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Deadly #1
Deadly Scandal
Olivia Denis is a contented young wife with a carefree life in late 1930's London. Then her world is shattered with the violent death of her husband, Reggie. The police want to call it a suicide and close the case, but Olivia knows Reggie couldn't possibly have fired the fatal shot.
Further mysteries surface surrounding her husband's death. Did the trustworthy Foreign Office employee betray government secrets? Was his murder linked to the death of a German embassy clerk the same night? And who searched their flat?
Her desire for answers and her need to support herself cause her to break away from the pampered life she's known and take a job. But with the much-needed paycheck as a society reporter for a newspaper comes a secret secondary assignment - one that involves her in the increasingly dangerous world of European politics as the continent slides toward war.
Further mysteries surface surrounding her husband's death. Did the trustworthy Foreign Office employee betray government secrets? Was his murder linked to the death of a German embassy clerk the same night? And who searched their flat?
Her desire for answers and her need to support herself cause her to break away from the pampered life she's known and take a job. But with the much-needed paycheck as a society reporter for a newspaper comes a secret secondary assignment - one that involves her in the increasingly dangerous world of European politics as the continent slides toward war.
334 pages, ebook
First published January 14, 2016
533 people are currently reading
1527 people want to read
About the author
Kate Parker
29 books746 followersKate began reading Agatha Christie mysteries and the Nancy Drew books while her classmates were reading Dick and Jane. She particularly likes historical mysteries and the feeling of time travel a good historical book can give the reader. Combined with her love of late Victorian to World War II architecture and fashions, she found an outlet for the stories and characters that fill her head by writing The Victorian Bookshop Mysteries, The Milliner Mysteries, and The Deadly series, as well as taking part in the Christmas Revels anthologies.
So far, Kate has put out four free short stories, The Missing Brooch (Victorian Bookshop Mystery), Emily's First Case (Milliner Mysteries), and The Missing Maps and A Christmas Mystery (Deadly Series), to her newsletter list. The Mystery at Chadwick House is a novella that is free for newsletter subscribers or can be purchased at retailers. Sign up at www.KateParkerbooks.com to get free copies.
So far, Kate has put out four free short stories, The Missing Brooch (Victorian Bookshop Mystery), Emily's First Case (Milliner Mysteries), and The Missing Maps and A Christmas Mystery (Deadly Series), to her newsletter list. The Mystery at Chadwick House is a novella that is free for newsletter subscribers or can be purchased at retailers. Sign up at www.KateParkerbooks.com to get free copies.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 191 reviews
January 11, 2018
2.5 stars, but I rounded up. Mostly because there's nothing really wrong with this, it's more that everything felt slightly off. The prose felt slightly clunky. I didn't really love any of the characters. The romance felt somewhat rushed (although sometimes it did actually work). The setting is basically tangential to the English espionage community immediately pre-WWII, and just about every trope/source of drama that could have been mined was mined. There were a million dramatic subplots, and they weren't always well-woven together.
Also, Olivia's father is really irritating. Skimmed whenever he showed up.
I mean, topic-wise it hits on a lot of things I generally love; I just feel like I've seen a lot of them done better elsewhere.
It's readable, but I'm not sure I'm reading anymore.
2018 Reading Challenge - a book you intended to read in 2017
Also, Olivia's father is really irritating. Skimmed whenever he showed up.
I mean, topic-wise it hits on a lot of things I generally love; I just feel like I've seen a lot of them done better elsewhere.
It's readable, but I'm not sure I'm reading anymore.
2018 Reading Challenge - a book you intended to read in 2017
November 19, 2021
Barbara’s rating: 4 of 5 Stars
Series: Deadly #1
Publication Date: 2/25/16
Period: 1937 – Interwar London
Number of Pages: 278 Print – I had the audiobook
Olivia Denis is in the morgue identifying her deceased husband. It just can’t be her Reggie lying there covered in blood! Sweet, sweet Reggie. Now, they are trying to tell her he committed suicide. Of course he didn’t! She knows he couldn’t have – wouldn’t have – just NO! Even though she takes all of their reasoning and turns it back on them to convince them it is murder, they won’t budge. Well, if they won’t investigate a murder, she will because Reggie definitely didn’t kill himself.
In the two years prior to the beginning of WWII, London was teeming with foreigners – those truly seeking refuge from the Nazi atrocities in Europe, and those seeking to garner information to pass back to Hitler to aid in his invasion of England. There were also Englanders whose sympathies lay with Hitler as well. There were spies everywhere – there was even a major leak coming from Reggie’s office and they had yet to discover his identity.
Was Reggie the mole who was funneling information to the Nazis? No, of course not. Olivia would never be convinced of that – even though she has just learned many, many, many shocking things about the Reggie she thought she knew. Does that mean that maybe Reggie discovered who the spy is? Could they have murdered Reggie to keep him quiet? Why has someone broken into Olivia’s apartment and ransacked it? What are they looking for?
When more deaths occur and Olivia is constantly being followed, she doesn’t know who to trust. Can the handsome Captain Adam Redmond, of Army Intelligence, be trusted? He certainly turned up at a time that would have allowed him to be part of the problem rather than the solution. Goodness help her – she’s learning to trust and lean on him – has she misjudged him?
You’ll love seeing Olivia come into her own during this time. She has a contentious relationship with her overbearing father and he is livid when she refuses to be a dutiful daughter and move back to his home after Reggie’s death. She compounds his anger when she actually goes to work in order to be able to afford to live in the flat she and Reggie had shared. There is more to her job than meets the eye, and she really begins to find her way – and her courage – as the investigation comes to completion.
I really enjoyed listening to the audiobook. Henrietta Meire, did a nice job with a smooth-flowing narration. While she did different voices for each character, they weren’t distinct enough that I would have recognized the character without having the author identify who was speaking. I think you’ll enjoy listening to the story should you choose the audiobook.
I can definitely recommend this book – and this series. I actually read the second book first because my library didn’t have this one available at the time. That means I can already tell you the second book is a good one as well – but I did like this one better.
Series: Deadly #1
Publication Date: 2/25/16
Period: 1937 – Interwar London
Number of Pages: 278 Print – I had the audiobook
Olivia Denis is in the morgue identifying her deceased husband. It just can’t be her Reggie lying there covered in blood! Sweet, sweet Reggie. Now, they are trying to tell her he committed suicide. Of course he didn’t! She knows he couldn’t have – wouldn’t have – just NO! Even though she takes all of their reasoning and turns it back on them to convince them it is murder, they won’t budge. Well, if they won’t investigate a murder, she will because Reggie definitely didn’t kill himself.
In the two years prior to the beginning of WWII, London was teeming with foreigners – those truly seeking refuge from the Nazi atrocities in Europe, and those seeking to garner information to pass back to Hitler to aid in his invasion of England. There were also Englanders whose sympathies lay with Hitler as well. There were spies everywhere – there was even a major leak coming from Reggie’s office and they had yet to discover his identity.
Was Reggie the mole who was funneling information to the Nazis? No, of course not. Olivia would never be convinced of that – even though she has just learned many, many, many shocking things about the Reggie she thought she knew. Does that mean that maybe Reggie discovered who the spy is? Could they have murdered Reggie to keep him quiet? Why has someone broken into Olivia’s apartment and ransacked it? What are they looking for?
When more deaths occur and Olivia is constantly being followed, she doesn’t know who to trust. Can the handsome Captain Adam Redmond, of Army Intelligence, be trusted? He certainly turned up at a time that would have allowed him to be part of the problem rather than the solution. Goodness help her – she’s learning to trust and lean on him – has she misjudged him?
You’ll love seeing Olivia come into her own during this time. She has a contentious relationship with her overbearing father and he is livid when she refuses to be a dutiful daughter and move back to his home after Reggie’s death. She compounds his anger when she actually goes to work in order to be able to afford to live in the flat she and Reggie had shared. There is more to her job than meets the eye, and she really begins to find her way – and her courage – as the investigation comes to completion.
I really enjoyed listening to the audiobook. Henrietta Meire, did a nice job with a smooth-flowing narration. While she did different voices for each character, they weren’t distinct enough that I would have recognized the character without having the author identify who was speaking. I think you’ll enjoy listening to the story should you choose the audiobook.
I can definitely recommend this book – and this series. I actually read the second book first because my library didn’t have this one available at the time. That means I can already tell you the second book is a good one as well – but I did like this one better.
March 4, 2016
Dollycas’s Thoughts
This is a fantastic debut for this new series! Olivia Denis is one strong woman and I really admire the way she sticks to something when she starts it. She knew her husband could not have taken his own life but the path she takes to find out who really killed him opens doors and reveals more secrets than she ever could have imagined.
I loved Kate Parker’s Victorian Mystery Series. She has a great writing style and her stories feature strong women. I knew I would enjoy this book before I even started reading, but she exceeded all of my expectations.
She takes us back to the 1930’s in London. Olivia’s husband, Reggie, works in the Foreign Office and handles documents and diplomatic credentials. They had traveled to Germany a few times for his work. Could he have seen something to get him killed? As she tries to determine why he was killed we meet his boss and co-workers. We also meet a friend of Olivia’s who helps her get a job at a newspaper covering the society page. She is also doing some work on the side for the owner of the paper. This story takes place at the cusp before World War 2, where everyone seems to be spying on someone. Everyone is scared about what Hitler has planned. Many Jewish people are leaving Germany and others are holding firm. Parker really gives us a human side to these situations by introducing to some interesting characters and even takes our protagonist on a quick trip to Berlin. All of the characters we meet are richly detailed.
This author really knows how to set the scene. It is so easy to “see” all the places this story takes us. The details just form perfect pictures from the streets to the homes with their opulent parties and Olivia’s flat. Olivia quickly sketches what the ladies are wearing so she can describe them in her articles so those take vivid form as well.
She also knows how to plot a story that pulls us in and doesn’t let go. There are so many clues but they all have to come together in the right way to solve the mystery. I really enjoyed following in Olivia’s footsteps and having that “AHA” Moment almost simultaneously.
Parker has penned an excellent story that all historical mystery lovers will absolutely love. In addition to this fine story, the next best thing is that this is a series so we are going to be meeting some of these characters again and I am really excited about that.
This is a fantastic debut for this new series! Olivia Denis is one strong woman and I really admire the way she sticks to something when she starts it. She knew her husband could not have taken his own life but the path she takes to find out who really killed him opens doors and reveals more secrets than she ever could have imagined.
I loved Kate Parker’s Victorian Mystery Series. She has a great writing style and her stories feature strong women. I knew I would enjoy this book before I even started reading, but she exceeded all of my expectations.
She takes us back to the 1930’s in London. Olivia’s husband, Reggie, works in the Foreign Office and handles documents and diplomatic credentials. They had traveled to Germany a few times for his work. Could he have seen something to get him killed? As she tries to determine why he was killed we meet his boss and co-workers. We also meet a friend of Olivia’s who helps her get a job at a newspaper covering the society page. She is also doing some work on the side for the owner of the paper. This story takes place at the cusp before World War 2, where everyone seems to be spying on someone. Everyone is scared about what Hitler has planned. Many Jewish people are leaving Germany and others are holding firm. Parker really gives us a human side to these situations by introducing to some interesting characters and even takes our protagonist on a quick trip to Berlin. All of the characters we meet are richly detailed.
This author really knows how to set the scene. It is so easy to “see” all the places this story takes us. The details just form perfect pictures from the streets to the homes with their opulent parties and Olivia’s flat. Olivia quickly sketches what the ladies are wearing so she can describe them in her articles so those take vivid form as well.
She also knows how to plot a story that pulls us in and doesn’t let go. There are so many clues but they all have to come together in the right way to solve the mystery. I really enjoyed following in Olivia’s footsteps and having that “AHA” Moment almost simultaneously.
Parker has penned an excellent story that all historical mystery lovers will absolutely love. In addition to this fine story, the next best thing is that this is a series so we are going to be meeting some of these characters again and I am really excited about that.
March 25, 2018
3.5 stars for the first in a new series.
Set in 1937 England, the plot revolves around the death of Reggie Denis, who worked for the Foreign Office. His young widow (our heroine), Olivia, has trouble convincing the police that her husband couldn't have shot himself; that he was murdered, instead. So, naturally, Olivia decides to find out who killed Reggie and why.
We are quickly plunged into a plot involving missing documents, Nazi spies, traitors in the Foreign Office, etc. Can our Livvy trust dashing British Army Intelligence Captain Adam Redmond, who keeps showing up at her door? Well, duh, of course she can, as he's the potential romantic interest! Though she is wisely wary of him at the beginning of their acquaintance.
Livvy is a believable mix of naive and stubborn, with a big helping of smart. She does get in over her head a few times--believable because she has no training as a spy.
The mystery is twisty, the characters are fairly well-rounded, the historical background nicely done. The author kept me turning the pages in a need to know what happens next fashion.
I set my rating at 3.5 rather than 4 stars because there were some major eye-roll moments accompanied by more than one "Oh, really?!". However, that won't stop me from reading the next book.
Set in 1937 England, the plot revolves around the death of Reggie Denis, who worked for the Foreign Office. His young widow (our heroine), Olivia, has trouble convincing the police that her husband couldn't have shot himself; that he was murdered, instead. So, naturally, Olivia decides to find out who killed Reggie and why.
We are quickly plunged into a plot involving missing documents, Nazi spies, traitors in the Foreign Office, etc. Can our Livvy trust dashing British Army Intelligence Captain Adam Redmond, who keeps showing up at her door? Well, duh, of course she can, as he's the potential romantic interest! Though she is wisely wary of him at the beginning of their acquaintance.
Livvy is a believable mix of naive and stubborn, with a big helping of smart. She does get in over her head a few times--believable because she has no training as a spy.
The mystery is twisty, the characters are fairly well-rounded, the historical background nicely done. The author kept me turning the pages in a need to know what happens next fashion.
I set my rating at 3.5 rather than 4 stars because there were some major eye-roll moments accompanied by more than one "Oh, really?!". However, that won't stop me from reading the next book.
March 3, 2020
I found the start of the book quite strange, it seemed more like a bad ‘play’ with an over-acting cast.
I'm afraid I also found Olivia quite annoying, given her education she must have been reasonably intelligent but the author seemed intent on making her incredibly gullible. I didn’t mind this right at the start as she had been recent widowed, but she didn’t get any better, in fact the only change seemed to be her lusting after Redmond, the army intelligence officer. I really want my heroines to have more substance than this.
I'm afraid I also found Olivia quite annoying, given her education she must have been reasonably intelligent but the author seemed intent on making her incredibly gullible. I didn’t mind this right at the start as she had been recent widowed, but she didn’t get any better, in fact the only change seemed to be her lusting after Redmond, the army intelligence officer. I really want my heroines to have more substance than this.
April 9, 2020
This is such an entertaining mystery! Fast paced with lots of action, a gutsy sleuth, suspicious characters, wonderful 1930s London setting, pre-WWII political intrigue, and just the right touch of romance to keep the pages turning! Great fun and a great introduction to the Deadly Series.
September 22, 2016
I can't say enough about how much I enjoyed this. Writing, plotting, character and historical atmosphere were all superb.
Kate, the protagonist, is newly widowed on page one. She's smart and resourceful and authentic for her time frame. The mystery twists and turns through pre-WW II London with its openly Nazi diplomats.
It's always a treat to find a new author to enjoy.
Kate, the protagonist, is newly widowed on page one. She's smart and resourceful and authentic for her time frame. The mystery twists and turns through pre-WW II London with its openly Nazi diplomats.
It's always a treat to find a new author to enjoy.
January 29, 2021
I love historical mysteries! This one is a pip! Lots of red herrings, kept me guessing until the end.
March 28, 2018
A new-to-me author! This is the first of a series set in late 1930s England. The protagonist is Olivia Denis, an upper middle class housewife whose husband works in the Foreign Office. When he is killed, the police think it was suicide, but Livvy knows Reggie would never have killed himself. She determines to find the killer herself, and in so doing, learns a multitude of secrets, both foreign and domestic. She also becomes involved with a Captain Adam Redmond, of Army Intelligence. Villains include Nazis and Nazi sympathizers, with Livvy’s father as a sorta-villain - he is overbearing and tries to treat Livvy as a child, upset that she finds a job to support herself after Reggie’s death, rather than moving back home.
I enjoyed this story and this is a favorite period of mine, so I will definitely keep reading the series.
I enjoyed this story and this is a favorite period of mine, so I will definitely keep reading the series.
August 18, 2017
An outstanding whodunit that takes place in 1930s London. The sleuth is Olivia Denis whose husband is found dead and the incident is ruled a suicide. Olivia knows better and sets out her husband was murdered.
With England on the brink of war with Germany, her husband had come under scrutiny as a possible betrayer of government secrets. In order to survive financially Olivia takes a job as a society reporter for a newspaper. The owner of the paper has agreed to provide her a large salary in exchange for an occasional off the cuff assignment that puts her in the direct path of the reason for her husband's murder. It also involves her in the frightening political doings in Nazi Germany. She is experiencing some scary episodes, all the while getting romantically involved with a young British Captain that is counter intelligence.
DEADLY SCANDAL is extremely exciting from the first page. Olivia Denis is a force to be reckoned with and this reader can't wait to read the next installment of this series.
With England on the brink of war with Germany, her husband had come under scrutiny as a possible betrayer of government secrets. In order to survive financially Olivia takes a job as a society reporter for a newspaper. The owner of the paper has agreed to provide her a large salary in exchange for an occasional off the cuff assignment that puts her in the direct path of the reason for her husband's murder. It also involves her in the frightening political doings in Nazi Germany. She is experiencing some scary episodes, all the while getting romantically involved with a young British Captain that is counter intelligence.
DEADLY SCANDAL is extremely exciting from the first page. Olivia Denis is a force to be reckoned with and this reader can't wait to read the next installment of this series.
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March 23, 2016This book has got charm and class, it is refreshing and keeps you wanting more when you are done.Get swept away to the 1930's London era with Kate Parker's Brilliantly written novel, with a fresh cast of characters that will win you over and a story line so intense will be captivated from the first page.I love the details of London and the atmosphere I am looking forward to what Olivia will find herself into next.
March 25, 2017
2.5 stars. I enjoyed this story. It's probably what readers refer to as a "historical cozy spy/mystery". I found the writing to be choppy and a bit amateurish. Still a bit of fun amoungst all the serious novels out there.
May 15, 2017
I had such high hopes for this book because of all the great reviews. Having finished, I find myself wondering what I missed.
May 7, 2024
I listened to this one and I wish I would have read it instead. I was not enamored with the narrator and I had to keep reminding myself, it wasn't the book.
This is about a young woman married to someone from the foreign office that end up murdered and people don't believe Olivia when she tells them he couldn't have killed himself, because he couldn't have shot himself like he did because he had two stiff fingers and would not have been able to pull the trigger.
It is Olivia's quest to find out who murdered her husband and not get herself into trouble. There are many distractions in this book that really don't have anything to do with the telling of the story. I think it would have been better for the author to have kept the trip to Germany out of the story, because this seemed immaterial to the story. Perhaps in a future story, it would have been better to use this plot line.
Overall, I did enjoy this book. Olivia seems to have a lot of savvy and moxie. I am giving this one 4 out of 5 stars. For a first book, I did enjoy it.
This is about a young woman married to someone from the foreign office that end up murdered and people don't believe Olivia when she tells them he couldn't have killed himself, because he couldn't have shot himself like he did because he had two stiff fingers and would not have been able to pull the trigger.
It is Olivia's quest to find out who murdered her husband and not get herself into trouble. There are many distractions in this book that really don't have anything to do with the telling of the story. I think it would have been better for the author to have kept the trip to Germany out of the story, because this seemed immaterial to the story. Perhaps in a future story, it would have been better to use this plot line.
Overall, I did enjoy this book. Olivia seems to have a lot of savvy and moxie. I am giving this one 4 out of 5 stars. For a first book, I did enjoy it.
July 12, 2019
I want to start off by saying that I love Kate Parker's books! I've read several of her others, and mostly love them! This book was the only one of hers I've read that was just okay.
I think part of the issue is the time-frame. I am not really interested in WWII or Nazis. I just don't connect to the things that were going on, or the world of that time. Not my thing. So part of the reason I didn't love this was that it was set during events I just am not into.
But Olivia also just did not connect for me as a main character. She felt too wishy-washy to be the kind of investigating sleuth that she was meant to be in this book. I simply didn't buy her as our intrepid heroine, so it was hard for me to really like and root for her.
This absolutely is not a bad book; I think just the wrong book for me.
I think part of the issue is the time-frame. I am not really interested in WWII or Nazis. I just don't connect to the things that were going on, or the world of that time. Not my thing. So part of the reason I didn't love this was that it was set during events I just am not into.
But Olivia also just did not connect for me as a main character. She felt too wishy-washy to be the kind of investigating sleuth that she was meant to be in this book. I simply didn't buy her as our intrepid heroine, so it was hard for me to really like and root for her.
This absolutely is not a bad book; I think just the wrong book for me.
March 17, 2022
Interesting
There was a lot to unpack, but it was a fun, fast paced read. Fascinating read with the intrigue, spying, and secrets. I liked that Olivia was willing to go after the truth, and I enjoyed that she ended up working with the newspaper. All very believable. And Adam and Abby and Sir John were all very good characters.
There was a lot to unpack, but it was a fun, fast paced read. Fascinating read with the intrigue, spying, and secrets. I liked that Olivia was willing to go after the truth, and I enjoyed that she ended up working with the newspaper. All very believable. And Adam and Abby and Sir John were all very good characters.
August 23, 2021
This book combined two of my favorite genres - cozy mystery and WWII-era fiction. I liked the main character. I will probably look for more books in this series.
February 12, 2022
I accidentally read book 2 first. It would have been better the other way around, but both books are not bad. My only small problem is that I am not fond of books about espionage. Mainly because I don't understand them well. The intricacies of politics and intrigue are a bit above me. This book involves both a murder mystery and a bit of espionage. Olivia's husband, Reggie, is murdered and the police insist that it is suicide, even though his right hand had two stiff fingers, not allowing him to fire a gun with them. In investigating the murder herself, Olivia gets involved with British Intelligence, German and British diplomats, and people with various political leanings. I enjoyed the murder mystery parts, but not so much the rest. It was interesting in the sense of giving an insight into Britain in the years just before World War II. One of my favorite characters is Oberst (Colonel) Berhard, who Olivia meets on a train coming back from Berlin. He is an intriguing man, not quite bad or good, but a little of both.
April 5, 2024
I enjoyed this book not knowing who the murderer is until the end is a bonus. Well written, good characters, I will be reading the next book in the series.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 28, 2025
The diplomatic corpse might have been the most accurate mispronounciation the terrible narrator made in this disaster of a book. For an author who is apparently obsessed with history, she is yet another American who seems to believe that the UK is America with bad weather. Things are not gotten here, we don't get burglarised (Webster truly dropped the ball on this one, rather than his usual dropping of letters, he's added a ton into 'burgled'), and we don't eat meatloaf, to list just a few of the issues I came across. Worse still, the author claims to love Agatha Christie, an author active in the time period this book is set in, but apparently Ms Parker hasn't picked up on the language being used, or even any of the behaviours of the characters.
Okay, clambering off that hobby horse for now, and moving on to the characters. From 1918 through to the 1940s, the school leaving age in England was 14, a step up from 10, which it had been previously. The education options for girls beyond state schools, were home tuition, private schools and boarding schools. Given that the latter two were aimed at a more academic curriculum than home tuition, I can't believe that the MC's Victorian father would have considered anything other than home tuition, which was generally aimed at turning out nice, marriageable young ladies. Given the way he's portrayed in the 1930's with his demands she move home after the death of her husband and that she not work, the idea that he not only sent her to boarding school, but also to Cambridge is frankly ludicrous. The evidence of this fabulous education is also not reflected in the main character's behaviour - she's an idiot! She deliberately does things she's told not to do, which would be common sense to the average person, and she makes several revelations more than once and seems surprised each time. I can't even begin to deal with how the author thinks public schools work, but absolutely, 100% not this.
The only reason this is getting more than 1 star is for covering a time period that doesn't often appear in historical mysteries.
Okay, clambering off that hobby horse for now, and moving on to the characters. From 1918 through to the 1940s, the school leaving age in England was 14, a step up from 10, which it had been previously. The education options for girls beyond state schools, were home tuition, private schools and boarding schools. Given that the latter two were aimed at a more academic curriculum than home tuition, I can't believe that the MC's Victorian father would have considered anything other than home tuition, which was generally aimed at turning out nice, marriageable young ladies. Given the way he's portrayed in the 1930's with his demands she move home after the death of her husband and that she not work, the idea that he not only sent her to boarding school, but also to Cambridge is frankly ludicrous. The evidence of this fabulous education is also not reflected in the main character's behaviour - she's an idiot! She deliberately does things she's told not to do, which would be common sense to the average person, and she makes several revelations more than once and seems surprised each time. I can't even begin to deal with how the author thinks public schools work, but absolutely, 100% not this.
The only reason this is getting more than 1 star is for covering a time period that doesn't often appear in historical mysteries.
October 4, 2022
I thought this book started out with a great premise--the main character's husband is killed in what is set up to look like suicide--and she has to investigate on her own because the police are doing nothing. The pre-WWII setting and political intrigue during the Nazi rise to power and London's social scene promises great things...sadly, the story and the characters did not live up to my expectations. There were so many potential suspects among her husband's colleagues, none of which stood out enough or had enough time devoted to them for the reader to remember who they were, much less figure out if they were a red herring or not. The main character, a sheltered lady, acted quite out of character often times being quite bold (which is fine!) but then she would go back to relying on her male counterparts, including a love interest. I felt she forgave too easily (no spoilers), was too passive with her overbearing father, too fast to leap into bed with a suspicious guy, and did some incredibly dumb things (like return to her apartment that had been broken into...a few times!). Sadly, I found I was bored reading large passages and no longer cared who killed her husband.
March 6, 2016
DEADLY SCANDAL by Kate Parker
The First Deadly Mystery
Olivia Davis is the young wife of a mild mannered member of the Foreign Office in 1930s London as the Nazi Party is gaining power. Olivia's carefree life is turned upside down when her husband is found dead of an apparent suicide. More scandals quickly follow as Olivia realizes it would have been impossible for Reggie to kill himself in the manner in which he died. But who would have murdered him, and why? Forced to take a job so as to remain independent and not move back with her father, Olivia becomes a society reporter. However, her job is more than talking about ladies fashions and birth announcements. Due to her knowledge of people in the Foreign Office, Olivia is also given special assignments to see what certain German officials are doing and who in the Foreign Office just may be a Nazi sympathizer. Olivia discovers her husband is not the man he seemed. Surely he wasn't a traitor, but what did he know that got him killed, and could she be the next target? Unlikely allies are formed and old friendships are questioned as Olivia searches for the truth.
As England draws inexorably towards war, so Olivia is drawn into a new life filled with intrigue. DEADLY SCANDAL takes a look at prewar days and social mores. Scandals abound in this new series opener as Olivia Davis is confronted with an apparent suicide, murder, homosexuality, women in the workplace, appropriate mourning behavior and more! There are also Nazis!
Kate Parker has created a historical mystery which combines espionage with the flavor of a cozy mystery. The combination is seamless and compelling with a distinct sense of time and place. One feels for Olivia as her way of life comes to end end, yet seems to bring out the best in her. No longer "just" the young wife, she becomes her own person with drive and ambition and a thirst for justice. Just as life is about to change for the world, so Olivia's life has changed, but she's proving that she's more than up for the challenge!
FTC Disclosure – The publisher sent me a copy of this book in the hopes I would review it.
The First Deadly Mystery
Olivia Davis is the young wife of a mild mannered member of the Foreign Office in 1930s London as the Nazi Party is gaining power. Olivia's carefree life is turned upside down when her husband is found dead of an apparent suicide. More scandals quickly follow as Olivia realizes it would have been impossible for Reggie to kill himself in the manner in which he died. But who would have murdered him, and why? Forced to take a job so as to remain independent and not move back with her father, Olivia becomes a society reporter. However, her job is more than talking about ladies fashions and birth announcements. Due to her knowledge of people in the Foreign Office, Olivia is also given special assignments to see what certain German officials are doing and who in the Foreign Office just may be a Nazi sympathizer. Olivia discovers her husband is not the man he seemed. Surely he wasn't a traitor, but what did he know that got him killed, and could she be the next target? Unlikely allies are formed and old friendships are questioned as Olivia searches for the truth.
As England draws inexorably towards war, so Olivia is drawn into a new life filled with intrigue. DEADLY SCANDAL takes a look at prewar days and social mores. Scandals abound in this new series opener as Olivia Davis is confronted with an apparent suicide, murder, homosexuality, women in the workplace, appropriate mourning behavior and more! There are also Nazis!
Kate Parker has created a historical mystery which combines espionage with the flavor of a cozy mystery. The combination is seamless and compelling with a distinct sense of time and place. One feels for Olivia as her way of life comes to end end, yet seems to bring out the best in her. No longer "just" the young wife, she becomes her own person with drive and ambition and a thirst for justice. Just as life is about to change for the world, so Olivia's life has changed, but she's proving that she's more than up for the challenge!
FTC Disclosure – The publisher sent me a copy of this book in the hopes I would review it.
March 18, 2016
This is an interesting and promising start to a new series of mysteries set in the 1930s just before the start of World War II. Olivia Denis finds her world shattered by the death of her husband, Reggie. She is convinced he was murdered but it seems everyone is determined to tell her that he committed suicide. Olivia knows different and decides to prove it. But first she must find a job so that she can stay in her own flat rather than moving home to live with her father - with whom she rarely sees eye to eye.
She lands a job as a reporter for the society column of a newspaper with a secret second job reporting to the owner of the newspaper on European politics as she has contacts in the diplomatic world because of her late husband's job at the Foreign Office. This is a well written and interesting mystery set in an era which saw the world on the brink of upheaval. I thought it portrayed the tense world of European diplomacy extremely well with everyone on edge as Germany gained more and more power.
I liked Olivia as a character and I thought the rest of the characters were well drawn too. My only criticism of the book is that it contained far too many Americanisms for a book set mainly in the UK and these did grate on me after a time. There were no American characters and if Olivia herself had been American they would have been acceptable - but she is English. In my opinion the books should have been edited to remove them. That said the book is an excellent read and will appeal to anyone who enjoys historical crime stories.
She lands a job as a reporter for the society column of a newspaper with a secret second job reporting to the owner of the newspaper on European politics as she has contacts in the diplomatic world because of her late husband's job at the Foreign Office. This is a well written and interesting mystery set in an era which saw the world on the brink of upheaval. I thought it portrayed the tense world of European diplomacy extremely well with everyone on edge as Germany gained more and more power.
I liked Olivia as a character and I thought the rest of the characters were well drawn too. My only criticism of the book is that it contained far too many Americanisms for a book set mainly in the UK and these did grate on me after a time. There were no American characters and if Olivia herself had been American they would have been acceptable - but she is English. In my opinion the books should have been edited to remove them. That said the book is an excellent read and will appeal to anyone who enjoys historical crime stories.
May 3, 2017
Deadly Scandal is my first book by this author and I really liked it. I am really getting into historical mysteries and just look at that cover. :)
Olivia's world gets turned upside down when her husband Reggie committed suicide, though she tells them it was murder because there was no way he could have pulled the trigger with that hand. Who would want to kill Reggie though? He worked for the government but as far as Olivia knew he was just an ordinary normal worker. She finds out she really didn't know her husband at all.
Refusing to move back in with her father who thinks lowly of women she finds as job as a society reporter and uses that job to help find out what happened to Reggie. She finds out a lot of things that she didn't know about her husband, one of them is really bad and scandalous. She also gets help from Adam and he creates some feelings that she had long forgotten since Reggie was never very intimate.
I really liked Olivia, she is spunky and doesn't give up when others tell her too. Even going against her father and investigating because she knew Reggie didn't kill himself, even if she wasn't happy with what she found out about him. I can't wait to see what happens next with Olivia and Adam.
If you like historical mysteries then I think you would like this one.
Olivia's world gets turned upside down when her husband Reggie committed suicide, though she tells them it was murder because there was no way he could have pulled the trigger with that hand. Who would want to kill Reggie though? He worked for the government but as far as Olivia knew he was just an ordinary normal worker. She finds out she really didn't know her husband at all.
Refusing to move back in with her father who thinks lowly of women she finds as job as a society reporter and uses that job to help find out what happened to Reggie. She finds out a lot of things that she didn't know about her husband, one of them is really bad and scandalous. She also gets help from Adam and he creates some feelings that she had long forgotten since Reggie was never very intimate.
I really liked Olivia, she is spunky and doesn't give up when others tell her too. Even going against her father and investigating because she knew Reggie didn't kill himself, even if she wasn't happy with what she found out about him. I can't wait to see what happens next with Olivia and Adam.
If you like historical mysteries then I think you would like this one.
March 13, 2016
In the very beginning of this mystery I was sceptical. I was finding Olivia (the main character) shallow--in other words a "twit". I kept on with the story as I had really enjoyed the authors Victorian Bookshop mystery series and I am glad I did. Olivia grew up and really added depth to her character. After about a third of the book I realized that I was enjoying the way she thought...and I especially loved the loyalty she showed her "murdered" hsuband throughout the story--no mattered what she was told.
Deadly Scandal was an unusual mystery told in a unusal (at least for me) time period. I loved the history that Kate Parker brought alive, and especially loved the hints--the bits and pieces of spying....
I could actually feel the worry of the idea of going to war.
Very much recommended, especially for those who love historic mysteries. 4.5 stars.
Deadly Scandal was an unusual mystery told in a unusal (at least for me) time period. I loved the history that Kate Parker brought alive, and especially loved the hints--the bits and pieces of spying....
I could actually feel the worry of the idea of going to war.
Very much recommended, especially for those who love historic mysteries. 4.5 stars.
April 12, 2016
In the very beginning of this mystery I was sceptical. I was finding Olivia (the main character) shallow--in other words a "twit". I kept on with the story as I had really enjoyed the authors Victorian Bookshop mystery series and I am glad I did. Olivia grew up and really added depth to her character. After about a third of the book I realized that I was enjoying the way she thought...and I especially loved the loyalty she showed her "murdered" hsuband throughout the story--no mattered what she was told.
Deadly Scandal was an unusual mystery told in a unusal (at least for me) time period. I loved the history that Kate Parker brought alive, and especially loved the hints--the bits and pieces of spying....
I could actually feel the worry of the idea of going to war.
Very much recommended, especially for those who love historic mysteries. 4.5 stars.
Deadly Scandal was an unusual mystery told in a unusal (at least for me) time period. I loved the history that Kate Parker brought alive, and especially loved the hints--the bits and pieces of spying....
I could actually feel the worry of the idea of going to war.
Very much recommended, especially for those who love historic mysteries. 4.5 stars.
May 27, 2021
2.5 stars
Hmm I don't quite know what to think of this. There are elements of this that I really liked, but the pacing was off. Olivia investigates the murder of her husband Reggie, who worked for the Foreign Office. The setting of the late 1930s in the lead-up to WWII and rising German bellicosity was interesting. Olivia was a bit of a blank slate for me, her motivations a bit underdeveloped, the romance rushed. May or may not read another one.
Hmm I don't quite know what to think of this. There are elements of this that I really liked, but the pacing was off. Olivia investigates the murder of her husband Reggie, who worked for the Foreign Office. The setting of the late 1930s in the lead-up to WWII and rising German bellicosity was interesting. Olivia was a bit of a blank slate for me, her motivations a bit underdeveloped, the romance rushed. May or may not read another one.
Read
February 29, 2016This book has got charm and class, it is refreshing and keeps you wanting more when you are done.Get swept away to the 1930's London era with Kate Parker's Brilliantly written novel, with a fresh cast of characters that will win you over and a story line so intense will be captivated from the first page.I love the details of London and the atmosphere I am looking forward to what Olivia will find herself into next.
April 19, 2018
I started this book several days ago and after the first page or so decided that sadly it was going to follow the pattern of many of the current cozy mysteries. Lone woman widowed by WWI turns spunky/intrepid private detective. I put it aside. But lo and behold when I went back to it my first impressions had been very mistaken and I found myself being highly entertained by a bemused widow reluctantly turning spy. I like Olivia and hope she has many more adventures in store.
unfinished
December 9, 2021After an hour of this audio, I have no interest in this book. The writing is in choppy sentences and the audio sounds robotic. Plus, I don't care for the characters. Best to just pass this one over. 😐
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