Quinn Taylor Evans

Non-stop action, a compelling mystery, bargains with the devil, emotional betrayal, and eye-opening relationships make this one of the best books of the series. You will probably figure out who is behind the murders early on, but that identity is of less importance to the story as a whole. Working through the who, how, and why is a journey that will nearly end both Mikaela and Brodie. Not only are their lives at risk but their personal relationship as well. Oh! Goodness – what a cliffhanger.

Angus Brodie left the Met under a cloud – we’ve read all about that in the previous books. In this book, that final case comes back to haunt him – big time. In that previous case, a young man was murdered. There was only one witness to that murder, and she quickly disappeared. Inspector Aberline blamed Brodie for her disappearance and threatened to bring charges against him – so Brodie resigned. Ten years later, the young woman has reappeared – and has been murdered. Are the cases related? Surely not if they are ten years apart.

Aberline has had a vendetta against Brodie for all those years, and now is his chance to get his revenge. He quickly declares Brodie as the young woman’s murderer and sets out to arrest him. Brodie quickly goes underground and Mikaela knows that the only way to save Brodie is to find the actual murderer. Brodie doesn’t want her anywhere near the case for many personal reasons aside from trying to protect her. However, when Brodie is arrested and nearly beaten to death, Mikaela makes a deal with the devil to save him. Brodie doesn’t appreciate that in the least and becomes even more surly – and when Mikaela’s life is endangered, it all comes to a head.

We had some lovely time with several supporting characters – especially Mikaela’s aunt. You will adore her – I wish I had an aunt like that! What I didn’t see – and sorely wished for – was some punishment or accountability for Aberline. However, it was totally silent in that regard. Is the Met going to let him do the things he did and get away with them? I mean – the way he conducted his visit to Mikaela’s aunt would normally be enough to see him drummed out of the Met. Apparently, unless there is something in the next book, Aberline will escape any punishment.

Normally, I am a big fan of Brodie, but I didn’t like him – at all – in this book. He is normally a big, broody, very protective Scot and I can understand and appreciate that. If you love someone, you want to protect them and keep them safe even though they are perfectly capable of protecting themselves. In this book, he isn’t protective, he is secretive, condescending, and downright mean and hateful. I understand what the author was going for, I didn’t like it, but I understood it. It is just that acting as he did in this book just didn’t seem to mesh with the Brodie I’d seen in the previous 7 books. I assume book 9 will bring resolution to the cliffhanger we are left with at the end of this book. I won’t mind seeing a contrite Brodie, but if he becomes one of those doormat heroes I see in so many tales lately, I won’t like him very well at all. I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.… (altro)

Shades of Guy Fawkes! An anarchist has been causing upheaval throughout the continent – and now he is in London. What havoc does he plan to wreak and can he be stopped before it happens?

Mikaela and Brodie, who are now married, are pursuing different investigations. Brodie, secretive as ever, is investigating on behalf of the Agency (a forerunner of MI6), and Mikaela is looking into the case of a missing doctor.

Joseph Bennett is a gifted physician and surgeon. He is brilliant and is always pushing the limits of current standards and trying new innovations. That brilliance has caused him to be censured by the medical leadership and that grates on him. What can a man do other than start a secret practice? Secret as in absolutely no one knows about it. So, when his wife hires Mikaela to find him, she has no place to start. That doesn’t deter her, and she digs into his life with a fine-toothed comb. What she finds . . . Well, you just need to read the book. 😊

Brodie continues working assignments for the Agency – and this one is a doozie. Lithuanian, Dimitri Soropkin, an extremely dangerous anarchist, has cost many lives on the continent with his explosions and unrest. Now, he is in England, to spread anarchy and cause maximum damage to England, its leadership, its stability, and perhaps its Queen. Brodie and the Agency know he reached London because there have been reliable sightings of him. Then, he disappeared and there have been no sightings at all. He didn’t leave, so where is he and what is he up to?

Two exciting investigations come clashing together most interestingly, and the exciting solution will leave you on the edge of your seat. The story is fast-paced, interesting, and well-written. The series has quickly become one of my favorites though I was hoping for more growth from Brodie – he has disappointed me of late. It isn’t that he distrusts Mikhaela, it is that he has insecurities about himself – plus he wants to protect her at all costs. Given his background, I can understand his insecurities to a point. I can even understand his protectiveness – to a point. However, he should know that won't work and learn to trust that she can and will take care of herself – and maybe even help him in the process. I’m hoping there is some substantial growth in the next book.

I enjoyed this book and I have also enjoyed the other books in the series. You could read this as a stand-alone title, but for a richer experience, I would suggest reading the series in order. Some things will puzzle you – if you are an anglophile and want accuracy – such as this line – “A member of the ton, she had been born to her title of duchess, however, she rarely used it.” Ummm – right – and she is referred to as Lady Antonia (Montgomery). There is also the Lady Forsythe title Mikhaela inherited from her father. This author researches, so perhaps she’s found examples of where these could be correct, but I’m pretty sure they aren’t. Anyway – I love the book and can recommend it – and I hope you will love it too. Happy Reading!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.… (altro)

Another regency mystery that takes place in London with a strong protagonist woman who bucks convention to forge her own path. Mikaela descends from an aunt who leads by example of what it means to be strong, formidable and courageous. Mikaela has no idea what she is up against when she meets Brodie. Who does he think he is? Does he really believe she will just be pushed aside in an investigation she has a vested interest in uncovering. The sparks will fly for many reasons in this mystery. Both will discovery things about themselves and one another throughout this investigation, and surprised memories will begin to surface around a trip to Greece. Is fate intervening? Dig into this read and enjoy cheering for Mikaela as she champions for strong, independent and ambitiously curious women.… (altro)

How can you not love a book that has mystery, mayhem, madness, magicians, and murder? I found the first book of this series by a new-to-me author as a ‘free’ read through Amazon Prime and I was instantly hooked and have read each subsequent book. Mikaela Forsythe is a very smart, feisty, free-thinking woman who supports herself through writing adventure novels – and many of those novels are based upon her own real-life experiences. Angus Brodie is a straight-laced, dour, over-protective, Scot who was formerly an Inspector with the Metropolitan Police. He left the police under circumstances that have not yet been revealed to us, but I suspect it is a case of Brodie being right about something the mucky mucks wanted him to be wrong about it. The supporting characters are a varied and interesting lot from an actress with a 4-foot iguana to a chemist (pharmacist) with a penchant for dissection and an octogenarian aunt who is indomitable, enlightened, and planning a safari to Africa for herself.

Mikaela’s actress friend, Theodora Templeton, invited her to attend a one-night-only performance by illusionist Jean Luc Betard at the Crystal Palace. Betard was the premier Illusionist of the time and he was unveiling a never-seen-before illusion before leaving on a tour to the continent. Pragmatic and practical Mikaela knows it is all trickery – drawing your attention to one place while the action is happening in another. However, this illusion defies logic. How could this beautiful young woman possibly disappear from one box and reappear in another? Magic surely. Until – the body – right on stage – Oh! My!

Chief Inspector Abberline is a total twit and when he declares it a tragic accident, Mikaela sends word to Brodie. Mikaela could plainly see it wasn’t an accident. When Betard hires Brodie and Mikaela to find out what really happened, they are thrown into a world of illusions where nothing and no one is what they seem. As more bodies turn up and threatening notes promise more to come, they know the answers lie in deeply kept secrets. Once they unearth those secrets, they’ll know who the murderer is – and why. But, even with the answers, will they be able to keep the murderer from striking again? You’ll just have to read the book to see.

I thoroughly enjoyed the book and can definitely recommend it. The mystery is excellently done, the pacing is quick and keeps you flipping from page to page, and there is finally some movement in the relationship between Brodie and Mikaela. My only complaint about the book is that it almost makes Mikaela appear to be an alcoholic as often as she has a drink (morning, noon, and night) of her “aunt's very fine whisky”. That is the other thing that bugged me – I think that phrase appeared at least once in every chapter – including the epilogue. Those two things are why I rated it at 4.5 stars but rounded it up to 5.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.… (altro)