A Ring of Truth is the next exciting installment of the Henrietta and Inspector Howard series, in which Clive reveals that he is actually the heir of the Howard estate and fortune, Henrietta discovers she may not be who she thought she was-and both must decide if they are really meant for each other.
A Ring of Truth
By michellecox
The story which goes into great detail but ends abruptly. Probably a ruse to get the reader to purchase the next book, but I felt as if I had a trick played on me.
I enjoyed the characters, Clive and Henrietta, and Clive’s mother. And, the unraveling of Henrietta’s family background. All great detail. 1930’s Chicago.
I loved the continuation of the story of Henrietta Von Harmon and Inspector Clive Howard. We were introduced to them in the first book where they worked together on a police case and fell in love. Now in book two, the relationship has expanded, Clive has asked Henrietta to marry him, and we start to learn a bit more about Clive and his life outside of the police and back at his family home Highbury in upscale Winnetka. The author has done an excellent job of keeping the supporting characters from book one, Elsie, Stan, Eugene, and the Hennessys. In my opinion this is the hallmark of any successful series, you need more than one or two characters to keep the story going, the supporting characters just help deepen and enrich the development of the story. It certainly gives the author more to work with and more directions to take. I think this series would be perfect for any fans of Anne Perry (Charlotte & Thomas Pitt or the Monks series) or Charles Todd (Ian Rutledge or Bess Crawford series). I for one cannot wait to see what happens with Clive and Henrietta. The way they play off each other is engaging. I can already see the author has some ideas based on the hints dropped in The Ring of Truth. Thank you to the author for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
The only negative is their was no true ending….it left one hanging. Regardless, what I did read……I LOVED IT!!!!
Love this series and I love Henrietta and Inspector Howard.
I feel like Alice in Wonderland, who just reemerged from a 1930s rabbit hole where I gleefully binge-read all five of the Henrietta and Inspector Howard novels: A Girl Like You, A Ring of Truth, A Promise Given, A Veil Removed, and A Child Lost. My multi-week foray included a delicious and colorful palette of emotion—passion, intrigue, joy, sorrow, and fear. The historical detail is impeccable as the captivating storyline takes the reader from poverty to the glitz and glamor that only wealth can bring. I highly recommend this series!
I’m so in love with this book! Henrietta & Clive meet each other’s families and it comes with a dash of drama, mystery and romance! Don’t miss this!!
I was given a copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.
In A Ring of Truth, Henrietta is challenged to step out of her world and into that of the rich and entitled. While it is Clive’s too, he chose to walk away from most of it by moving to a small apartment in the city and working as an inspector in the police force. Work calls, so he doesn’t stay to support her. Henrietta is left alone to sink or swim in this foreign environment, while Clive’s mother works daily to educate Henrietta on the proper decorum, behavior and speech required of her if she is to stand at her son’s side as lady of the estate. It isn’t easy.
Henrietta is chastised often for fraternizing with the servants, even helping one of the junior maids with her chores. But she is most comfortable among them. She sits in the kitchen sharing a cuppa while telling them bits of her life before meeting Clive. And she makes friends with a frightened older woman named Helen living in an isolated cottage. Desperate for something to do, and incredibly lonely without Clive there, she decides to try and help Helen find a very valuable ring that is missing. One she insists was stolen.
A Ring of Truth is wonderful historic read that is more about class distinctions and the lives of those in the story than mystery and murder. But those topics are still wound subtly into the background and erupt into the forefront near the end, bringing that element of danger – and from an old enemy. Again Henrietta’s life is in danger and Clive, sent off on a wild goose chase, doesn’t know if he can make it back in time to save his beloved.
A Ring of Truth continues the Henrietta and Inspector Howard series by Michelle Cox. This second installment brings readers back to the characters of Henrietta and Clive. I loved this duo in the first book of the series, A Girl Like You, and I was not disappointed in this one. I love that they are from two different worlds and still have wonderful chemistry. I was entertained with their story from start to finish. I was hoping they would not be torn apart from what they encounter. They were thrown into quite the mystery that kept me engaged. I wanted to find out how it would end for them.
I had the pleasure to listening the audio version of A Ring of Truth. Jayne Entwistle’s performance was once again superb. Her voice was perfect bringing this story to life. I loved hearing her all throughout the book. I had no problem listening to the whole book in one day. I could not find myself to push pause and chose to continue to listen.
I am giving A Ring of Truth four and a half stars. I recommend it for readers who enjoy suspenseful mysteries. I look forward to seeing what will happen next in the third book from Henrietta and Inspector Howard series, A Promise Given. I can not wait to see what is going on with Henrietta and Clive then.
I received A Ring of Truth from the publisher. This review is one hundred percent my own honest opinion.
This book was fantastic! I couldn’t put it down. Read The whole series so far!
This romantic mystery is sweet. The plot intertwined mystery with the love story of the main characters as they face vengeance from the mob of the ‘50’s. Extreme rich and extreme poor come together with true love to fight social injustices while fighting the injustices of organized crime. Intriguing and memorable!
Builds on the original characters and immerses you in their adventures.
I couldn’t put it down until I had finished it. Loved the mystery and Henrietta.
Book 2 and I loved this book also. More twist and turns and great historial facts from that time period
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
I would like to first and foremost thank the author for a clean romance. The main characters are very mindful of preserving sex for marriage. Things get a little heated a time or two, but there are no graphic descriptions, and Clive and Henrietta always remind themselves they want to wait until they are married. At one point, Clive even points out once that though they are engaged, he wants to take her to the marriage altar, unsullied even by him. I really appreciate someone willing to write characters this way, even when the book is set in a time period where it was becoming more acceptable to have affairs.
I did not read the first book in the series – although I certainly will now – but I did not feel lost here. I felt like the characters gave enough background to kind of fill in what happened, but not so much that it will spoil it to go back and read book one. Clearly there is also at least one more book to come, and I will absolutely be reading it.
Clive and Henrietta were very well-developed characters. I felt like their emotional struggles were real and not whiny. There love is written in a very deep and heartfelt way – not wishy-washy or superficial as romantic struggles are often wont to be.
I also loved the overall plot – I was blindsided along with the characters when they realized the trap that had been sprung. All along I thought the story was leading one direction, then out of nowhere, you realize why you had the sinking feeling some of these characters were trouble from the start. I loved the period society details, and the dialogue and clothing descriptions were historically accurate.
I had never read Michelle Cox before, but it’s a name that will definitely grab my attention from here on.
The beginning of a series. Good characters, good plot, a wonderful story.
Michelle Cox did quite a good job writing this book. She had some very interesting actions and was very creative. It was one of those books that held my attention throughout. I think, however, that I would have enjoyed it a little more if I had read the first book of this series before reading this one.
I’d like to read the sequel to this book.
Love, love this series. Great reading!!
Lots of intrigue. Thoroughly enjoyed.
Set in Chicago and the northern burbs during the 1930s. Entertaining historical fiction read.