Reviewed by annieb123 on
Death and Hard Cider is the 19th Benjamin January novel by Barbara Hambly. Released 7th June 2022 by Severn House, it's 256 pages and is available in hardcover and ebook formats. Paperback due out 1st quarter 2023. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats.
These books are superbly well written. The author manages to convey the very real peril of living as a person of color in the southern USA in the 1840s. Despite being a European trained physician and gifted musician, Dr. January is continually at risk of being kidnapped and forced into slavery.
It works well as a standalone, the mystery (less of a murder mystery and more of a 'how will they get out of this alive') and parallel plots work very well without previous familiarity with the series. I do recommend reading the series, however, for the consistently high quality of the plotting, the depth and realism of the scenery and characterizations as well as the meticulous historical research. The books are full of the casual racist violence which was endemic to that part of the world, and they could have been relentlessly depressing. The author manages to imbue the characters with nobility, grit, purpose, honesty, and even a touch of humor and whimsy (especially the relationship between Hannibal and Rose, which is wonderful).
Four and a half stars for this book, and five stars for the series. Highly recommended for fans of historical mystery. I love these books and truly look forward to every installment with anticipation.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
Reading updates
- Started reading
- Finished reading
- 16 July, 2022: Reviewed