A Child Lost

I enjoyed catching up with Inspector Howard and his now wife Henrietta and the rest of her extended family including the warm hearted Elsie. Circumstances have changed dramatically for both Clive and Henrietta since they met during a murder investigation at the club where she worked. Her mother had come from a well to do family but had been disowned following her marriage, but in subsequent books in the series to this point, Henrietta and her sisters had been taken back under the wing of her wealthy grandfather.

Now married, Clive, now out of the police force, and Henrietta have begun a private detective agency and Elsie finds them a case which she has become personally involved in. Putting aside a personal tragedy, they take on the task of finding the mother of a little girl who has been brought all the way from Germany by a kind stranger in an effort to reunite her with her family.

This leads the couple down some dark alleys bringing back deep seated painful memories and danger to them both.

Michelle Cox has created an authentic and fascinating world in Chicago between the world wars. It is evident that the period and the city have been meticulously researched and being a resident of Chicago she has also been able to draw on her own personal experiences of living and working there.

The characters are not perfect and are the more interesting and memorable for that. If you have read the previous books you will already know that Henrietta is no social butterfly and she finds the wealthy environment she now inhabits to be stifling. She also has an open mind when it comes to the spiritualist aspect of another case they are investigating despite Clive’s attempts to wrap her in cotton wool. And for good reason as the story reaches a climax in the dark depths of the insane asylum

Previous characters are not neglected and having updated their whereabouts and situations in life, the series is poised for the next book in the series which I look forward to.

I recommend the book for the excellent writing and characters and I am sure mystery and period book readers will enjoy.

Thank you Iread and the author for a complimentary copy. I voluntarily reviewed this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

A Child Lost
Henrietta and Inspector Howard #5
By: Michelle Cox

REVIEW
Michelle Cox is a new to me author, and A Child Lost is the fifth book in her Henrietta and Inspector Howard series; however, this book can easily be read as a standalone.
In this book, Henrietta is, on the heels of a miscarriage, depressed. Clive(Inspector Howard) wishes to lighten her mood and senses a new case might be just the thing. In turn, the couple work a case that is emotionally complex and disturbing.
The quest for answers involves an asylum,
a child, class divisions, and aspects of both spirituality and mental health. Being in the era of the 1930s, treatments and stigmas were quite different from today. An epileptic seizure sends a child to the asylum instead of the hospital. A person’s medical treatment, or lack thereof, hinges upon money. The sharp divide between classes is obvious in the field of medicine. Mental illness carried a negative stereotype, and those suffering were treated inhumanely at best. The story, beyond these things, is thought provoking, heartbreaking, dramatic, mysterious and cloaked in a mystifying atmosphere. Henrietta is a sympathetic relatable character. Clive is intelligent, intuitive and sensitive. Together, they are dynamic as well as entertaining. I found the story informative in many ways. The author writes with elegance and a style that is appealing in a subtle yet serious fashion. A Child Lost is historical fiction at its best, and I suggest picking up a copy today.

In this 5th entry of a delightful series set in 1930’s Chicago, the detective duo of Henrietta and Clive become embroiled in 2 separate mysteries, one involving a friend of her younger sister, the other involving a supposed psychic scam artist. Clive is given a case to investigate, when an irate husband complains that his wife has taken family jewellery and given it to a fake psychic. Her sister has fallen in love with an older German immigrant, the caretaker at her private school. He has brought a young child with him, from Nazi Germany, in hopes of finding the child’s lost mother. When it is discovered, that the mother, who suffers from fits, has disappeared in an asylum, Henrietta takes the lead. Her enthusiasm leads her into a tense cat and mouse game, after she unexpectedly encounters the real killer in a harrowing visit to the mental asylum.
At times the story seems more like an English country house mystery set in the rolling countryside rather than the gritty Chicago of Al Capone. (not really a problem for myself, since English country house mysteries are my favourite) Mansions, country life, chauffeurs, servants, private schools, giggling classmates, parents and grandparents trying to set up Elsie with the “right” partner from among her privileged classmates. Clive’s family is from England. However, the author does take on various social issues of the time, some of which are still a problem. The problems immigrants have coming to a new country, especially when they don’t speak the language. Problems not only finding jobs to pay for basic necessities, but also problems communicating with doctors, when they have medical issues, the horrors they face when misdiagnosed and receive wrong treatments, the abuse patients received from primitive treatment for mental health issues.
Since this book was my introduction to the series, I am looking forward to catching up on the beginning and reading the further adventures of Henrietta and Clive.

A child lost 3.5 Review.
A Child lost is a gripping tale of mystery set in 1936. It was a time of great turmoil in Europe, and Gunther had to make the ultimate sacrifice as he went to America in the hopes for a future for him and Anna. A six-year-old girl, not related to himself, in the hopes to find her mother. Soon the plot became a serious of suspense as murder, theft and abuse take the front stage.
I understand this is part of the series, the last book so far, but in the end, I trust the story will continue with Henrietta and Clive’s journey. Though it began with Gunther and Anna, the point of view changed to that of the would-be private investigators in an era when it was unheard of for a woman to work or study. With this turn of events, the author introduced another character as part of the growing characters. Elsie is a young woman who is determined to find her own way. Against the advice of her mother and grandfather she enrols in the, I believe University to become a teacher.
Some topics worthy to mention are mental illness, and the devastation of treatment these poor soles had to endure while in Dunning, a mental institution. The author really had a good understanding of this and touched the topic with finesse and empathy. Miscarriage and the death of a spouse were also touched, and here we see one husband’s desperate plea to take care of his wife as fear grabbed him. In the end, both their attitudes towards their loss had built a bridge that will have a lasting effect on the marriage. PTSD, and the effects of war, was another subject the author wielded with great care.
The love of Clive and Henrietta is touching the heartstrings and the love scenes done with passionate ease. Love an important cornerstone of this couple and the story. Clive’s overprotectiveness and Harriette’s independence caused for some interesting moments.
Problems within the storyline: Too much throat-clearing stopped the story’s flow. With unnecessary dialogue that either could have been left out or cut in half.
Two other characters are also introduced and though the subject of abuse at the hand of the father is pertinent, it had no bearing on the story. Maybe it will continue in the follow-up of this book.
A cursing Clive doesn’t fit with the character he portrays, nor the period. I cannot see that a gentleman of his status will talk in this manner.
There are a few times I wondered if the book setting is in 1936. Then I had to go back to the synopsis to remind myself that it is in fact historical. Some incidents seemed more appropriate for today.
Final thoughts:
An interesting storyline with a worthy cause to generate a pleasant story filled with enough mystery to keep reading. The romance is believable and touching, which makes this a good read. The principal characters are believable and the supporting characters played their roles perfectly, filling in the gaps for the would-be detectives.

Henrietta and Clive have taken on a case investigating a spiritualist. It should be easy. It should be open and shut. However, it has taken an unexpected turn when the spiritualist seems to know more than they expected.

Then there is Gunther and Anna. Gunther is Anna’s guardian by default. (There is a backstory you do not want to miss). Anna is a sweet little girl but she has seizures. She has been removed and sent to an insane asylum. Henrietta goes above and beyond to try and get the poor child out.

I enjoyed many aspects of this audible book. But my favorite part was the insane asylum. Wow! Creepy, awful and strange all at the same time. I could just picture the locked doors, the patients and the awful smell. What a great job the author did with this part of the book.

The narrator is also excellent. She did an amazing job with all the characters, especially the voices. She truly transported you to each scene and experience.

This is a story you do not want to miss. This is part of a series. I have not read the others and I did not feel lost at all. I am definitely going to go back and read the other books. I enjoy Clive and Henrietta.

Grab your copy today!

I received this audiobook from the author for a honest review.

Great characters and exciting. I love Henrietta’s spirit. Can hardly wait for the next story.

Excellent page turning read filled with intrigue, mystery and suspense.

This is my first Michelle Cox novel and it’s definitely not going to be my last. This novel combined my favorites into one! Mystery and historical! I loved meeting Henrietta and Inspector Howard in this novel. While it was my first novel by Cox, and the 5th in a series, it was not confusing, and easily read as a stand alone.

I absolutely loved the detail that Cox incorporated into this page turning story. I felt myself being instantly transported to the 1930s falling in love with that era in time. I felt the sadness that Henrietta felt both with her miscarriage and with finding a lost child, I felt the instensity of the world and how crazy it was during that time. The depth that Michelle Cox put into her characters was stunning and really helped this story to come to life for me.

This story is page turning and gripping, and definitely an unforgettable read! I loved every minute of this fantastically written novel by a new favorite author. If you want a novel that will keep you guessing, keep you intrigued and make you want more, then definitely grab this one up! I am looking forward to going back and reading the first 4 books in this incredible series! Get ready for the roller coaster of twists and turns with this one!

*I received a complimentary copy of this book from Publisher and was under no obligation to post a review, positive or negative.*

Michelle Cox

A Child Lost is the fifth installment from the Henrietta and Inspector Howard series. It is my first book I have read from this series and my first introduction to books written by Michelle Cox. Even though this one is part of a series, I believe it can be read as stand alone. Although, I would love to know what happened in the previous books. I very much enjoyed this story. The author did a great job describing the setting and detailing vividly the historical era. It was full of adventure, action, mystery and suspense. I could not figure out or predict what was going to happen from page to page. I was fully engaged with this tale and wanted to know what Henrietta or Clive would do next. Henrietta was my favorite character and felt a connection to her from the start. I only intended to read just one chapter before bed. But I could not help but to keep reading and wound up staying up late until I finished the whole book.

I am giving A Child Lost four and a half stars. I would love to catch up on the first four books from the Henrietta and Inspector Howard series to find out what had happened prior to this one. I will be looking for more by this author in the near future. This one was a great read. It is most definitely not one to be missed. I recommend it for readers who enjoy a well written suspense filled novels.

I received this book from the publisher. This review is 100% my own honest opinion.

A Child Lost is book #5 in author Michelle Cox’s Henrietta and Inspector Howard series. After reading it, I wish I had begun this series with book #1. I would have loved to know the history of the characters and how that history related to their current situation. No worries, though, if you want to start here as it is written as a stand-alone book.

This is a murder mystery series set in the 1930s where social roles were defined by class status – and those from different classes were not encouraged to mix. It offers an intriguing story line, a bit of suspense, a bit of romance and a peek into what life was like at that time. The plot takes us to Dunning Asylum, a disgusting and frightening place, to try to find the mother of a girl left in someone else’s care. The story could have ended when they find out she is deceased, but something doesn’t feel right to Henrietta. Despite Clive’s doubt, she can’t let it go and forges ahead on her own putting her own life at risk. Woven into this story is the side plot of a spiritualist and in the closing notes, we find a hint that this character might figure into a new book by the author.

Well written, easy to read and, outside the descriptions of life in Dunning Asylum, not overly gory. This is a good escapist title to dive into at the end of your day.