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krisrid's review
2.0
I want to start off by saying that I love Kate Parker's books! I've read several of her others, and mostly love them! This book was the only one of hers I've read that was just okay.
I think part of the issue is the time-frame. I am not really interested in WWII or Nazis. I just don't connect to the things that were going on, or the world of that time. Not my thing. So part of the reason I didn't love this was that it was set during events I just am not into.
But Olivia also just did not connect for me as a main character. She felt too wishy-washy to be the kind of investigating sleuth that she was meant to be in this book. I simply didn't buy her as our intrepid heroine, so it was hard for me to really like and root for her.
This absolutely is not a bad book; I think just the wrong book for me.
I think part of the issue is the time-frame. I am not really interested in WWII or Nazis. I just don't connect to the things that were going on, or the world of that time. Not my thing. So part of the reason I didn't love this was that it was set during events I just am not into.
But Olivia also just did not connect for me as a main character. She felt too wishy-washy to be the kind of investigating sleuth that she was meant to be in this book. I simply didn't buy her as our intrepid heroine, so it was hard for me to really like and root for her.
This absolutely is not a bad book; I think just the wrong book for me.
dollycas's review
5.0
Dollycas’s Thoughts
This is a fantastic debut for this new series! Olivia Denis is one strong woman and I really admire the way she sticks to something when she starts it. She knew her husband could not have taken his own life but the path she takes to find out who really killed him opens doors and reveals more secrets than she ever could have imagined.
I loved Kate Parker’s Victorian Mystery Series. She has a great writing style and her stories feature strong women. I knew I would enjoy this book before I even started reading, but she exceeded all of my expectations.
She takes us back to the 1930’s in London. Olivia’s husband, Reggie, works in the Foreign Office and handles documents and diplomatic credentials. They had traveled to Germany a few times for his work. Could he have seen something to get him killed? As she tries to determine why he was killed we meet his boss and co-workers. We also meet a friend of Olivia’s who helps her get a job at a newspaper covering the society page. She is also doing some work on the side for the owner of the paper. This story takes place at the cusp before World War 2, where everyone seems to be spying on someone. Everyone is scared about what Hitler has planned. Many Jewish people are leaving Germany and others are holding firm. Parker really gives us a human side to these situations by introducing to some interesting characters and even takes our protagonist on a quick trip to Berlin. All of the characters we meet are richly detailed.
This author really knows how to set the scene. It is so easy to “see” all the places this story takes us. The details just form perfect pictures from the streets to the homes with their opulent parties and Olivia’s flat. Olivia quickly sketches what the ladies are wearing so she can describe them in her articles so those take vivid form as well.
She also knows how to plot a story that pulls us in and doesn’t let go. There are so many clues but they all have to come together in the right way to solve the mystery. I really enjoyed following in Olivia’s footsteps and having that “AHA” Moment almost simultaneously.
Parker has penned an excellent story that all historical mystery lovers will absolutely love. In addition to this fine story, the next best thing is that this is a series so we are going to be meeting some of these characters again and I am really excited about that.
This is a fantastic debut for this new series! Olivia Denis is one strong woman and I really admire the way she sticks to something when she starts it. She knew her husband could not have taken his own life but the path she takes to find out who really killed him opens doors and reveals more secrets than she ever could have imagined.
I loved Kate Parker’s Victorian Mystery Series. She has a great writing style and her stories feature strong women. I knew I would enjoy this book before I even started reading, but she exceeded all of my expectations.
She takes us back to the 1930’s in London. Olivia’s husband, Reggie, works in the Foreign Office and handles documents and diplomatic credentials. They had traveled to Germany a few times for his work. Could he have seen something to get him killed? As she tries to determine why he was killed we meet his boss and co-workers. We also meet a friend of Olivia’s who helps her get a job at a newspaper covering the society page. She is also doing some work on the side for the owner of the paper. This story takes place at the cusp before World War 2, where everyone seems to be spying on someone. Everyone is scared about what Hitler has planned. Many Jewish people are leaving Germany and others are holding firm. Parker really gives us a human side to these situations by introducing to some interesting characters and even takes our protagonist on a quick trip to Berlin. All of the characters we meet are richly detailed.
This author really knows how to set the scene. It is so easy to “see” all the places this story takes us. The details just form perfect pictures from the streets to the homes with their opulent parties and Olivia’s flat. Olivia quickly sketches what the ladies are wearing so she can describe them in her articles so those take vivid form as well.
She also knows how to plot a story that pulls us in and doesn’t let go. There are so many clues but they all have to come together in the right way to solve the mystery. I really enjoyed following in Olivia’s footsteps and having that “AHA” Moment almost simultaneously.
Parker has penned an excellent story that all historical mystery lovers will absolutely love. In addition to this fine story, the next best thing is that this is a series so we are going to be meeting some of these characters again and I am really excited about that.
tough_cookie's review against another edition
5.0
I just loved Kate Parker's Victorian Bookshop mystery series and so when I found out she was writing a new series set in yet another of my favorite time periods (the 1930s), I knew I had to read it. And I most certainly was not disappointed!
The book starts out with Mrs. Olivia "Livvy" Denis identifying her husband, Reggie, in the morgue. He was an employee at the Foreign Office in London, and the police are ready to write off his death as a suicide, but Livvy knows that isn't possible. With no one willing to believe her, she sets out on her own to find out who her husband's killer is. In the mean time, she takes a job as a society page writer for the Daily Premier, a newspaper owned by the father of one of her closest friends, Esther. He, Sir Henry Benton, asks that she also perform some spy work on the Germans while under the guise as a reporter for his newspaper. She agrees, and thus she becomes a newspaper reporter/spy/amateur investigator. Along the way, she meets Captain Adam Redmond, and army officer who is looking into her husband's death as well. After a few initial cautious encounters, the two quickly turn into an investigative duo to unravel the deeper political conspiracy lurking behind Reggie's death.
Exciting, fast-paced, and full of wonderful characters, I am once again enthralled by Mrs. Parker's writing talents and eagerly look forward to the next installment in the Deadly series.
The book starts out with Mrs. Olivia "Livvy" Denis identifying her husband, Reggie, in the morgue. He was an employee at the Foreign Office in London, and the police are ready to write off his death as a suicide, but Livvy knows that isn't possible. With no one willing to believe her, she sets out on her own to find out who her husband's killer is. In the mean time, she takes a job as a society page writer for the Daily Premier, a newspaper owned by the father of one of her closest friends, Esther. He, Sir Henry Benton, asks that she also perform some spy work on the Germans while under the guise as a reporter for his newspaper. She agrees, and thus she becomes a newspaper reporter/spy/amateur investigator. Along the way, she meets Captain Adam Redmond, and army officer who is looking into her husband's death as well. After a few initial cautious encounters, the two quickly turn into an investigative duo to unravel the deeper political conspiracy lurking behind Reggie's death.
Exciting, fast-paced, and full of wonderful characters, I am once again enthralled by Mrs. Parker's writing talents and eagerly look forward to the next installment in the Deadly series.
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