A Veil Removed

Michelle Cox

Apr 2019 · A Henrietta and Inspector Howard Novel Book 4 · She Writes Press

About this ebook

“Mixing Romance and Mystery in a Fizzy 1930s Cocktail!”

“This is a wonderfully-written, engaging story with excellent character treatment and a thrilling mystery.” — IBPA, Independent Book Publishers Association

“Another triumph in a gorgeously romantic, but also seriously compelling mystery series.” — Readers Favorite

“Entertaining. . . Composed of large dollops of romance and a soupcon of mystery, this confection will appeal.” — Publishers Weekly

Murder is never far from this sexy couple . . . even during the holidays!

Their honeymoon abruptly ended by the untimely death of Alcott Howard, Clive and Henrietta return to Highbury, where Clive discovers all is not as it should be. Increasingly convinced that his father’s death was not an accident, Clive launches his own investigation, despite his mother’s belief that he has become “mentally disturbed” with grief. Henrietta eventually joins forces with Clive on their first real case, which becomes darker—and deadlier—than they imagined as they get closer to the truth behind Alcott’s troubled affairs.

Meanwhile, Henrietta’s sister, Elsie, begins, at Henrietta’s orchestration, to take classes at a women’s college—an attempt to evade her troubles and prevent any further romantic temptations. When she meets a bookish German custodian at the school, however, he challenges her to think for herself . . . even as she discovers some shocking secrets about his past life.

Ratings and reviews

I am thankful to have had the opportunity to get an advanced reading copy of this book : ) It is well-paced, and the plot alternates between Henrietta, Clive, and Elsie. Elsie gets a big part of this book as she struggles with how to move forward after the "events" of the previous book, how to maintain the household and Ma without Henrietta, and new emotions about the options for her future. We have the introduction of some new characters, and we continue to see Clive and Henrietta grow in their marriage. They seem to have gotten past some of the struggles of the last book and seem to have matured in their relationship. Henrietta is finding her place as Mrs. Clive Howard, society lady, and Clive grows to love her independent spirit and optimism more every day. I love the historical details, from the characters' clothes to the architecture, to the society and culture. A most enjoyable read, with a wrap-up to some of the loose ends from the last book, and a new cliffhanger ending. It seems there is more to tell...

Michelle Cox created another page turner with the fourth book in her fabulous series. Her characters continue to become more complex and engaging. The plot line lines interweave resulting in higher stakes, suspense and romance. Henrietta shares the limelight with her sister Elsie who explores the possibility of following a new path. Henrietta is maturing into her role as a very wealthy wife of Inspector Howard. There’s plenty of tension and sweet romance with the dangerous backdrop of Chicago’s mob in 1930s. As with her last book, Cox leaves me impatient for book five and wanting a TV series.

I loved this book! I am a huge fan of cozy mysteries and historical fiction, and this one blended those genres seamlessly. I have never read a book in this series before, but now I am going to go back and start at the beginning. I found all the characters to be very likeable and the story was mysterious without being too over-the-top. I loved the writing style and the charm that Michelle managed to infuse every aspect of the story with. I very much enjoyed the cliffhanger ending as well, as it shows me there is more to come! Thank you Michelle for the ARC, I am honored to be one of your early readers!

About the author

Michelle Cox is the author of the multiple award-winning Henrietta and Inspector Howard series as well as “Novel Notes of Local Lore,” a weekly blog dedicated to Chicago’s forgotten residents. She suspects she may have once lived in the 1930s and, having yet to discover a handy time machine lying around, has resorted to writing about the era as a way of getting herself back there. Coincidentally, her books have been praised by Kirkus, Library Journal, Publishers Weekly, Booklist and many others, so she might be on to something. Unbeknownst to most, Michelle hoards board games she doesn’t have time to play and is, not surprisingly, addicted to period dramas and big band music. Also marmalade.