Hamish DeLuca and Regina “Reggie” Van Buren have a new case–and this one could demand a price they’re not willing to pay. Determined to make a life for herself, Reggie Van Buren bid goodbye to fine china and the man her parents expected her to marry and escaped to Boston. What she never expected to discover was that an unknown talent for sleuthing would develop into a business partnership with … partnership with the handsome, yet shy, Hamish DeLuca.
Their latest case arrives when Errol Parker, the leading base stealer in the Boston farm leagues, hires Hamish and Reggie to investigate what the Boston police shove off as a series of harmless pranks. Errol believes these are hate crimes linked to the outbreak of war in Europe, and he’s afraid for his life. Hamish and Reggie quickly find themselves in the midst of an escalating series of crimes.
When Hamish has his carefully constructed life disrupted by a figure from his past, he is driven to a decision that may sever him from Reggie forever . . . even more than her engagement to wealthy architect Vaughan Vanderlaan.
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Oh. My. Word. I thoroughly loved every second spent with Reggie and Hamish in this fantastic murder mystery. Murder in the City of Liberty is SO, SO good. The plot is insanely fast paced and highly engaging. Hamish and Reggie are outstanding protagonists. The chemistry between the two — it’s a delicious blend of hope, romance, and tension. It kept me furiously turning pages well into the night! And the history. I learned so much about 1940s Boston and the political climate in the early days of WWII. Murder in the City of Liberty has a depth and complexity that avid murder-mystery readers will not want to miss!
When I fell in love with my husband, I don’t believe I had one clue as to what true love really is. I felt in love. When I looked at him my heart would flutter and I would go a bit weak in the knees. And I definitely had glorious expectations that only he could fulfill — the happily-ever-after, white-picket-fence, married-for-50+-years kind. These were the kind of feelings I knew only he could inspire. So I must have been in love, right?
Wrong! I went into my marriage with my eyes so firmly shut to reality. Love isn’t a feeling. As one of my favorite pastors says, “Love isn’t glandular.” In the novel, it is clear that Reggie and Hamish have deep feelings for one another. But Reggie is hesitant to admit her that feelings are love. Her biggest issue is how she has built Hamish up in her head. To Reggie, Hamish is the perfect man — a knight in shining armor. He is strong, intelligent, dependable, stable, kind, and selfless. And, she knows he loves her with his whole heart. But there is a moment where Hamish makes a grave error in judgment. Reggie realizes that Hamish is human just like everyone else, and she gets mad at him. The proverbial rose-colored glasses have been slapped off her face, and she now sees Hamish for who he truly is, the good parts and the bad. This is essentially what happened to me too. Six months after we said, “I Do,” life took a turn for the worse and I realized I didn’t really know the man I had married. In retrospect, I don’t think he realized the women he had married either. In one very bad moment all of my notions about love and marriage were stripped from me and what I was left with was real life. I didn’t want real life. I wanted my expectations and dreams. Reggie becomes angry with Hamish because she didn’t want real life either. She wanted the dream of Hamish that she had concocted.
BUT Reggie realizes that “love [means] accepting the lowest of a person.” People have positives and negatives. When we “fall” in love, we fall for the absolute best parts of each other. The negative parts of personalities seem to be nonexistent. In these “lovey-dovey” moments people knee-jerk react and get married. Then reality hits and the notion of romantic love falls away and we’re left with someone who has flaws. What I have learned in the decade since my husband and I first began a relationship is that love means being there for one another to the best of our abilities. But, we are going to make mistakes. We are fallible human beings. If love means being there for one another to the best of our abilities, it also means realizing that “the best of our abilities” is limited. I’m grateful for Reggie’s moment of clarity not just because I really want something to happen between Reggie and Hamish (which I do so, so much), but because it is a great reminder for me. I need to be a little more gracious towards my husband. God, the creator of the known and unknown universes, loves my husband just as he is warts and all. I need to do the same if I truly love him (which I do)! Reggie realizes she needs to be a little more gracious to her Hamish as well.
Murder in the City of Liberty is a wonderful story, and I highly recommend it. I am going to miss my time with Reggie and Hamish. Book 3 cannot come fast enough for me!
I received a review copy of this novel in eBook form from the publisher via NetGalley and Celebrate Lit. In no way has this influenced my review. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.
Rachel does such a wonderful job writing this story! You feel like you are on the streets of 1940 Boston. A clean murder mystery.
Murder in the City of Liberty is a rollicking mystery through 1940s Boston. McMillan’s love of history, Boston, baseball, and, most of all, her protagonists shines through.
I don’t read a lot of mysteries, but I have been curious about Rachel McMillan’s writing for a while now, and when the opportunity popped up to review her latest release, the vintage look to the cover reeled me in. I am so glad I took a chance outside my favorite genre and look forward to reading more of this author!
The characters are fun and unique. Reggie is a runaway debutante, rebelling against her parents expectations, who has opened an investigative firm with her friend, who incidentally happens to be in love with her. Hamish is an amazing hero and I loved that he was imperfect, or as Reggie called him, a “rusty knight.” Neither of the main characters are without flaws, even with regard to the other person, and I liked how they make each other better over the course of the novel.
I really enjoyed the references to classic movies and music—it made me feel as if I was there, in that time and place. Another component that made me feel like I was there was the uncomfortable prejudices; the author made me understand the social and racial climate, very different from my own, without resorting to foul language or offensive slurs to make it more “realistic.” McMillan went to the extra effort to convey the ideas rather than simply shock the reader, and I really appreciated that.
Those who like classic mysteries should really enjoy this book, and I would highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys historical novels as well. While mystery may not be my go-to genre, McMillan has certainly found a new fan in me. I will be looking up her backlist and eagerly awaiting another Van Buren and DeLuca novel!
I received a review copy of this book through Celebrate Lit but was under no obligation to post a positive review. The opinions expressed are both honest and my own.
I’m happy to be back with the duo of Hamish and Reggie. They are a great team and for some reason remind me of the duo from the show Moonlighting. They have this quirky relationship that seems to compliment each other. I’m not quite sure if there are sparks between them at times, but they sure liven up the story.
There is an abundance of intrigue and not so nice people in the story. At times I didn’t know who was good and who was bad. I remember reading the first book and thinking how much I enjoyed it. This book had me confused. There seemed to be too many characters and I didn’t know if I was reading a mystery or a romance book.
The story covers a little about baseball and prejudice during this time period. I enjoyed reading about the great baseball players during this time period. My blood boiled as Errol Parker explained how he has been treated in the baseball world due to his color. He is the best at stealing bases, but someone is not happy with him playing. When he describes how his nephew was beat up at a game, you could feel Hamish and Reggie become angry and ashamed of how cruel people are.
Lies are being spread about different nationalities and the tension has built up to where it is infiltrated the baseball world. Why is this group spreading hate? Baseball is America’s favorite pass time, but Errol thinks his life may be in danger. I wish the author would have not spent so much time on if Hamish and Reggie liked each other. This book is listed as a Christian fiction book, but I found no reference to faith at all in the book.
I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit. The review is my own opinion.
My Thoughts:
This was such a fun read. I loved this view on a time in history that I’m always trying to learn more about. It’s 1940’s but before the United States enters the war. There are all kinds living here. It’s a great melting pot in Boston. But not everyone is happy.
There are those who don’t like the black or the Irish. But then there are those who don’t like the Italians and the Jews. They want them gone and will stop at nothing to get what they want.
I love a good mystery book and this definitely qualifies. What could Boston and Toronto have in common? Why target an up and coming great ball player? Because he’s black? And why beat up his nephew? It gets worse before it gets better.
Also, where is Hamish’s cousin Luca? And what is going on with Nate? Why is he so preoccupied and why does Hamish get the feeling he’s being lied to?
Full disclosure, I have not read book one of this series. I wish now I had so if you’re like me and want to know the back story that will be alluded to please read book one first.
Other than not knowing everything that is mentioned since I didn’t read book one, this is a great read. I’m a huge fan of mysteries and this was excellent. I loved getting to know the characters and found myself shaking my head at Reggie multiple times. The descriptions of her clothes were awesome too. As I said, this is a time period I like and the clothes are the best!
Favorite character: Reggie and love how she insists it is Reggie. I think it’s fun how she’s trying to be so self-reliant.
A character I loved to hate: Dirk. Enough said. Everyone is going to love to hate him.
The one you can’t help but want to thump over the head but still love anyway: Nate. I mean you want to thump him for keeping secrets but he’s really so loveable.
Vaughan, I felt sorry for. He seems like an up and up guy. Hopefully, there will be a book soon where he gets some good thrown his way.
Recommended! It starts off a bit slow. I’m not sure if that’s because I was a bit lost not having read the first book or if it’s just the writing style. There were a few things the book could have done without. The one thing that really pops into my head is the scene at Hamish and Nate’s house after Reggie almost drowns and needs to be warmed quickly.
I have voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from Celebrate Lit. All views expressed are only my honest opinion. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way. All opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC regulations.
Set in early 1940’s Boston, this story took some time for me to get into – perhaps because I had not read the first book in the series. It was a time when WWII was already happening, even though the USA was not yet involved. Boston was a melting pot with crime and corruption, racial tension and antisemitism. Our intrepid hero and heroine find themselves involved in cases that go way beyond their normal work of employment and property law contracts. The author has done a fine job of using the anxiety and other problems that Hamish struggles with, to highlight the fact that overcoming is possible. The romantic tension brought some smiles and some head shaking, wondering if they would possibly get it figured out.
In all, this was an interesting book with rich detail about the Boston area, making me wish to visit there once again. The statement made by Hamish to Reggie seems to sum up many of the twists and turns in this book and one that requires a great deal of thought for all of us.
‘You can make yourself believe a great many things about the choices you make.”
I received an ARC of this book through NetGalley and CelebrateLit. The impression and opinions are my own.
I wish that I had read the first two books in this series. I was a little confused in the beginning of the story and this confused me for a little bit of time. I really loved how this story ended. All of the main characters learned many old secrets about themselves and their families. I received a copy of this book from Celebratelit for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.
She has done it again! So much mystery solving and suspense that you can’t put it down. Fast paced and quite the page turner – it will keep you on your toes to keep it all straight. I just adored Hamish and Reggie! Such swoon worthy sparks and fun dialogue that they feel like family and friends you have known forever. I have never been to Boston – but I felt I knew the city and its atmosphere while reading. Great talent for building that scenery in my head! Hamish and his personal struggles make you fall in love with him and realize we all are special and can make a difference.
I got this book from Celebrate Lit and this is my own opinion.
Even better than the first one! I felt like we got a lot more character development with Reggie and Hamish, individually (and together…). I will say I enjoyed the character plot on their development even more than their latest mystery, but it was such a good read.
I enjoy the setting, I feel like I have a good picture of the city, of their neighborhood. I also enjoy Hamish’s overlay of the city with his favorite novel, The Hunchback of Notre Dame.
This story is supposed to take place two years after the last book – this was my only qualm with the story. The characters do not seem to have moved two years ahead, there doesn’t seem to be enough history mentioned to make up for it. The story picks up like there hasn’t been any time lapse at all. If I hadn’t been told two years had passed, I wouldn’t have known, and so I just kind of ignored that fact. I feel like the only reason that was even included was to put us at the proper time on the eve of the War for certain aspects of the story.
BUT! Nevertheless, a great read. Evil isn’t always what it seems on the surface, and everything you thought you knew about the villains will be challenged. Read on!
Y’all, I just adore Hamish DeLuca. This man is loyal to those closest to him and strives to protect them even when his own anxiety threatens. It’s obvious there’s been a growing friendship (and perhaps more?) between Hamish and Reggie in the couple years that have passed since the first book (Murder at the Flamingo).
The actual murder is secondary to the mystery of what’s happening with Nate as well as the will-they-or-won’t-they question of Hamish and Reggie’s relationship. But the murder mysteries are why I devour every book written by Rachel McMillan. No, that honor goes to the authentic relationship dynamics—both the good and the bad, insights into the history of the places she writes about, and the immersion into the era. Her passion for the city, people, and culture (in this case, 1930s and 40s Boston) are seeped so deep into these pages, I fell in love with the city too.
Disclosure statement:
I receive complimentary books from publishers, publicists, and/or authors, including NetGalley. I am not required to write positive reviews. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
“You can make yourself believe a great many things about the choices you make.”
The author Rachel McMillan has a way with words that is unique and thoroughly insightful. The characters are quirky and their witty and fun dialogue really makes the story shine. The murder mystery component is a bit reminiscent of Columbo or Murder She Wrote (or Moonlighting as another reviewer mentioned) but it’s the character study of Regina and Hamish and their relationship that take center stage in the book. I’ve followed Hamish’s parents’ story in Rachel McMillan’s previous Herringford and Watts series so I was already fond of Hamish as a baby. My mistake was not reading the first book, Murder at the Flamingo, prior to reading this one. Though the author gives us enough clues and details to piece together what happened in the first book, I felt like I missed out on much of the character development of Hamish, Regina, Nate (Hamish’s best friend), and Luca (Hamish’s cousin). So definitely read Murder at the Flamingo prior to reading this book.
There is a lot of emotional tug-of-war between Hamish and Regina, especially as Hamish becomes desperate for Regina’s affection and Regina entertains engagement to a childhood friend. Hamish is such an unlikely hero….yet he really is a hero – brave, protective, tender, and self-sacrificing even in the midst of anxiety attacks and demoralization. But this story is more than just two unlikely people working together and falling in love. It addresses the atmosphere in 1940 Boston where racial prejudice ran hot in the face of the Second World War, the wide gap between the haves and have-nots widened each day, and gangsters and businessmen alike battled each other for power and money. It addresses the debilitating disorder of anxiety and loyalty found in friendship and blood-kin. From how this book ends, there is more to come where Hamish and Regina are concerned. Perhaps Hamish’s cousin Luca as well.
I received a copy of the book from Thomas Nelson via Celebrate Lit Tours and was under no obligation to post a positive review. All comments and opinions are solely my own.
Rachel Mcmillan’s unique voice never fails to draw me into her stories. Her love of Boston and attention to historical detail is evident in this 1940 mystery. America is hovering on the brink of war and the tensions felt by people from all walks of life are the unifying thread between different cases amateur sleuths Hamish and Reggie are solving.
Filled with wit and romance, there is plenty of danger to please readers of historical mysteries. While Hamish needs to face shadows from his past, Reggie needs to reconcile her past with her dreams for her future. While the story is filled with lighthearted witty banter, the author addresses several serious issues such as anxiety disorders and racial tensions that are relevant regardless of historical setting. With one of the storylines following the baseball farm teams and another the underworld of the mob, the reader is easily drawn into Hamish and Reggie’s world of 1940 Boston. I loved the bookish nod Ms. McMillan gives to the beloved characters from the classic, The Hunchback of Notre Dame.
While I adore Hamish as the hero of the story, I quickly became a fan of his friend Nate. I eagerly await the next adventure of our sleuthing couple and their friends.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book from the author/publisher. I was not required to write a review. All opinions expressed are my own.
“Murder is a by-the-way when there are so many bigger things at play.”
-Hamish DeLuca
Welcome back to Boston! Hamish DeLuca, a handsome upright young man who works as an investigator and part-time attorney, and his perky well-bred partner, Regina “Reggie” Van Buren, are now running their own firm in the historical part of town. Although the office is a bit slow, the two are always on the lookout for any type of investigative business that looks the least bit interesting and mysterious. When Reggie takes a call from someone who won’t give his name, their lives become extremely interesting.
The shadowy figure of Luca Valari, Hamish’s flamboyant, troublesome cousin, seems to lurk in the background of their current problems along with Dirk, one of Reggie’s old friends who works at the architecture firm of her good friend and sometimes boyfriend, Vaughn Vanderlaan. As Hamish and Reggie increasingly find themselves drawn in to multiple situations that seem to be tied together, their investigative work takes them to the baseball field, Fiske’s Wharf, and other shadowy places.
The characters in this novel continue to develop and add even more personality to the series. Once again the suspense pulls the reader in and draws them through the story. Love, loyalty, prejudice, and honor all play into the heart of this tale. A captivating, suspenseful read that will take the reader right into the heart and soul of Boston with an entertaining mix of historical fiction, mystery, and romance! Bring the next one on!!
This ARC copy was received from Thomas Nelson Publishers. The above thoughts and opinions are wholly my own.
This is book two in the Van Buren and DeLuca mystery series by Ms. McMillan. I was very intrigued to read one of her books after seeing so many people comment about her books on social media. This is the first book of hers that I have read. This is a historical suspense novel. Reggie and Hamish are partners who investigate issues for people. For Reggie, this is an adventure that she loves to solve, but is so different than her past. Hamish, a lawyer, also enjoys his work as a detective. At the beginning of the book, Reggie is in a serious relationship with Vaughan who is a part of her past; however, Reggie and Hamish have an interesting friendship especially for this time in history. This book focuses on a case that a baseball player, Errol, brings to them. Someone is pranking him, but it seems harmful even though the police are not doing anything about it. As they investigate, they realize there is a lot more to this than just what he originally hired them for. This book was very intriguing. It can be read as a stand-alone novel, but I am sure that reading the first book would be beneficial. I really enjoyed reading this novel and highly recommend you read it! I look forward to reading more Van Buren and DeLuca mysteries.
***I was given a free electronic copy of this book from the publisher. This is my honest opinion. Even though I received this copy free, this is my own opinion.
historical-fiction, historical-places-events, cozy-mystery, suspense
I had some trouble getting into the 1940s mindset, but enjoyed all the twists and turns of the plot. It starts out with a bang and then kind of runs along like an old school rolley coaster with ups, downs, and variant speed. Lots of bad guys to boo and hiss at. The main characters are interesting and engaging even when I wanted to shake some sense into them! I didn’t really appreciated it as much as the first one, but that’s probably because of how I feel about hate crimes of any sort.
All in all it’s a good read!
I requested and received a free ebook copy from Thomas Nelson Publishing and this is my own opinion.
Murder in the City of Liberty by Rachel McMillan is a story filled with accurate details and a nod to classic literature. The story does have a dead body in it and does move the story along, but, I believe, the plot is more a cultural nod to the social and racial tensions of the 1940’s. America is on the brink of World War II, even though majority of the citizens want to ignore the rising terror. McMillan jumps into the plot and brings 1940’s Boston to life. I really enjoy her attention to historical detail with her settings and bringing the conflicts to light. The romantic heat between Hamish and Reggie spark even hotter in this addition of their story. McMillan does wonderfully at creating a story that grips my attention and kept me glued to the page. I finished the whole novel in under one day. Wonderful story. I can’t wait to see what troubles and romance come to Hamish and Reggie next.
I received a complimentary copy of Murder in the City of Liberty by Rachel McMillan from Thomas Nelson publishing, but the opinions stated are all my own.
I was having a bit of a time to get into this story, but soon realized that this was the second book, and I did feel lost.
While this story takes place just prior to WWII we meet prejudice and antisemitism head on, and there is a mystery and sparks flying, I’ll admit I had to fight my way through this book.
I have a fondness for the Red Socks, and this baseball team led me there, but maybe I needed the first book to really get this book.
I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Thomas Nelson, and was not required to give a positive review.