eyes.2c Reviews

The Carnival Murders  (Tate and Bell Mystery #7) by Irina Shapiro            ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I think this was one of the more wretched cases Gemma Tate and Sebastian Bell become involved in. Someone is desecrating the bodies of those who society view as different, in a thoroughly scientific manner. Gemma first becomes aware of this when a young, heavily pregnant woman, Tamzin Norris, is left near to her father’s pub. Tamzin has post mortem scars. Not only that but her unborn child has been autopsied too! As Bell investigates along with Gemma, they discover more bodies of people who have been killed and then autopsied. A gruesome tale, that strikes close to home for Sebastian and Gemma. A Storm Pub. ARC via NetGalley.                                               Many thanks to the author and publisher.

An Ordinary Sort of Evil  (Rip Through Time #5) by Kelley Armstrong         ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I adore the character Dr. Duncan Gray, a medical practitioner in 1870’s Edinburgh. I’m amused at the 21st century detective Mallory Atkinson who, after being struck on the head, inhabits the well developed body nineteen year old maid, Catroina of that era. Mallory continually has trouble behaving as a Victorian woman should. She keeps forgetting herself, how to behave, how to walk, how not to take offence at men leering at her chest. Duncan and his sister Isla know Mallory’s/ Catroina’s backstory. The case Mallory  and Duncan find themselves  investigating is at the request of Lady Adler, who is a patron of Isla’s charitable works. Mallory and Duncan find themselves involved in séances, dead young girls, Queen Victoria, and the thorny problem of being attracted to your employer. Mallory is at last finding her place in this culture, but she’s tripped up by the real dif...

A Very Vexing Murder  (Harriet Smith Investigates #1) by Lucy Andrew          ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Austen’s “Emma” is turned every which way to produce an interesting and at times confusing mystery. Harriet Smith is a con artist and solves problems for the élite. Emma Woodhouse seems like a nice person—but she’s manipulative, and Jane Fairfax is a troubled young woman.  Harriet is hired by the dreadful Mrs. Churchill to get rid of Jane whom Mrs. Churchill believes has stolen her jewels, tried to poison her, and entrapped her son Frank Churchill.  A rather complicated, mysterious read with misleading clues, and unexpected happenings strewn across Harriet’s path. Her relationship with Robert Martin, a local tenant farmer is long standing and not all what we expect. I wasn’t sure I liked the tale at first, but Harriet and her exploits drew me in. A William Morrow ARC via NetGalley.                       ...

The Last Flight from Moscow  (The Spy Next Door) by Andie Newton         ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Mae Pierce is an ex OSS agent who’d been in Vienna when the Red Army liberated the city.   At the time she was a prisoner of a German Officer, Kommandant Wolff. She’d been tortured and more when rescued.  How she remained behind in Vienna is mixed up with drinking too much vodka, gambling and a silky black Japanese dressing gown. Her old partner Sutton Maxfield talks her into going undercover on a trade exhibition in Moscow looking for  an  unknown spy  who’s to assassinate Krushchov. Unfortunately it seems Mae’s being thrust into the mix as a trade fair model at the exhibition. Mae’s not pleased as the men from the CIA feel the spy looking for  couldn’t possible be   a woman. They leave her out of the loop. They see Mae as a “has been”. Except Mae is anything but. Sure she has her demons and her loyalties. In the meantime she’s acquired  ...

A Lyon for Luck : The Lyon’s Den Connected World by Chasity Bowlin      ⭐️⭐️⭐️ Miss Daphne Aces has been hard done by that’s for sure. She’s an heiress but her parents want her inheritance to clear their debts. Parents who are willing to trade you for money to a despicable future husband. Mrs. Bessie Dove-Lyonx helps solve her problem and introduces her to the newly and unexpectedly peer, Fletcher Quill, Lord Aldwyn  who’s come into an inheritance that’s in debt to the hilt. Once before Daphne had been abducted by someone fleeing to Gretna Green with her. As a result her fiancé broke the engagement and she is shunned by society. This time Daphne flees on her own terms. A rather untaxing lovely read. A Dragonblade ARC via NetGalley.                                               Many thanks to the author and publisher.

False Relation  (Abbot Agency Mystery #19) by Veronica Heley        ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 Returning to the world of Bea Abbot and her husband Piers, Bea’s friends Sir Julian Marston-Lang and Lady Polly of Marston Hall and the connected village, brings unforeseen challenge for Bea. For starters Julian’s step-cousin Mona has been murdered and Marcus her husband accused, although the police from the neighboring town of Askin feel that really Lord Julian has done the deadly deed.  Village life is under the microscope as Heley gives us another mystery novel with characters we love, and love to hate. I particularly liked Old Jenny and her relationship to the spirits of the Spring. I did feel that this story had run its race in the previous title. This book added a further dimension which pleasantly surprised me. A Severn House ARC via NetGalley.                                     ...