Murder Most Fair

Anna Lee Huber

Aug 2021 · A Verity Kent Mystery Book 5 · Kensington Books

About this ebook

All is far from quiet on the home front in USA Today bestselling author Anna Lee Huber’s captivating mystery series, in which former Secret Service agent Verity Kent receives a visitor—who is being trailed by a killer . . .
 
November 1919.A relaxing few weeks by the seaside with her husband, Sidney, could almost convince Verity Kent that life has returned to the pleasant rhythm of pre-war days. Then Verity’s beloved Great-Aunt Ilse lands on their doorstep. After years in war-ravaged Germany, Ilse has returned to England to repair her fragile health—and to escape trouble. Someone has been sending her anonymous threats, and Verity’s Secret Service contacts can only provide unsettling answers.
 
Even deep in the Yorkshire Dales, where she joins Verity’s family for the holidays, Ilse encounters difficulties. Normally peaceful neighbors are hostile, seeking someone to blame for the losses they’ve endured. When Ilse’s maid is found dead, Verity must uncover whether this is anti-German sentiment taken to murderous lengths, or whether there is a more personal motive at work. Could Verity’s shadowy nemesis, Lord Ardmore, be involved? And if so, how much closer to home will the blow land when he inevitably strikes again?

“…A treat for WWI buffs and the legion of fans who have grown fond of Verity.”
—Publishers Weekly
 
Praise for Anna Lee Huber’s Penny for Your Secrets

“A historical mystery to delight fans of Agatha Christie or Daphne du Maurier.”
—Bookpage

“Stellar mystery . . . a great read for fans of the series and all who enjoyDownton Abbey-era fiction.”
—Booklist

Ratings and reviews

November 1919 and Verity Kent's Great-Aunt Ilse arrives at Verity's home in Kent with her new maid Frau Bauer in tow. Soon stories of strange men accosting Frau Bauer and fears of what Lord Ardmore might do if he found out that Verity's German aunt had come to the UK lead Verity and Sidney to decide it would be best if they all decamp to Verity's parents' home in Yorkshire two weeks earlier than planned. Verity hasn't been home since her brother's death and she has a fraught relationship with her mother, so this is a big sacrifice on her part. Then Isle's maid is found dead and secrets are revealed. Was she murdered by the mysterious stranger she was seen arguing with? Was it Verity's younger sister Grace's new beau who apparently has a 'Blighty wound' which invalided him out of the war? Is it a villager convinced she was a German spy? And what is Aunt Ilse hiding? Although this is yet another well-crafted mystery for Verity and Sidney, the focus of this book is very much on relationships. We learn a lot more about Verity's relationships with the rest of her family, and how each of them has been affected by the war and the death of her brother Rob. In fact, I would happily have read this with no murder at all just because it advanced everything else so much, all those tantalising glimpses into Verity's marriage and her older brother's disapproval are all brought to the surface and it is very satisfying. Also, a personal thanks that the book does not start with Verity and Sidney estranged as seemed to happen with several of the other books. Overall, a great instalment in one of my favourite series and I can't wait for the next one. I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

post WW-1, historical-fiction, historical-research, England, cosy-mystery, family-dynamics, friendship, murder, murder-investigation, 1919, espionage, suspense, suspicion***** After the War To End All Wars, suspicion and hatred from one nation to another was just as rampant as it had been during the conflict. This made things difficult for many families as well as individuals, such as Verity's beloved aunt. And Verity herself is hampered by close self important relatives who would castigate her even more than usual if they knew that she had been involved in espionage in Europe during the war during the time that it was believed that her husband was dead. A grand mess. Then Aunt's maid is murdered and Verity plus husband must sort out the tangle of problems. The publisher's blurb is a good hook, and this series has my nose stuck to the pages. Loved this one, too! I requested and received a free temporary ebook copy of this book from the Kensington Books via NetGalley. Thank you!

This is another exciting mystery in the Verity Kent series. I think a new reader will enjoy reading this novel and feel caught up with the action by how the author includes background information. But, the reader will enjoy it so much more by having read the series in order. This episode finds Verity and Sidney still on the trail of their nemesis while enjoying Verity's German Great Aunt who has come to visit. She and her German maid are not the most welcome people in post-WWI Britain. Some mysteries are laid to rest, others sprout as if from nowhere. This is an exciting book in an exciting series. I can't wait to read the next book. I received this ARC book for free from Net Galley and this is my honest review.

About the author

Anna Lee Huber is the Daphne award-winning and USA Today bestselling author of the Lady Darby Mysteries and the Verity Kent Mysteries. She is a summa cum laude graduate of Lipscomb University in Nashville, Tennessee, where she majored in music and minored in psychology. A member of Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, and International Thriller Writers, she currently resides in Indiana with her family.