A journalist, a jewel thief, and a Russian spy…when their paths cross, it’s murder.Journalist Emmeline Kirby hasn’t laid eyes on her former lover Gregory Longdon, a jewel thief, in two years. But she literally tumbles into his arms, after she witnesses two men attempt to murder her friend and fellow journalist, Charles Latimer, in Venice.When Charles is ultimately killed, Emmeline is determined … determined to bring his murderer to justice. But as she and Gregory delve deeper, they become ensnared in a hunt for a Russian spy in the British Foreign Office, who has his sights set on keeping his identity a secret at all costs–as Charles found out too late.
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Lead Me Into Danger is the first book in the Emmeline Kirby & Gregory Longdon Mysteries series and author Daniella Bernett’s debut novel.
There was so much intrigue along with murders, spies, and other unsavory characters and a Russian connection. It was sometimes hard to tell who were the bad guys and who were reputable.
Emmaline, a journalist who doesn’t let things go and follows all leads no matter the danger it brings her to (thus the title), is front and center, along with her ex-fiancé, Gregory, a reported jewel thief (which has never been proven). They comprise the main characters. However, some government workers and folks from Scotland Yard also join the MCs to round out the cast.
We get to know many of the characters, and so many have depth to them. We learn about them and their histories and backstories a little at a time. There are many twists and turns in the telling of the tale and multiple layers to the story as we go from Venice to London and back again.
There are clues to the murders throughout, along with a mole in the British government who must be unmasked. Ms. Bernett writes vivid and detailed descriptions of the locations, the disruptions, and the crimes committed or being committed. At every turn, Emmeline and/or Gregory seem to be in the midst of everything, much to the chagrin of others.
The story held my interest from the first page to the last as I tried to solve whodunnit, piece together who the mole is, plus figure out how the various characters are connected. There were personal and business connections to sift through as well.
My heart raced, and I could feel the tension as it built, rising to the reveal. There was a lot of attention to detail in the author’s writing, and every word was essential. The specter of anti-Semitism was heartrending and couldn’t be overlooked.
There was an underlying love story along with the intrigue, although Emmeline didn’t see herself and Gregory getting back together. But Emmeline could always count on Gregory to keep her out of danger or get her out of a precarious situation.
I liked the addition of Emmeline’s grandmother to the story, Emmeline’s memories of growing up, and her reminiscing of her parents, who were also journalists and died when she was young. But I do think there is more story to tell concerning her parents’ deaths.
There was nice closure, but I am looking forward to seeing what Emmeline and Gregory are up to next. The cover is very representative of the story, but I was surprised to see the Russian flag along with the British flag, not the Italian flag depicted since Venice along with London were highlighted in the story and also pictorially on the cover.
I had previously read Old Sins Never Die, the sixth book in the Emmeline Kirby & Gregory Longdon Mysteries series, and thoroughly enjoyed it. Since I was scheduled to read the next book in the series, Viper’s Nest of Lies, which will release next month. The author offered to send the other books in the series, and I jumped at it. I’m so glad I did. If you like books filled with espionage and mysteries with some romance thrown in, you should give Ms. Bernett’s books a try.
I rated the book 4.5 stars but rounded to 5 stars here and on other sites.