Murder on Wall Street by Victoria Thompson

Murder on Wall Street
by Victoria Thompson

ISBN-13: 9781984805775
Hardcover: 336 pages
Publisher: Berkley
Released: April 27th 2021


Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Reformed gangster Jack Robinson is working hard to bolster his image in Gilded Age New York City society as he prepares to become a new father. But when Hayden Norcross, the man who nearly ruined his wife, is shot in cold blood, Jack knows the police will soon come knocking on his door. Frank Malloy has to agree, but a man as unlikeable as Hayden had more than a few enemies. It’s soon clear that plenty of the upper echelon as well as the denizens of the most squalid areas of the city seem to have hated him.

Sarah and Frank have their work cut out for them. As the daughter of the elite Decker family, Sarah has access to the social circles Hayden frequented, and the more she learns about his horrific treatment of women, the more disturbed she becomes. And as Frank investigates, he finds that Hayden had a host of unsavory habits that may have hastened his demise. But who finally killed him?


My Review:
Murder on Wall Street is a historical mystery set in New York City in 1900. This is the 24th book in the series. You don't need to read the previous books to understand this one, and this one didn't spoil the whodunit of the previous mysteries.

This was a clue-based puzzle mystery. Frank, Gino, Sarah, and her parents all helped with the investigation and used their unique skill sets. They asked good questions and investigated many leads, but there were many people who didn't like the murdered man so they had many suspects. Whodunit was a strong suspect for me from the beginning, but I understood why they weren't guessing that person. I wasn't sure if that person had help, though. What happened became clearer as they collected clues. I like that Sarah genuinely helps victims rather than pushing her way into investigating a crime simply for her amusement.

Some interesting historical details were woven into the story. The main characters were nice, engaging people and had realistic reactions to events. There were no sex scenes or bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this interesting historical mystery.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.

The Jane Austen Investigates: The Abbey Mystery by Julia Golding

The Jane Austen Investigates:
The Abbey Mystery
by Julia Golding

ISBN-13: 9781782643340
Paperback: 192 pages
Publisher: Lion Fiction
Released: April 23rd 2021


Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
It’s 1789 and a young Jane Austen turns detective as she seeks to solve the mysterious happenings at Southmoor Abbey. When a carriage accident forces a change of plans, 13-year-old Jane is sent to be a companion to Lady Cromwell for a week as the household prepares to celebrate the eldest son’s coming-of-age party. While there, Jane vows to solve the mystery of the ghostly monk in the Abbey grounds – for she does not believe in such stories!

But this is not the only strange occurrence for the adventurous young Jane to investigate. There are shivery night-time investigations, an Indian girl with secret talents, a library fire, two prize horses in danger, and friends to save from false accusations. With notebook in hand and her faithful dog Grandison by her side, will Jane overcome the continuous obstacles and find out the truth?


My Review:
The Abbey Mystery is a delightful mystery set in 1789 in England with a 13-year-old Jane Austen as the amateur detective. I would've loved her as a kid, and I thoroughly enjoyed the story as an adult, too. The historical details about manners and customs were deftly woven into the story and did not slow down the pacing but did explain why certain things happened the way they did. Jane used modern wording and was a realistic 13-year-old girl, so younger readers will feel at home with her. She's spunky, determined, loyal, and has a sense of humor.

The mystery was clue-based, and whodunit was guessable from the clues. Jane had good ideas about where to look and what questions to ask. She made good friends that helped her to accomplish her goal of proving that a more powerful (than her) person was at fault rather than the young man who was blamed. There was no sex or bad language. Overall, I'd highly recommend this enjoyable historical mystery.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.


Excerpt: Read an excerpt using Google Preview.

Winning the Gentleman by Kristi Ann Hunter

Winning the Gentleman
by Kristi Ann Hunter

ISBN-13: 9780764235269
Paperback: 352 pages
Publisher: Bethany House Publishers
Released: April 20th 2021

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Aaron Whitworth hasn't had control over most aspects of his life, but he's always taken pride in being an honorable businessman and better-than-average horseman. When both of those claims are threatened, he makes the desperate decision to hire the horse trainer of a traveling circus as a temporary jockey for his racehorses.

Sophia Fitzroy knows that most horsemen don't take her seriously because she's a woman, but she can't pass up the opportunity to get away from the tumultuous world of travel and performing. As she fights for the right to do the work she was hired for, she learns the fight for Aaron's guarded heart might be an even more worthwhile challenge.

As secrets come to light and past vulnerabilities are confronted, will Aaron and Sophia sacrifice their former dreams and forge a new one together--against all odds?


My Review:
Winning the Gentleman is a Christian historical romance set in 1817 in Newmarket, England. It's the second book in the series. You don't need to read the previous novels to understand this one, though characters from her previous novels do appear in this story.

The main characters were interesting, complex, and reacted realistically to events. Aaron felt like he couldn't marry due to his "illegitimate" (though grudgingly acknowledged by his father) status making his social position questionable. He wanted to be a man of his word, though, so backed Sophia even though she tricked him into a contract making her a jockey. She didn't really want to be a jockey, just make enough of a name for herself that women would want to hire her to teach them advanced riding (dressage). Both come to appreciate the other person's strengths and grow as people. Aaron's friends help him to realize that he's made his own place in society.

There was some praying, and Sophia learned to trust God more with her future plans. There was no sex or bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this enjoyable historical romance.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.


Excerpt: Read an excerpt using Google Preview.

The Dagger Dance by Elizabeth Bailey

The Dagger Dance
by Elizabeth Bailey

ISBN-13: 9781800552128
Paperback: 361 pages
Publisher: Sapere Books
Released: April 13, 2021

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from NetGalley:
1793, England. After a not-so-relaxing holiday in Tunbridge Wells, Lady Ottilia and Lord Francis Fanshawe have returned to their home with a young orphaned girl, Pertesia ‘Pretty’ Brockhurst. After losing both her parents in tragic circumstances, Pretty had been abandoned by the rest of her family and the childless Fanshawes have delighted in having her around. But when her estranged grandfather turns up on their doorstep, Ottilia is worried she will lose the child.

Meanwhile, their footman Hemp Roy, has run into trouble. After becoming reacquainted with Dorote, a woman from his past life in Barbados, Hemp is desperate to help her when she is accused of murdering her master in Bristol. Who better to turn to than his trusted Lady Fan?


My Review:
The Dagger Dance is a mystery set in 1793 in England. This novel is the 7th in the series, but you don't need to read the previous novels to understand this one. This story didn't spoil the whodunit of the previous books, but it did spoil some of the events in the previous book.

This was a clue-based mystery. Lady Fan and her husband asked plenty of questions of potential witnesses and suspects to sort out what had happened. The actual murderer seemed extremely obvious to me, but it took all of the clues to figure out exactly what had happened and prove whodunit for various crimes. Historical details were woven into the story to create the feeling of a specific time and place.

The characters were interesting, but Lady Fan is getting increasingly arrogant and high-handed in her dealings with other people. She's right (even in a case where she's just being selfish). Everyone else is wrong and anything (threats, blackmail, etc.) is justifiable to force them to do what she wants. I didn't care for this behavior, but her husband just cheered her on. Despite her much lauded observational skills, she and her husband were completely blind to the fact that she was pregnant. They were constantly making jokes about her odd eating behavior and erratic emotions to the point it became unbelievable that they simply didn't make the connection.

There were just a few of uses of bad language. There were no sex scenes. Overall, I'd recommend this enjoyable novel.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.

A Wicked Conceit by Anna Lee Huber

A Wicked Conceit
by Anna Lee Huber

ISBN-13: 9780593198445
Paperback: 384 pages
Publisher: Berkley
Released: April 6th 2021

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Edinburgh, Scotland. March 1832. Kiera and Gage have been eagerly awaiting their bundle of joy, but trouble has been brewing in the form of the roguish criminal, Bonnie Brock Kincaid. A new book and subsequent play features some of Kincaid's daringly heinous exploits as well as characters which are obvious representations of Kiera and Gage. The scoundrel's fury at the author seems genuine, as well as his determined quest to uncover the real identity of the author.

A rash of crimes break out across the city, seemingly inspired by the play and book. When the publisher is found brutally murdered—in an imitation of a gruesome scene—the finger not only points to Bonnie Brock as the possible culprit, but also the Gages, who have been outspoken in their condemnation of the scandalous implications against Kiera in the tale. Now, the Gages are on a hunt to unmask the killer. Between the infamy garnered by the play, the cholera outbreak still wreaking havoc throughout the city, and the impending birth of their child, they will need all the resources they can garner. But family quarrels and the revelation of a secret Kiera has been keeping from Sebastian threaten to undermine everything they have overcome.


My Review:
A Wicked Conceit is a mystery set in February 1832 in Scotland. It is the ninth book in a series. The author referred back to events in the previous books, including the solution to several mysteries. This book also heavily referred to events in previous books, so events in the current book will probably make more sense if you've read those books.

About 80% of the book was spent on relationship conflicts (with Kiera's sister, between Kiera and Gage, between Kiera's maid and Gage's valet, dealing with the scandal implied by a recently released book, etc.). While this continued to develop the characters, the mystery seemed more like the event driving the relationship conflicts than the focus of the story. I prefer a little more focus on the mystery.

The historical details were mainly about the cholera outbreak and book publishing. Kiera was about to give birth at any time, but she continued to investigate and go to dances and other social functions (where people, mainly women, made public comments about the state of her pregnancy). Kiera and Gage investigated the identity of the informant, the author, and the murder (which weren't necessarily different people, but the people behind those roles needed to be identified). They asked good questions and followed up on clues. I guessed some of it before the reveal, but some parts weren't clear until the final clues were uncovered.

There were no sex scenes. There was occasional use of British bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this mystery to fans of the series.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.


Excerpt: Read an excerpt using Google Preview.

Danger on the Loch by Paige Edwards

Danger on the Loch
by Paige Edwards

ISBN-13: 9781524415204
Paperback: 296 pages
Publisher: Covenant Communications
Released: April 5th 2021

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description from Goodreads:
Raised by a cold and distant mother, photographer Paisley Clark has spent her life daydreaming about the father she doesn’t remember. Paisley’s dream turns to reality when a DNA test brings her in contact with the mysterious man. With her financial situation a disaster and her childhood friend James Pressley-Coombes working across the pond in Scotland, Paisley is emboldened to accept her father’s invitation to visit him.

She arrives in the Highlands only to discover that she isn’t Paisley Clark at all but a titled lady, the daughter of a Scottish duke. Despite the warm welcome and the comfort of James’s presence, dangerous undercurrents surround Castle Rannoch, her father’s estate. Overwhelmed, Paisley takes refuge in her camera and James’s steady presence to provide a sense of normalcy in her rags-to-riches transformation. But her once-easy relationship with James is changing, deepening beyond friendship in a surprising twist of events. Before they have time to examine their feelings, Paisley inadvertently captures a shocking image in one of her photographs—a picture worth killing for.


My Review:
Danger on the Loch is a romantic suspense novel. The main focus was on Paisley's reunion with her father and growing romantic attraction to James, but there was a suspense element as well. Paisley always liked James since he and his family were there for her as she grew up. However, James didn't realize that he was attracted to her until they were both in Scotland and she needed his support in dealing with her father and his family.

The main characters were likable and reacted realistically to events. The suspense came from relationship tensions and the viewpoint of someone being blackmailed into hurting Paisley's family. There was physical danger to Paisley and James after they accidentally witnessed someone--are they terrorists?--testing a deadly poison on animals. There was no sex or bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this enjoyable story.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.

Big Little Spies by Krista Davis

Big Little Spies
by Krista Davis

ISBN-13: 9780451491701
Paperback: 304 pages
Publisher: Berkley
Released: April 6th 2021


Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
The ladies of the Wagtail Animal Guardians, WAG for short, are in town for a pet adoption charity ball, and Holly is making sure to roll out the red carpet for her special guests. She and her furry best friend Trixie are busy keeping the WAG ladies happy and preparing for the ball when they learn that a retired judge has lost his prized pup.

The venerable citizen has hired a pet detective who has some personal ties to Holly's new guests. His presence ruffles some feathers, and when the PI is found DOA not long before the ball, Holly wonders if one of the WAG ladies had a motive for murder. To make matters worse, some pet-loving guests of the ball nearly suffer the same deadly fate. Holly and Trixie will have to sniff out the clues and leash a callous killer before they strike again.


My Review:
Big Little Spies is a cozy mystery. It's the seven book in a series. You don't need to read the previous books to understand this story, and this book didn't spoil the previous ones.

The mystery was clue-based. The critical clue needed to determine whodunit was not provided until the end, so it's not really a puzzle mystery. Holly asked questions and observed people. I usually have no problem keeping track of who is who, but there were so many suspects with similar relationships to the victim that it was difficult to remember who had what motives, what connections, what pet, etc. I felt like I should've created a chart, but I still enjoyed the mystery even with this mild confusion. The characters were interesting and engaging. There was no sex or bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this fun mystery.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.