it is made up of 4 shortish stories, each by a different author that describes the journey through time of a cursed timepiece/watch. Each story is told by a female private detective who also features in her own series (apart from the last one). And there’s a cat hidden in the last three. Although every story features a completely different period, characters and setting, the authors managed to bring us an interesting and well-constructed tale. This concept is not an easy task they undertook, but they each did a great job and I can’t pick one that’s more favourite than the other
The timepiece is made of gold that was stolen during an extremely cruel and brutal raid of pirates. Well, the pirates tell a different story about the mechanics of the facts. This gold belonged to the cathedral and was cursed by the bishop to bring all sorts of death, misfortunes, and disasters. But the church had stolen the gold from the Indians and was possibly cursed prior to the raid. The only manner to get rid of the curse is to have it embraced by all four elements in turn. Whether or not this curse is real or not is not clear, you have to make up your own mind to believe or not. Although many of the unfortunate deaths can be explained; there remain various incidents with mysterious bouts of bad luck, misery, and death that are much harder to dismiss
1. WEAPON OF CHOICE (SUSANNA KEARSLEY)
The first story takes place in 1733. The English dispatched an assassin to kill the duke of Ormond, a fierce Jacobite with a substantial following. The captain of his ship is in the possession of ‘La Sirène’, a watch with an infamous reputation for being cursed and bringing disaster, destruction and death. The assassin and a clever newly-wed couple of Jacobite supporters/spies come eye to eye while sheltering in an inn during a fierce storm.
The main characters are to solve the murder of the captain and to prevent the one on the Duke. They’re a lovable couple and I can see them very well carry their own series. It’s an excellent story to open this collection; it has spies, pirates, a murder mystery, and a curse. What more do you want?
2. IN A FEVERED HOUR (ANNA LEE HUBER)
This is set in Edinburgh 1831, almost 100 years after the first story. Here we meet another newly-wed young couple that’s called upon to solve an epidemic of a mysterious and strange disease, the poisoning of a rather sympathetic (I thought him not so bad and I noticed that the female sleuth wasn’t impartial to him) crime boss. Of course, the cursed watch resurfaces after being lost for a century.
There was a real documented outbreak of spotted typhus in Edinburgh that year. So there an enjoyable mix of fact and (plausible?) fiction in this story.
3. A POCKETFUL OF DEATH (CHRISTINE TRENT)
Now we move 40 years into the future, to 1870. ‘La Sirène’ has been split into the casing and the watch itself, and it is the watch self, that’s suspected of being responsible for a series of violent deaths.
I really like the rather original and unusual occupation of the heroine. She’s an undertaker and has to dig up all the buried relatives of a newly knighted viscount and bury them again on a private lot in a London graveyard. And it’s during those activities that she unearths the cursed thing. Violet’s occupation gives an interesting look into the pre-occupation with the death in Victorian times and some of the (now strange looking) habits they practised.
4. SIREN’S CALL (C.S. HARRIS)
We move on to 1944 on the coast of Kent and meet an old home-guard captain that’s murdered in his own house. He was a famous collector of all sort of clocks and his price-possession was the outer case of ‘La Sirène’. All of his life he tried to find the watch self and might have been close to achieving this. There are also 2 detectives from MI5 in the village who’re looking for a German Spy and they think he may be the culprit. There’s even a love story woven into this mystery. It’s also the only tale that’s not connected to a series, although I think the characters are interesting enough to do such a thing.
I thank NetGalley and Poisoned PenPress for their free ARC, this is my honest, unbiased review of it.
This is a hard book to review as it is made up of 4 shortish stories, each by a different author that describes the journey through time of a cursed timepiece/watch. Each story is told by a female private detective who also features in her own series (apart from the last one). And there’s a cat hidden in the last three. Although every story features a completely different period, characters and setting, the authors managed to bring us an interesting and well-constructed tale. This concept is not an easy task they undertook, but they each did a great job and I can’t pick one that’s more favourite than the other
The timepiece is made of gold that was stolen during an extremely cruel and brutal raid of pirates. Well, the pirates tell a different story about the mechanics of the facts. This gold belonged to the cathedral and was cursed by the bishop to bring all sorts of death, misfortunes, and disasters. But the church had stolen the gold from the Indians and was possibly cursed prior to the raid. The only manner to get rid of the curse is to have it embraced by all four elements in turn. Whether or not this curse is real or not is not clear, you have to make up your own mind to believe or not. Although many of the unfortunate deaths can be explained; there remain various incidents with mysterious bouts of bad luck, misery, and death that are much harder to dismiss
1. WEAPON OF CHOICE (SUSANNA KEARSLEY)
The first story takes place in 1733. The English dispatched an assassin to kill the duke of Ormond, a fierce Jacobite with a substantial following. The captain of his ship is in the possession of ‘La Sirène’, a watch with an infamous reputation for being cursed and bringing disaster, destruction and death. The assassin and a clever newly-wed couple of Jacobite supporters/spies come eye to eye while sheltering in an inn during a fierce storm.
The main characters are to solve the murder of the captain and to prevent the one on the Duke. They’re a lovable couple and I can see them very well carry their own series. It’s an excellent story to open this collection; it has spies, pirates, a murder mystery, and a curse. What more do you want?
2. IN A FEVERED HOUR (ANNA LEE HUBER)
This is set in Edinburgh 1831, almost 100 years after the first story. Here we meet another newly-wed young couple that’s called upon to solve an epidemic of a mysterious and strange disease, the poisoning of a rather sympathetic (I thought him not so bad and I noticed that the female sleuth wasn’t impartial to him) crime boss. Of course, the cursed watch resurfaces after being lost for a century.
There was a real documented outbreak of spotted typhus in Edinburgh that year. So there an enjoyable mix of fact and (plausible?) fiction in this story.
3. A POCKETFUL OF DEATH (CHRISTINE TRENT)
Now we move 40 years into the future, to 1870. ‘La Sirène’ has been split into the casing and the watch itself, and it is the watch self, that’s suspected of being responsible for a series of violent deaths.
I really like the rather original and unusual occupation of the heroine. She’s an undertaker and has to dig up all the buried relatives of a newly knighted viscount and bury them again on a private lot in a London graveyard. And it’s during those activities that she unearths the cursed thing. Violet’s occupation gives an interesting look into the pre-occupation with the death in Victorian times and some of the (now strange looking) habits they practised.
4. SIREN’S CALL (C.S. HARRIS)
We move on to 1944 on the coast of Kent and meet an old home-guard captain that’s murdered in his own house. He was a famous collector of all sort of clocks and his price-possession was the outer case of ‘La Sirène’. All of his life he tried to find the watch self and might have been close to achieving this. There are also 2 detectives from MI5 in the village who’re looking for a German Spy and they think he may be the culprit. There’s even a love story woven into this mystery. It’s also the only tale that’s not connected to a series, although I think the characters are interesting enough to do such a thing.
I thank NetGalley and Poisoned PenPress for their free ARC, this is my honest, unbiased review of it.
August 6, 2020
What a powerhouse group of historical suspense and mystery authors! I took one look at the author line up and it was a done deal, but then to see that a few of the novellas were for favorite series made it an even more exquisite anticipation.
The Deadly Hours is an anthology of four separate stories down through time that all focus on a legendary cursed watch, Le Sirene. Each author wove a tale around the watch and even referenced the history told in the earlier stories to add to the watch's lore. Each had their own writing flavor and captivating tale-telling ways. While, I think I got more out of the stories because I'd already read a few of the previous books, I think these will work for newcomers just fine.
Susanna Kearsley opens the anthology with her suspenseful 'Weapon of Choice' that was set in the early seventeen hundreds and is a follow up story to A Desperate Fortune's historical couple who are on a mission to protect a Jacobite duke and war hero from an English assassin when they encounter a pirate and the strange timepiece he carries that was made from cursed pirate gold.
Next, Anna Lee Huber picks up the narrative reins in her Lady Darby series mystery set in the 1830's that took place in the interlude between Gage and Keira's wedding and their delayed departure for their honeymoon. 'In A Fevered Hour' has the Edinburgh crime king, Bonnie Brock Kincaid, needing the detecting pair to find a cursed watch that has brought a plague to Old Town.
But, the watch isn't done changing hands and arrives in Victorian London where author, Christina Trent, has it figure into an atmospheric Lady of Ashes story when Violet Harper, funeral director, is fulfilling a commission for a newly minted lord who wants all his deceased relations moved into the freshly build family mausoleum and encounters a cursed watch that seems to be predicting murders on a prestigious London neighborhood street and a mad woman swears she is seeing ghosts.
In a WWII era Kentish village, CS Harris has a museum curator and an MI5 operative on the dark, bloody trail of a German spy and an uncanny golden watch that has a cursed reputation.
I loved how these stories were seamless in how that tied to one another and yet painted a rich tapestry of history in each time and place. Christina Trent was the only new to me author, but I plan to add her works to all three of these other brilliant authors who I seek out each new release. Historical mystery fans, series and author fans, and those who love a good atmospheric tale shouldn't hesitate to get to this one as soon as you can.
I rec'd this book from Net Galley to read in exchange for an honest review.
The Deadly Hours is an anthology of four separate stories down through time that all focus on a legendary cursed watch, Le Sirene. Each author wove a tale around the watch and even referenced the history told in the earlier stories to add to the watch's lore. Each had their own writing flavor and captivating tale-telling ways. While, I think I got more out of the stories because I'd already read a few of the previous books, I think these will work for newcomers just fine.
Susanna Kearsley opens the anthology with her suspenseful 'Weapon of Choice' that was set in the early seventeen hundreds and is a follow up story to A Desperate Fortune's historical couple who are on a mission to protect a Jacobite duke and war hero from an English assassin when they encounter a pirate and the strange timepiece he carries that was made from cursed pirate gold.
Next, Anna Lee Huber picks up the narrative reins in her Lady Darby series mystery set in the 1830's that took place in the interlude between Gage and Keira's wedding and their delayed departure for their honeymoon. 'In A Fevered Hour' has the Edinburgh crime king, Bonnie Brock Kincaid, needing the detecting pair to find a cursed watch that has brought a plague to Old Town.
But, the watch isn't done changing hands and arrives in Victorian London where author, Christina Trent, has it figure into an atmospheric Lady of Ashes story when Violet Harper, funeral director, is fulfilling a commission for a newly minted lord who wants all his deceased relations moved into the freshly build family mausoleum and encounters a cursed watch that seems to be predicting murders on a prestigious London neighborhood street and a mad woman swears she is seeing ghosts.
In a WWII era Kentish village, CS Harris has a museum curator and an MI5 operative on the dark, bloody trail of a German spy and an uncanny golden watch that has a cursed reputation.
I loved how these stories were seamless in how that tied to one another and yet painted a rich tapestry of history in each time and place. Christina Trent was the only new to me author, but I plan to add her works to all three of these other brilliant authors who I seek out each new release. Historical mystery fans, series and author fans, and those who love a good atmospheric tale shouldn't hesitate to get to this one as soon as you can.
I rec'd this book from Net Galley to read in exchange for an honest review.
September 20, 2020
Series: Standalone Anthology
Publication Date: 9/1/20
Number of Pages: 352
Deadly Hours contains four novellas by four exceptional authors. Each tale deals with the curse placed on gold stolen from a church in 1697. Some of that gold is made into a beautiful watch called La Sirene. Each person who owns the watch, even temporarily, comes to a terrible end. The stories take you from the watch’s creation to its final destruction a couple of centuries later. Or, is it really destroyed and the curse broken???? Two of the authors are longtime favorites of mine – Anna Lee Huber and C.S. Harris and I couldn’t wait to read their contributions. I haven’t read Susanna Kearsley nor Christine Trent, so I was anxious to give some potential new favorites a try.
The stories are in chronological order, so be sure to read them in the order they appear in the book. Skipping around only confuses the timeline – I speak from experience there.
While each of the stories was good, well-written, and well-delivered, the whole just didn’t catch my imagination. I think part of that was that I wanted to know more about each set of characters and the size constraints just didn’t allow for that.
Weapon of Choice by Susanna Kearsley – 4 Stars
February 1733 (with tales dating to 1697)
Oh! We have pirates, Jacobites, assassins, and a cursed timepiece all trapped together during a raging storm. What could possibly go wrong there? I think this might have been my favorite of the four stories because it was fast-paced and the characters were very interesting.
Three different ships, all bound for the same place, but from different origination points, are all caught in a horrendous, unnatural storm. All three ships make it to the same port and the passengers have to stay at the same Inn. One ship carries an assassin who is looking to assassinate The Duke of Ormonde, a staunch supporter, and advisor to the king. One ship carries a staunch Jacobite and protector of the king and the Duke. One ship, oops, carries the Duke himself.
The pirate captain carried an unusual timepiece that seemed to strike fear into the heart of another captain. Why? The timepiece was named La Sirene and it had quite a history – which the captain gladly shares. Then – when murder happens …
This was a really good read and an exciting way to start the tale of La Sirene.
In A Fevered Hour by Anna Lee Huber – 4-Stars
May 1831
I THINK this would be book 4.75 or so in the Lady Darby series because it takes place two weeks after the wedding and before they take off for their honeymoon in the Lake District. You can read this story without reading the Lady Darby series, but it is a really good series if you care to read it.
Keira and Gage are spending a quiet evening at home when Bonnie Brock Kincaid comes knocking on their door – highly distraught. That is highly unusual for the normally cool and aloof Brock. He tells his tale of a cursed watch bringing down his family and all of Old Town Edinburgh. OH! Curses!
Keira and Gage don’t believe anything about cursed timepieces, but when Brock collapses on the floor with some strange malady they immediately think he might have been poisoned. After sending for a doctor and learning that a strange illness is decimating Old Town Edinburg they have to wonder – and investigate.
Can they solve the mystery, find and destroy the timepiece before all of Edinburg is wiped out? Will Brock survive? You’ll just have to read this excellently crafted novella to find out. It is well worth your time.
A Pocketful of Death by Christine Trent – 4 Stars
March 1870
La Sirene resurfaces again when a newly minted Viscount begins to have all of his relatives disinterred and reburied in a new family plot. Inside a grave, the undertaker handling the removals and reburials finds a lovely and expensive watch wrapped within a pair of gloves. Believing that it must belong to the family of the deceased, she takes it to the Viscount.
Strange occurrences begin within the exclusive Mayfair neighborhood – a murder, then another, then another. Some blame the newly found watch. Some blame a madman. Either way, the undertaker, Violet Harper, being the curious sort, begins asking questions. (Note – Violet Harper is from this author’s Lady of Ashes series.) The more questions she asks, the more confusing the circumstances – there are almost no commonalities among the victims other than they live within the same neighborhood. Yet, La Sirene stops working one hour prior to each death. What does this cursed watch have to do with the deaths?
This was an excellently written story, but it was my least favorite of the four. It seemed to be more slow-moving and plodding than the other stories. As I said, well-written, but it just didn’t catch my imagination.
Siren’s Call by C.S. Harris – 4 Stars
June 1944
There is a German spy and a murderer loose in the small English village of New Godwick. Are they one and the same? What do they want? The murderer’s first victim is a lovely old man who is an antiquarian with a vast collection of valuable antiques. One of his most cherished items is missing. That item? A case for a cursed timepiece called La Sirene. Did it contain clues to the location of the timepiece itself?
More deaths and mysterious radio broadcasts to Germany keep MI5 – and a local miss – busy investigating. With Hitler and his henchmen’s interest in all things occult, it is no surprise that they might be looking for La Sirene. Will the spy find it and get it to Hitler? Will our English detectives discover them and retrieve La Sirene? Will the curse end? You’ll just have to read to see.
Publication Date: 9/1/20
Number of Pages: 352
Deadly Hours contains four novellas by four exceptional authors. Each tale deals with the curse placed on gold stolen from a church in 1697. Some of that gold is made into a beautiful watch called La Sirene. Each person who owns the watch, even temporarily, comes to a terrible end. The stories take you from the watch’s creation to its final destruction a couple of centuries later. Or, is it really destroyed and the curse broken???? Two of the authors are longtime favorites of mine – Anna Lee Huber and C.S. Harris and I couldn’t wait to read their contributions. I haven’t read Susanna Kearsley nor Christine Trent, so I was anxious to give some potential new favorites a try.
The stories are in chronological order, so be sure to read them in the order they appear in the book. Skipping around only confuses the timeline – I speak from experience there.
While each of the stories was good, well-written, and well-delivered, the whole just didn’t catch my imagination. I think part of that was that I wanted to know more about each set of characters and the size constraints just didn’t allow for that.
Weapon of Choice by Susanna Kearsley – 4 Stars
February 1733 (with tales dating to 1697)
Oh! We have pirates, Jacobites, assassins, and a cursed timepiece all trapped together during a raging storm. What could possibly go wrong there? I think this might have been my favorite of the four stories because it was fast-paced and the characters were very interesting.
Three different ships, all bound for the same place, but from different origination points, are all caught in a horrendous, unnatural storm. All three ships make it to the same port and the passengers have to stay at the same Inn. One ship carries an assassin who is looking to assassinate The Duke of Ormonde, a staunch supporter, and advisor to the king. One ship carries a staunch Jacobite and protector of the king and the Duke. One ship, oops, carries the Duke himself.
The pirate captain carried an unusual timepiece that seemed to strike fear into the heart of another captain. Why? The timepiece was named La Sirene and it had quite a history – which the captain gladly shares. Then – when murder happens …
This was a really good read and an exciting way to start the tale of La Sirene.
In A Fevered Hour by Anna Lee Huber – 4-Stars
May 1831
I THINK this would be book 4.75 or so in the Lady Darby series because it takes place two weeks after the wedding and before they take off for their honeymoon in the Lake District. You can read this story without reading the Lady Darby series, but it is a really good series if you care to read it.
Keira and Gage are spending a quiet evening at home when Bonnie Brock Kincaid comes knocking on their door – highly distraught. That is highly unusual for the normally cool and aloof Brock. He tells his tale of a cursed watch bringing down his family and all of Old Town Edinburgh. OH! Curses!
Keira and Gage don’t believe anything about cursed timepieces, but when Brock collapses on the floor with some strange malady they immediately think he might have been poisoned. After sending for a doctor and learning that a strange illness is decimating Old Town Edinburg they have to wonder – and investigate.
Can they solve the mystery, find and destroy the timepiece before all of Edinburg is wiped out? Will Brock survive? You’ll just have to read this excellently crafted novella to find out. It is well worth your time.
A Pocketful of Death by Christine Trent – 4 Stars
March 1870
La Sirene resurfaces again when a newly minted Viscount begins to have all of his relatives disinterred and reburied in a new family plot. Inside a grave, the undertaker handling the removals and reburials finds a lovely and expensive watch wrapped within a pair of gloves. Believing that it must belong to the family of the deceased, she takes it to the Viscount.
Strange occurrences begin within the exclusive Mayfair neighborhood – a murder, then another, then another. Some blame the newly found watch. Some blame a madman. Either way, the undertaker, Violet Harper, being the curious sort, begins asking questions. (Note – Violet Harper is from this author’s Lady of Ashes series.) The more questions she asks, the more confusing the circumstances – there are almost no commonalities among the victims other than they live within the same neighborhood. Yet, La Sirene stops working one hour prior to each death. What does this cursed watch have to do with the deaths?
This was an excellently written story, but it was my least favorite of the four. It seemed to be more slow-moving and plodding than the other stories. As I said, well-written, but it just didn’t catch my imagination.
Siren’s Call by C.S. Harris – 4 Stars
June 1944
There is a German spy and a murderer loose in the small English village of New Godwick. Are they one and the same? What do they want? The murderer’s first victim is a lovely old man who is an antiquarian with a vast collection of valuable antiques. One of his most cherished items is missing. That item? A case for a cursed timepiece called La Sirene. Did it contain clues to the location of the timepiece itself?
More deaths and mysterious radio broadcasts to Germany keep MI5 – and a local miss – busy investigating. With Hitler and his henchmen’s interest in all things occult, it is no surprise that they might be looking for La Sirene. Will the spy find it and get it to Hitler? Will our English detectives discover them and retrieve La Sirene? Will the curse end? You’ll just have to read to see.
August 31, 2020
This was a fabulous idea and I'd certainly like to read more books that travel through time. This book contains four stories from four different authors and each one charts the journey of a cursed watch. We might begin the journey in the seventeen hundreds but we end up most definitely in the twentieth century. Fans of mysteries and romance will be enthralled with the way these authors entertain the reader and this anthology is a good way to try new authors.
This voluntary take is of a copy I requested from Netgalley and my thoughts and comments are honest and I believe fair
This voluntary take is of a copy I requested from Netgalley and my thoughts and comments are honest and I believe fair
September 6, 2020
I absolutely love the concept of this historical mystery story collection!! A cursed gold watch causes trouble as it passes from owner to owner over more than a century. Four owners -- four outstanding stories!
All of these writers (Susanna Kearsley, C.S. Harris, Anna Lee Huber and Christine Trent) were new-to-me authors. Not new as in I haven't heard of them...but new as in I haven't read anything by them. I have books from all four on my TBR list, but haven't gotten to them yet. This collection of stories made me move all those books closer to the top of my list!
The stories start in 1733 and the watch makes it way to Edinburg, London and Kent over the years, with the fantastic ending coming in 1944. I love how all of the stories are so different, but all tied together by the gold watch.
Normally I read books like this slowly, really savoring the differences in the stories, the awesome background story of the watch, and the plot nuances of each novella. I also take time to research the authors and add lots of new books/stories to my TBR stack. But because I was reading to write a review in a timely manner (All this covid19 stuff has my job revved up to insane, so my reading and writing time is really taking a hit this year), I had to hurry and spend much less time than I normally would on such a lovely book. BUT, I solved this problem -- I pre-ordered my own copy of the audio book and I'm going to listen to my heart's content as slowly as I choose and then add lots of lovely books to my TBR stack after each tale is completed.
Even with the somewhat rushed review read, I loved these four intertwined historical mystery stories. I couldn't pick a favorite -- all are wonderful stories. Well written, with interesting characters and period appropriate plots. I can tell I am going to enjoy reading more by all four writers! I'm on the lookout for more story collections woven together by a plot point like a cursed item -- that really added something extra to my reading enjoyment!
Awesome read!
**I voluntarily read a review copy of this book from Poisoned Pen Press. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**
All of these writers (Susanna Kearsley, C.S. Harris, Anna Lee Huber and Christine Trent) were new-to-me authors. Not new as in I haven't heard of them...but new as in I haven't read anything by them. I have books from all four on my TBR list, but haven't gotten to them yet. This collection of stories made me move all those books closer to the top of my list!
The stories start in 1733 and the watch makes it way to Edinburg, London and Kent over the years, with the fantastic ending coming in 1944. I love how all of the stories are so different, but all tied together by the gold watch.
Normally I read books like this slowly, really savoring the differences in the stories, the awesome background story of the watch, and the plot nuances of each novella. I also take time to research the authors and add lots of new books/stories to my TBR stack. But because I was reading to write a review in a timely manner (All this covid19 stuff has my job revved up to insane, so my reading and writing time is really taking a hit this year), I had to hurry and spend much less time than I normally would on such a lovely book. BUT, I solved this problem -- I pre-ordered my own copy of the audio book and I'm going to listen to my heart's content as slowly as I choose and then add lots of lovely books to my TBR stack after each tale is completed.
Even with the somewhat rushed review read, I loved these four intertwined historical mystery stories. I couldn't pick a favorite -- all are wonderful stories. Well written, with interesting characters and period appropriate plots. I can tell I am going to enjoy reading more by all four writers! I'm on the lookout for more story collections woven together by a plot point like a cursed item -- that really added something extra to my reading enjoyment!
Awesome read!
**I voluntarily read a review copy of this book from Poisoned Pen Press. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**
February 13, 2022
A watch, a curse and deadly consequences throughout the centuries.
"I am the only master of my time." (quote from the book)
I am a fan of each of the authors in this anthology so have been looking forward to reading this book for some time. I was not disappointed.
Weapon of Choice (1733): Susanna Kearsley
I am behind on reading Ms. Kearsley's novels, so was not completely familiar with her characters. However, it did not hinder my enjoyment. The full history of the watch begins with this novella and it is a chilling history indeed.
"Hugh liked her tales. He'd often watched her weave them out of strands of whimsy floating in the air, using the objects and the people who surrounded her..." (quote from the book)
In a Fevered Hour - A Lady Darby Novella (1831): Anna Lee Huber
I have read and loved each and everyone of the Lady Darby series. I was thrilled to have Bonnie Brock Kincaid in this novella! Though he is very ill, as are a fair number of people who have touched the watch, along with some who have died, Kiera and her husband, Sebastian Gage are asked by Bonnie Brock for their help in locating the watch.
"Had I not known him better, I would have thought he was nervous, for there was a restlessness to his movements, an almost frantic energy." (quote from the book)
A Pocketful of Death (1870): Christine Trent
Violet Harper, from the Lady of Ashes series, has been hired to move interred relatives to the estate of Lord Ashenhurst. What follows is a series of murders that suddenly occur after the watch is again found.
"To have the deceased jostled and bounced about when they had been lying in repose for decades upon decades...it was unseemly and intrusive." (quote from the book)
Siren's Call (1944): C.S. Harris
I love the Sebastian St. Cyr series by Ms. Harris. I was actually hoping this would be a novella from this series. Alas, it was not. Yet, it was still a compelling story taking place near the end of World War II. The hunt is on for the cursed watch and murder is committed in a tiny village and secrets are slowly exposed.
"There's too much that is horrible in our world right now. We all need to do our part to come down on the side of good and light." (quote from the book)
I was highly entertained by this anthology, the authors stories and the premise behind it. I do recommend it to historical mystery lovers.
November 29, 2022
29 November 2022
This was a little interlude with previously loved couples; Anna & Ned from The Firebird and Mary & Hugh from A Desperate Fortune. However, it is just a short adventure introducing a few more historical characters. While it was a quick, fun read, I recommend avoiding the audiobook narrated by Anne Flosnik. I had to turn it off. I ditched that version for the Kindle format as soon as it was obvious that she could not keep the accents straight in the Susanna Kearsley story.
** Plan to pick this back up and read the second novella by Anna Lee Huber, once I get through the connected Lady Darby series.
This was a little interlude with previously loved couples; Anna & Ned from The Firebird and Mary & Hugh from A Desperate Fortune. However, it is just a short adventure introducing a few more historical characters. While it was a quick, fun read, I recommend avoiding the audiobook narrated by Anne Flosnik. I had to turn it off. I ditched that version for the Kindle format as soon as it was obvious that she could not keep the accents straight in the Susanna Kearsley story.
** Plan to pick this back up and read the second novella by Anna Lee Huber, once I get through the connected Lady Darby series.
December 20, 2020
I picked up this anthology because I tired of waiting for the next Susanna Kearsley book! I loved her entry--though it whetted my appetite for a new Slains novel. (Waiting is so hard . . . )
I enjoyed the other entries as well. I especially liked the story set in 1944 by C. S. Harris. Normally she writes the Sebastian St Cyr series, which is set in the 1800s. I know that she writes other genres under different pseudonyms. Will she be adding a new series set in the '40s? That would be cool!
I enjoyed the other entries as well. I especially liked the story set in 1944 by C. S. Harris. Normally she writes the Sebastian St Cyr series, which is set in the 1800s. I know that she writes other genres under different pseudonyms. Will she be adding a new series set in the '40s? That would be cool!
August 1, 2020
The Deadly Hours is a box set featuring 4 stories that revolve around the infamous La Sirene watch, a gold watch that has been cursed since the moment it was made. These four interconnected mysteries take you from Italy in 1733 to 1944’s war torn England, each one full of murders that have been committed because of the watch. This was an interesting read, with characters who are well rounded, and a story line that will keep you intrigued. Each author presents a story in a different era from the others, but now and again, there will be a mention about the history of the watch, and characters from previous stories will be named.
Each author has done a good job with the suspense of the story, but I must admit that I was not as engaged in some of the stories as I was with some of the others. You can definitely see the different writing style from each author, yet they keep everything cohesive.
Due to the fact that I was not engaged throughout all the stories, I will be giving this box set 4 stars. I will, however, recommend the set if you’re a fan of these authors, or period mysteries.
**I was given an ARC of this title by the publisher and NetGalley and this is my honest and voluntary review.
Each author has done a good job with the suspense of the story, but I must admit that I was not as engaged in some of the stories as I was with some of the others. You can definitely see the different writing style from each author, yet they keep everything cohesive.
Due to the fact that I was not engaged throughout all the stories, I will be giving this box set 4 stars. I will, however, recommend the set if you’re a fan of these authors, or period mysteries.
**I was given an ARC of this title by the publisher and NetGalley and this is my honest and voluntary review.
March 30, 2021
2.5 stars, but I rounded up because I like the genre and managed to finish a book. I like the idea of this better than the execution. Essentially, a cursed watch resurfaces four times throughout history. I like the idea of four different authors each writing a novella, but I think the overall collection suffered from differences in tone/how the watch was handled.
The Susanna Kearsley was my favourite, and has made me realize I have several of her books left to read. Perhaps I should try and pick one up. It's the one that felt most consistent in tone, etc. I buy a cursed watch cropping up among a Jacobite plot, in an inn, during a storm. Totally buy. Perhaps wish I'd read the source novel first, but whatever. That's minor.
I was a bit thrown by the C.S. Harris because it wasn't Sebastian St. Cyr, and felt very different from that series, which is no one's fault but my own. I wasn't expecting the time period. I also didn't quite engage with the plot and how the watch case in particular resurface. I did like the characters, but overall the story never quite clicked for me.
I liked the Anna Lee Huber, but realistically only because I like the series it's associated with, and the characters therein. I also thought the supernatural elements worked slightly less well, because while there are elements of the supernatural in that series, they fall more into the realm of superstition. I wasn't sure how I felt about the cursed watch being such a major plot point. I think it works in the end, but I struggled a bit.
The Christine Trent I had issues with the prose, in the end. Least favourite.
The Susanna Kearsley was my favourite, and has made me realize I have several of her books left to read. Perhaps I should try and pick one up. It's the one that felt most consistent in tone, etc. I buy a cursed watch cropping up among a Jacobite plot, in an inn, during a storm. Totally buy. Perhaps wish I'd read the source novel first, but whatever. That's minor.
I was a bit thrown by the C.S. Harris because it wasn't Sebastian St. Cyr, and felt very different from that series, which is no one's fault but my own. I wasn't expecting the time period. I also didn't quite engage with the plot and how the watch case in particular resurface. I did like the characters, but overall the story never quite clicked for me.
I liked the Anna Lee Huber, but realistically only because I like the series it's associated with, and the characters therein. I also thought the supernatural elements worked slightly less well, because while there are elements of the supernatural in that series, they fall more into the realm of superstition. I wasn't sure how I felt about the cursed watch being such a major plot point. I think it works in the end, but I struggled a bit.
The Christine Trent I had issues with the prose, in the end. Least favourite.
July 19, 2020
I will admit right up front that I approached this book with mixed feelings. I was curious to see how four authors could write novella length stories and keep the connection with an inanimate object, in this case a pocket watch. The watch is cursed and the curse follows the watch through time; 1733, (Weapon of Choice by Susanna Kearsley); 1831, (In a Fevered Hour: A Lady Darby Novella by Anna Lee Huber); 1870, (A Pocketful of Death by Christine Trent); 1944, (Siren's Call by C. S. Harris). I need not have worried because the cursed watch itself holds a place as a character in all four stories and that commonality keeps each of the stories interesting. Even more interesting is how each author managed to keep me entertained when I discovered the characters would not overlap. Not even a manor to keep them connected, just the watch.
For me three of the stories were quite good with one being slightly weaker but I'm not going to say which one that was because the difference really was almost too minor to even mention. If you don't believe in the power of a curse, you might find yourself having a moment of indecision about this one; the writing to include the watch is really quite good. If you already believe in the power of a curse, this will be right up your alley.
Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for an e-galley of this collection of novellas.
For me three of the stories were quite good with one being slightly weaker but I'm not going to say which one that was because the difference really was almost too minor to even mention. If you don't believe in the power of a curse, you might find yourself having a moment of indecision about this one; the writing to include the watch is really quite good. If you already believe in the power of a curse, this will be right up your alley.
Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for an e-galley of this collection of novellas.
November 23, 2020
This antology, written by Susanna Kearsley, Anna Lee Huber, Christine Trent and C. S. Harris is about a cursed gold watch.
Through the four stories we travel from 1733 to 1944, following the misfortune of those who have possessed the watch.
I'd like to highlight the fact that in all these four stories women are the most importat characters. They're inteligent, brave and good hearted. Thanks to them, the mysteries surrounding the watch are solved.
So why only 3⭐? Because I liked some stories more than others and I would have preferd just one story or 2 intertwined stories, like in the style of Susanna Kearsley's previous books. And she's the reason why I wanted to read this book.
Thanks to Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for my honest review.
Through the four stories we travel from 1733 to 1944, following the misfortune of those who have possessed the watch.
I'd like to highlight the fact that in all these four stories women are the most importat characters. They're inteligent, brave and good hearted. Thanks to them, the mysteries surrounding the watch are solved.
So why only 3⭐? Because I liked some stories more than others and I would have preferd just one story or 2 intertwined stories, like in the style of Susanna Kearsley's previous books. And she's the reason why I wanted to read this book.
Thanks to Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for my honest review.
November 26, 2021
The Deadly Hours
3.5 stars, rounded up. This novel is actually an anthology of 4 novellas, each written by different authors: Susanna Kearsley, C. S. Harris, Anna Lee Huber, and Christine Trent. Each novella is centered around the same main character, in this case a high-quality and finely etched gold pocket watch, known as La Sirene. The watch is said to be cursed. Or rather, the person who owns it is cursed, as all have experienced disastrous personal events while the watch is in their possession. Each author writes about a different time period, the first story set in 1733 and the final story is set in 1944, and each novella features well-drawn characters and interesting plot lines. I enjoyed each story, but deducted the half star because I liked 2 of the stories more than the other 2. Each novella moves along quickly, and all were entertaining, so I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys well-told historical fiction.
3.5 stars, rounded up. This novel is actually an anthology of 4 novellas, each written by different authors: Susanna Kearsley, C. S. Harris, Anna Lee Huber, and Christine Trent. Each novella is centered around the same main character, in this case a high-quality and finely etched gold pocket watch, known as La Sirene. The watch is said to be cursed. Or rather, the person who owns it is cursed, as all have experienced disastrous personal events while the watch is in their possession. Each author writes about a different time period, the first story set in 1733 and the final story is set in 1944, and each novella features well-drawn characters and interesting plot lines. I enjoyed each story, but deducted the half star because I liked 2 of the stories more than the other 2. Each novella moves along quickly, and all were entertaining, so I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys well-told historical fiction.
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