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A review by zombeesknees
A Fatal Illusion by Anna Lee Huber
4.0
I confess that the last couple of installments in the Lady Darby series felt a little flat for me, but I'm very pleased to report that this one was a return to form. Most of that was due to Huber anchoring a significant portion of the story in the conflicted emotions at the heart of the Sebastian/Lord Gage/Kiera/Henry relationships. The fraught dynamics between the ever-disapproving Lord Gage and his sons (one of whom is illegitmate and a longheld secret) and daughter-in-law are juicy and worth plumbing, and Huber really dives into them in "Illusion". I'm very interested in seeing how things continue to develop in the next book or two, with the corners that were turned in this one.
Huber's historical details also really shine in "Illusion" -- I was halfway through the book before I recognized the allusions to a particular historical figure re: one of the novel's new characters, and enjoyed much conspiratorial chuckling to myself as further clues were peppered in and my suspicions were confirmed.
All in all, "A Fatal Illusion" isn't one to recommend to brand new readers. Too much previous knowledge of the characters and relationships is needed to fully appreciate this book. But for longtime fans, this is a really solid outing for Kiera and Sebastian, and further proof that marriage and parenthood has yet to dull them (either as investigators or as compelling characters).
Huber's historical details also really shine in "Illusion" -- I was halfway through the book before I recognized the allusions to a particular historical figure re: one of the novel's new characters, and enjoyed much conspiratorial chuckling to myself as further clues were peppered in and my suspicions were confirmed.
All in all, "A Fatal Illusion" isn't one to recommend to brand new readers. Too much previous knowledge of the characters and relationships is needed to fully appreciate this book. But for longtime fans, this is a really solid outing for Kiera and Sebastian, and further proof that marriage and parenthood has yet to dull them (either as investigators or as compelling characters).