Reviews

A Stroke of Malice by Anna Lee Huber

jsberzon's review against another edition

3.0

More than a 3 but not quite a 4 - I just enjoy these mysteries.

valefimbres's review

adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

4.25

krisrid's review against another edition

4.0

This is one of my favourite series, and an automatic add to my list when a new book comes out. Anna Lee Huber never disappoints with a new Lady Darby mystery!

Keira has become somewhat "de trop" now that she's married to Gage and has a baby on the way, but she still has her moments where she refuses to behave the way proper ladies in her world do, notably by continuing to help Gage with his inquiry case investigations. I love that not only does Keira know her own mind and what she's capable of, but that Gage always supports her rather than trying to tell her what to do or make her step back when she says she's fine. It's one of my favourite things about this series. Even when Gage wishes Keira would do or not do something, he never tries to force her.

The mystery in this installment wasn't the most exciting of all the books, but it was interesting, and I do like when Keira is around other upper class English people. It's always fun to watch her tweak their sensibilities by refusing to do what everyone else does, and expects from someone in their own class.

Format note: I always get these books in audio format, and really enjoy the narrator - Heather Wilds - delivery of the story and characters. If you enjoy audio, this is a great series to listen to.

dollycas's review against another edition

5.0

Dollycas’s Thoughts

Lady Kiera Darby and her husband Sebastian Gage have arrived in Traquair, Scotland to attend Duchess of Bowmontʼs Twelfth Night party. There is an eerie undercurrent running through the castle but Kiera and Gage are ready for the big event which begins with trumpets and ends with murder. When Lord Edward leads guests on a ghost tour in catacombs under Kirkbryde Abbey a new corpse is found. It appears the duchessʼs son-in-law is the victim of foul play and the murderer could be one of the party’s guests. At their host’s request, Gage and Kiera find themselves leading the investigation and uncovering some weighty secrets along the way.

The characters Anna Lee Huber has created are stellar and their development over the course of the series has been excellent. Even heavy with child Lady Kiera Darby is a force when it comes to getting to the truth. Her husband Sebastian Gage is a caring and loving man who knows what a strong, intelligent woman his wife is. Together they appear to be unstoppable and uncommon for the 1800s. Ms. Huber surrounds these main characters with a diverse cast of supporting characters across all classes of the aristocracy. Gage and Kiera are usually assisted by their servants Bree and Anderley and this time Kiera’s brother is on hand to help as well.

The author sets a scene in almost a magical way. From the deep, dank catacombs, to the Sunlaws suites and ballrooms, and the Scottish countryside. The dresses, kilts, and costumes. All the people and places truly come alive with her vivid descriptions. The cover of the book gives the overall chilly feel of the time but Huber’s descriptive detail is like no other. You can almost smell the air, feel the breezes, and hear the clicks of the heels on the floors. She truly does take you into the story in a meaningful way.

As I have come to expect from this author, the mystery is very complex and full of stress-filled moments. Everyone seems to be hiding something or holding something back. The lore of ghostly friar that keeps servants on edge adds a nice little twist. The mystery takes Anderley hither and yon and Gage and Kiera into the nearby town and all around the large estate in search of answers. Well-written and plotted, I was totally clueless until the very final clues started to fall into place.

This story was one to be savored. I read it over the course of three evenings hurrying through each day so that I could get back to it.

A Stroke of Malice is a fantastic addition to this series. I do highly recommend them all. I am very excited about next year’s book in this series.

aworldshapedbybooks's review against another edition

4.0

I love this series so much. Kiera and Sebastian are some of the best detectives and definitely one of the best romances I've ever read. In this book, they're attending a party hosted by the Duchess of Bowmont when they come across a dead body. These two really find so many bodies it's unbelievable everyone really has no problems with murder.

I loved the mystery, it was well-developed as they always are. I loved the romance, Sebastian and Kiera have such a strong and functional relationship it's incredible. I also really like the side plot-line that was created about one of the duchess's children, it'll be great to see how that one progresses in other books. I'm ready for things to get a little shaken up and it's kind of annoying to me that a certain character was so hypocritical on Kiera in previous novels given this revelation.

I don't like how often Kiera has to say that she's not like other ladies or like other members of the aristocracy. I think that it's pretty obvious from content that she behaves differently and at this point we're eight books in and we don't need to be constantly reminded about it. I was also annoyed by how rude her family members were being in this one. I really liked Alana and Trevor as characters and appreciated how supportive they always were. Now I'm not sure though- you shouldn't really take anything that an injured pregnant woman says so seriously especially after you were the one to insult her first and she extended you an olive branch.

Even with those things considered, I can't wait until the next in this series. I'm excited for Kiera to have her baby and nervous to see what could possibly be worse than a cholera epidemic.

This review and all my others can be found at: https://aworldshapedbybooks.blogspot.com/

larisa2021's review against another edition

4.0

This series is consistently excellent.

lsneal's review against another edition

4.0

In this installment of the Lady Darby mysteries, Kiera and her husband, Sebastian Gage, find themselves at the Duchess of Bowmont's estate, to celebrate at her notorious Twelfth Night party, before Kiera finishes painting the Duchess' portrait. As usual, a dead body appears to spoil what should be a joyous occasion. This mystery has more twists and turns than usual, as no one is actually sure who the body belongs to for much of the book, and nearly all of the suspects are close friends of Kiera and Sebastian. I thought the impact of Kiera's pregnancy on her ability to do her work, and on her mental and emotional state, was particularly well-thought-out and well-handled. And, of course, there were more revelations that raise questions about and deepen our understanding of certain recurring characters. A very enjoyable read in a very enjoyable series!

annarella's review

4.0

An excellent historical mystery, it's the first I read in this series and won't surely be the last.
I appreciated the well crafted plot, the vivid and well researched historical background and the fleshed out cast of characters.
The mystery is solid and kept me guessing till the end.
An engrossing and entertaining read, recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Edelweiss for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

sprinklesugarbunbun's review

adventurous emotional mysterious tense slow-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

hexthebookworm's review

4.0

It gets a 4 if only because the loving nature of the mixed family. I feared there was going to be some resentment about half siblings and (essentially) adopted siblings, but there wasnt and that made me happy.