Brilliant! Funny and more!

-

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️





The dark, earnest assassin and the lovely insecure widow with a genius for chemistry! 

Violet Hughes, Lady Greycliff, is developing an antidote to poison gas being used by a radical worker’s organization. The prime minister’s agent Arthur Kneland has been deployed as her body guard after a failed assassination attempt.

Arthur’s idea of the widow, before he meets her it must be admitted, is way below par. He should have listened more closely to his employer, Lord Greycliff, Violet’s stepson when he muttered,“Funny how chaos seems to follow behind certain women.” Arthur is about to get the surprise of his life.

Violet is one of the founders of Athena’s Retreat, a salon that fronts for a secret society allowing women scientists to pursue their chosen areas of investigation away from the disapproving society of the times.

I’m not sure if the developing relationship between Arthur and Violet is a slow smouldering burn or attraction at first sight. After all Violet did reflect at their torrid first meeting, that Arthur’s “eyes were what told Violet she would be safe, no matter what.”

As for Arthur I love his acceptance and delight in Violet. To him “something happened when Violet explained a scientific theory. She glowed. Her stained, work-worn hands flew up with a sudden grace, illustrating a point as if pulling the knowledge from the air. What a beautiful sight, watching her revel in imparting secrets of how the world worked.”

This has it all! A Victorian mystery romance that delights! I’m looking forward to more from Everett!


A Berkeley Group ARC via NetGalley 
Please note: Quotes taken from an advanced reading copy maybe subject to change

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Things aren’t as they seem!

-
Image
A Murderous Tryst  (Beatrice Hyde-Care Mystery #11) by Lynn Messina    ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Oh my! Bea certainly has a lot to contend with. Bea’s rattled! The Duke has been missing from their bed for a night. When a distraught Bea come downstairs the next morning she finds her beloved husband Damien clasped in the arms of a glamorous female. A female who turns out to be Kesgrave’s first mistress, Mrs. Penelope Taylor! What?! Of course Bea’s heart sinks and she falls back on her painful memories of Aunt Vera’s responses to such a situation. Bea is both shaken and traumatised, but determined not to show it.  It seems Penny has been accused of murder. Actually  Penny’s desperately trying to avoid Newgate.    As a former mistress Penny does the unthinkable thing in society’s eyes. She asks for help from Bea. Bea’s response is just as shocking. She says yes. Kesgrave is as usual inscrutable. Of course this is the beginning of a harebrained chase, complications between Bea  and Amien,  and an investiga
Read more

Women in war—Internment by the Japanese 1942-45.

-
Image
Sisters Under the Rising Sun  by Heather Morris    ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ A fitting tribute to the women interred by the Japanese in Indonesia and Malaya during 1942 until liberation in 1945. Amongst the internees are a group of Australian Army nurses who were not given recognition by the Japanese as members of the armed forces and therefore not prisoners of war according to the Conventions of war.  Sister Vivian Bullwinkle is the only survivor of the massacre of a group of soldiers and nurses on Radji Beach, Bangka Island near Sumatra  in 1942, after the sinking of  HMS Vyner Brooke. There are a number of civilian prisoners in the camps like Norah Chambers and her sister Ena.  Combined, the story of these women interred under terrible conditions, their struggles and achievements are monumental.  Their gifts to their fellows beyond speech. Music plays an important part in uplifting the prisoners’ spirits. It’s truly a privilege to read about their plight, their vows to each other, and their braver
Read more

A sparkling ride!

-
Image
An Inconvenient Earl  (A Royal Match #4) by Julia London      ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ What an untidy, meandering, convoluted, and strangely joyous tale! Emma Clark’s abusive husband Albert, the Earl of Dearborn had decamped to Africa, leaving Emma to wander Butterhill Hall and manage the estate alone. Months later a man turns up to give Emma the news Albert has died in Cairo from yellow fever. Said gentleman then promptly has some sort of attack and dies on Emma’s receiving room floor. Emma’s stunned. What to do? She knows her sister-in-law Adele, will toss Emma out of Butterhill Hall when she learns of Albert’s death, so Emma says nothing. Almost a year is gone when Luke Olivien, the Weslorian Comte ve Marlaine, son of the Duke of Astasia, turns up to deliver Albert’s pocket watch to Emma. Luka is an anthropologist. He’s been travelling with Bedouin tribes studying their migratory habits and trade routes. Emma does all she can to avoid having Luka tell her that Albert is dead. She ignores him, fl
Read more