Reviews

An Act of Villainy by Ashley Weaver

rachelschloneger's review

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adventurous mysterious medium-paced

4.0

sarah_moynihan's review against another edition

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5.0

'Walking through London’s West End after a night at the theater, Amory Ames and her husband Milo run into wealthy investor and former actor Gerard Holloway. Holloway and his wife Georgina are old friends of theirs, and when Holloway invites them to the dress rehearsal of a new play he is directing, Amory readily accepts.

However, Amory is shocked to learn that Holloway has cast his mistress, actress Flora Bell, in the lead role. Furthermore, the casual invitation is not what it seems—he admits to Amory and Milo that Flora has been receiving threatening letters, and he needs their help in finding the mysterious sender. Despite Amory’s conflicting feelings—not only does she feel loyalty to Georgina, but the disintegration of the Holloways’ perfect marriage seems to bode ill for her own sometimes delicate relationship—her curiosity gets the better of her, and she begins to make inquiries.

It quickly becomes clear that each member of the cast has reason to resent Flora—and with a group so skilled in the art of deception, it isn’t easy to separate truth from illusion. When vague threats escalate, the scene is set for murder, and Amory and Milo must find the killer before the final curtain falls.'
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An Act of Villainy is the fifth book in Ashley Weaver's An Amory Ames Mystery series and is a historical mystery set in 1930s London.

I do believe that this has been my favorite book in the series thus far. The crime had layers to it and I found it to be the most intriguing case that Amory has come across yet. I had a hunch that things might move in the direction that they did, but the reveal still surprised me and I just thought it was so perfect. I guess I really enjoy a flair for the dramatic at such a critical moment in the plot, I really loved it.

Milo and Amory are finally on the same page! They're working together like they ever never have before. They still go off alone to play to their strengths, but then they readily come back together to compare notes unlike in previous books. I mean sure, those same fears are still there to make an appearance on occassion,  but he's always so flippant about it all that you can't really blame her. Still really hoping he's a spy. Being able to see the moments of genuine concern for Amory on Milo's part really helped me warm to his character during this book. Before I found him amusing, but mostly thought she was better off without him. Now I'm feeling a bit more kindly toward him. I was also happy to see that Emile was still there and not forgotten.

I purposefully tried to take my time reading this book in the hopes that the next in the series, A Dagerous Engagement, that I ordered a while ago would have been delivered, but alas I didn't time it right. Hopefully it should be here within the next couple of days and I'll be able to continue on with the series. because I'm very much looking forward to reading more.

maisiesmom's review

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adventurous lighthearted mysterious 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? No

3.5

pyiab's review

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emotional funny lighthearted mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

colorfulleo92's review

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5.0

Another great mystery with Amory and Milo Ames. Such an engaging listen and as always I'm eager to start the next one sooner rather than later but I want to drag out the series a bit more

nevclue's review

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4.0

Another enjoyable mystery. Love Milo and Amory.

lindseyzank's review

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3.0

3.5

f4iryj's review

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3.0

A solid read however I don't think I'll read the rest of the series because I didn't particularly like the main characters (specifically the husband).

kathrynmcmahon's review against another edition

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3.0

3.5 I liked the ending, but the story was painful to read. Prior to the end I would have rated the book a 2.5. Too much of the narrative was dedicated to Amory fretting over the stability of her marriage triggered by another couple’s infidelity (one whose marriage she had idolized).

kjelu1022's review

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4.0

I was quite surprised when the mystery was revealed.