What do you think?
Rate this book
Faith Clarke #2
A Taste of Betrayal
April 1775. Unrest grows in the colonial capital of Williamsburg, VA. Opinions turn ugly when the city’s armory is seized in the middle of the night by the British. Faith prepares to be a bystander as her father-in-law Ezra takes lead in responding to the governor. Events take a personal turn when Ezra collapses and begs her to find who poisoned him. Faith tackles the job, aided by Patriot spy Jeremy Butler, but the suspects are many, from Royal Governor Dunmore to members of Ezra’s own family who hunger for his wealth. Suspicion falls on Eugenia Moore, his opinionated wife, who is hauled off to the gaol after arsenic is found in her room.
Nothing makes sense to either Faith or Jeremy as they struggle to find answers amidst the increasing chaos. Ezra’s death brings family animosities to a boil, unleashing anger and accusations as the number of those afflicted increases. As Jeremy follows leads among Ezra’s rivals and opponents, Faith looks at the family, trying to decide who would benefit from administering a taste of betrayal.
Nothing makes sense to either Faith or Jeremy as they struggle to find answers amidst the increasing chaos. Ezra’s death brings family animosities to a boil, unleashing anger and accusations as the number of those afflicted increases. As Jeremy follows leads among Ezra’s rivals and opponents, Faith looks at the family, trying to decide who would benefit from administering a taste of betrayal.
275 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 1, 2022
8 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
April 27, 2024
Back in the colonial capital of Williasburg, Virgina, 1775. More dreadful things are happening with people, either someone is betraying or trying to stop the revolution.
Faith’s father in law Ezra dies suspiciously but he says that in his last breath that the cause of his death is poison. Someone poisoned him and didn’t let him finish the will. The more she dig into the mystery, the more secrets unravels and the truth comes out with lies, deceit and betrayal putting the lives of those around her at stake. I love how people came together. I love the characters of Faith, Titus and Olivia.
Thanks to the Publisher, Partners in crime book tour and Author
Faith’s father in law Ezra dies suspiciously but he says that in his last breath that the cause of his death is poison. Someone poisoned him and didn’t let him finish the will. The more she dig into the mystery, the more secrets unravels and the truth comes out with lies, deceit and betrayal putting the lives of those around her at stake. I love how people came together. I love the characters of Faith, Titus and Olivia.
Thanks to the Publisher, Partners in crime book tour and Author
July 25, 2022
I liked this well plotted and engrossing historical mystery. It kept me hooked, I liked the characters, and the mystery is solid.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine
March 23, 2024
This is the second in a series of three so far. I really enjoyed the first book and reviewed it back in January of this year. Very happy to read the second book of Faith Clarke’s (reluctant) investigations in revolutionary Williamsburg, Virginia.
Trouble seems to seek out Faith’s company everywhere she turns. When her former father-in-law grows deathly ill the doctors call it cholera, but how can that be when no one else in the household, never mind the town, is ill? But one by one, from Ezra’s valet to Faith’s love interest Will, they begin to succumb to this strange malady everyone knows is not cholera. Meanwhile, the politics in town is heating up between the loyalists and the revolutionaries, with spies and soldiers gathering in Williamsburg and in Faith’s tavern.
What I love about this author’s writing is the everydayness of colonial Williamsburg, emphasizing the kitchen and the tavern, Faith’s business. Even this is in jeopardy, as various parties want to use her for their own purposes. Faith gets overwhelmed at times by the actions of others around her, but she digs in her heels, puts her head down, and plows through to find the answers to the questions this spate of deaths has raised.
Highly recommended for lovers of Colonial American historical fiction and historical mystery fiction.
Thank you, BookSirens, for a copy of this book to read and review.
Trouble seems to seek out Faith’s company everywhere she turns. When her former father-in-law grows deathly ill the doctors call it cholera, but how can that be when no one else in the household, never mind the town, is ill? But one by one, from Ezra’s valet to Faith’s love interest Will, they begin to succumb to this strange malady everyone knows is not cholera. Meanwhile, the politics in town is heating up between the loyalists and the revolutionaries, with spies and soldiers gathering in Williamsburg and in Faith’s tavern.
What I love about this author’s writing is the everydayness of colonial Williamsburg, emphasizing the kitchen and the tavern, Faith’s business. Even this is in jeopardy, as various parties want to use her for their own purposes. Faith gets overwhelmed at times by the actions of others around her, but she digs in her heels, puts her head down, and plows through to find the answers to the questions this spate of deaths has raised.
Highly recommended for lovers of Colonial American historical fiction and historical mystery fiction.
Thank you, BookSirens, for a copy of this book to read and review.
July 28, 2022
A well written and interesting depiction of the time. The character's were well written and I like Faith as a character. It did keep me interested to the end but I was a little disappointed in the mystery side as there didn't seem any real attempt to solve the case in a step by step manner more a lurching from suspect to suspect with the villain being found out by the chance finding of something in his room. Overall though I did enjoy it and would give it 3.5. It was my first read of this author will try more of her work. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
September 2, 2022
I have never read a historical mystery before and what a great read. Reading the way life was back in 1775. Just the way the author wrote it made me believe I was there. Being a Canadian I basically did not know about this time period and the way they lived back then. The murder mystery was well written, and the plot was laid out perfectly. It kept me hooked to the end and find out who the murder was a complete surprise. Julie Bates has got me hooked on historical mysteries. I highly recommend this book.
September 4, 2022
I have never read a historical mystery before and what a great read. Reading the way life was back in 1775. Just the way the author wrote it made me believe I was there. Being a Canadian I basically did not know about this time period and the way they lived back then. The murder mystery was well written, and the plot was laid out perfectly. It kept me hooked to the end and find out who the murder was a complete surprise. Julie Bates has got me hooked on historical mysteries. I highly recommend this book.
October 31, 2023
My thanks to the Author publisher's and Book Sirens for providing me with a Kindle version of this book to read and honestly review.
The second book in this excellent series, is well written and researched with a clever mix of fictional and real historical characters and events. Once again our brave feisty intelligent heroine finds herself embroiled in an intriguing murder mystery, and in fear for her life. The author describes the action with a real feel for time and place. This is the second book in this series and while there are some references to the previous book it works as a standalone story, though my advice would be to start at the beginning.
Completely recommended.
The second book in this excellent series, is well written and researched with a clever mix of fictional and real historical characters and events. Once again our brave feisty intelligent heroine finds herself embroiled in an intriguing murder mystery, and in fear for her life. The author describes the action with a real feel for time and place. This is the second book in this series and while there are some references to the previous book it works as a standalone story, though my advice would be to start at the beginning.
Completely recommended.
August 8, 2025
I loved the setting of this book, at the brink of the American War of Independence. The uncertainties surrounding the highly volatile context is well drawn. When Faith Clarke's father-in-law is poisoned right in the middle of it, she has no choice but to get embroiled in it. Faith Clarke has a tendency to bump into death wherever she goes. She is not hugely likeable but a pretty realistic, reluctant protagonist who only wants to live a peaceful life. The rest of the characters, especially the freed slaves and Jeremy Butler are intriguing. Good mystery as well that kept me engrossed.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews