Treacherous Is the Night (A Verity Kent Mystery, #2)

by Anna Lee Huber

“My favorite new mystery series!”
—Alyssa Maxwell, USA Today bestselling author

In 1919 England, in the shadow of The Great War, many look to the spirit world for answers. But it will take an all too earthbound intrigue to draw in the discerning heroine of Anna Lee Huber’s latest mystery . . .

It’s not that Verity Kent doesn’t sympathize with those eager to make contact with lost loved ones. After all, she once believed herself a war widow. But now that she’s discovered Sidney is very much alive, Verity is having enough trouble connecting with her estranged husband, never mind the dead. Still, at a friend’s behest, Verity attends a séance, where she encounters the man who still looms between her and Sidney—and a medium who channels a woman Verity once worked with in the Secret Service. Refusing to believe her former fellow spy is dead, Verity is determined to uncover the source of the spiritualist’s top secret revelation.
 
Then the medium is murdered—and Verity’s investigation is suddenly thwarted. Even Secret Service agents she once trusted turn their backs on her. Undaunted, Verity heads to war-torn Belgium, with Sidney by her side. But as they draw ever closer to the danger, Verity wonders if she’s about to learn the true meaning of till death do us part . . .
 
Praise for the debut Verity Kent Mystery
 
“Sure to please fans of classic whodunits and lovers of historical fiction alike.”
—Jessie Crockett, author of Whispers Beyond the Veil

• ISBN10: 1496713176
• ISBN13: 9781496713179
• Publish Date: 25 September 2018
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Kensington
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 336
• Language: English
• URL: https://penguinrandomhouse.com/books/isbn/9781496713179

Reviews

[annieb123]

Originally published on my blog: Nonstop Reader.

Treacherous Is the Night is the second book in the Verity Kent mystery series by Anna Lee Huber. Released 25th Sept by Kensington books, it's 304 pages and available in paperback, ebook and audiobook formats.

Although this is the second book in the series, it reads very well as a standalone. I do recommend searching out the first book in the series because it's beautifully written and plotted; a really superlative period mystery; but it's not necessary to have read it first to understand what's going on in this one.

Interwar mysteries are my favorites. I love the period, the style and panache, the sophistication and grit. Though I adore authentic classic golden age authors, there won't be any more produced. This, on the other hand, is a modern author who writes beautifully and cleverly with sophisticated three dimensional characters and dialogue which is never clunky or awkward.

Main character Verity is capable, intelligent, sophisticated and a little bit vulnerable. She worked in the resistance (bad*ss!) in WWI when she thought she was a widow, and even though her husband turned out to be alive, she feels compelled by a debt of honor to try to help a former comrade in arms. Her search for her former contact and fellow agent leads her and her husband into direct danger and she doesn't know whom she can trust.

This book has elements of a mystery espionage novel, but it's the mystery aspects which gave me the most enjoyment. The book's language is very clean with only a few scattered uses of the word 'bloody'. There is not any overt sexual content, although there are a few passing discussions of some of the harder realities of life for women in occupied areas during wartime (rape, etc). These discussions are fleeting and not at all graphic.

I often find unintentional anachronisms in most of the books I review and I have to say, Ms. Huber's period research is impressive. The story is interwoven around real life events and history and I couldn't find any obvious inaccuracies. Well played!

Four and a half stars. I recommend this book (and series) very highly to anyone who loves classic mysteries. I look forward eagerly to read more for these characters (even though her husband's sort of a cad).

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

[MurderByDeath]

This series is driving me crazy; I love the author's writing, the characters, the settings, the mysteries.  But I hate one of the major plot points.     Verity Kent's husband died during WWI - except, he didn't.  He was wounded but allowed himself to be listed as killed in action, hiding while he hunted out the traitor in his unit.  Well over a year later, after Verity has started moving on, and falling for another man - a man designed by the author to make readers fall for him - her dead husband decided to let her know he's in rude health for a corpse and not understanding why she's not happier to see him. (hide spoiler)   I'm not sure how to reconcile this, really.  I want to read them, but they piss me off at the same time.   With that disclosure, it's a good book, although a bit rambling.  I notice tis with a lot of Kensington books, so I think it's more an editorial style than a failing on the author's part.  A tighter editing would have resulted in a faster paced mystery and less exposition about the devastation of WWI.  Don't get me wrong: the exposition was interesting, but it was a tad repetitive.  My biggest complaint, and again, something that could have been avoided by a stricter editor, was Verity's constant, constant, mention of Her Big Secret and how she should tell her husband; it's revelation is inevitable; they can't move on unless she does; really, it would be best to come clean... but not now.  Never now.  Then, finally, the revelation.  And all I could think was omg, who cares?.  I realise people were a lot touchier about things in 1918, but give me a break; without spoiling things, her husband didn't have a leg to stand on and she really ought to have just told him to suck it up and deal with it.   I don't know if I'll read the third one when it comes out or not.  If I do, I'm pretty sure I'm stuck with that plot point and, well, I just don't know that I care enough about Verity as things stand.