England, 1919. In Anna Lee Huber’s latest mystery, former Secret Service agent Verity Kent is finding that life after wartime offers its own share of danger . . . The Great War may be over, but for many, there are still obstacles on the home front. Reconciling with her estranged husband makes Verity sympathetic to her friend Ada’s marital difficulties. Bourgeois-bred Ada, recently married to the … Bourgeois-bred Ada, recently married to the Marquess of Rockham, is overwhelmed trying to navigate the ways of the aristocracy. And when Lord Rockham is discovered shot through the heart with a bullet from Ada’s revolver, Verity fears her friend has made a fatal blunder.
While striving to prove Ada’s innocence, Verity is called upon for another favor. The sister of a former Secret Service colleague has been killed in what authorities believe was a home invasion gone wrong. The victim’s war work—censoring letters sent by soldiers from the front—exposed her to sensitive, disturbing material. Verity begins to suspect these two unlikely cases may be linked. But as the connections deepen, the consequences—not just for Verity, but for Britain—grow more menacing than she could have imagined.
Praise for Anna Lee Huber’s Treacherous is the Night
“A thrilling mystery that supplies its gutsy heroine with plenty of angst-ridden romance.”
—Kirkus Reviews
“A splendid sequel. . . . Huber combines intricate puzzles with affecting human drama.”
—Publishers Weekly
“Masterful. . . . Just when you think the plot will zig, it zags. . . . Deeply enjoyable.”
—Criminal Element
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Penny for your Secrets is the third book in Anna Lee Huber’s Verity Kent Mystery series. If you haven’t read the first two, which I haven’t yet (I definitely plan to amend that!) you will not be lost, as it stand alone just fine. Ms. Huber is a new author to me. Once I finished this book, I immediately went through my library to see what other books I have of hers. I am a fairly new fan of historical mysteries, and I’ve had a wonderful introduction to truly talented authors whose work I wasn’t familiar with. Ms. Huber is definitely a must-read author for me now!
Verity Kent was formerly a Secret Service agent during the Great War, during a time she thought her husband Sidney was deceased. He wasn’t. Apparently she had a gift for the work, as she is still doing some investigating on her own. The latest she is working on is for her friend Ada, whose husband was shot and killed after a contentious dinner party. Ada begs Verity to prove that she didn’t murder her husband, though she seems the most likely suspect. While working on this mystery, Verity is contacted by a former Secret Service colleague, who requests Verity look into the murder of her sister. Could these two cases possibly be connected?
The mystery in this book was a lot of fun, keeping me guessing throughout the entire book. However, it was the relationship between Verity and Sidney that kept me glued to the pages. Sidney let Verity believe he was dead for years, as he worked to take down some traitors. Verity is finding it hard to let go of her resentment of Sidney for allowing her to suffer over her loss of him for years. Sidney, on the other hand, is having a lot of trouble dealing with acute survivor’s guilt over those lost during the war. It was heartbreaking watching them try to reconnect and Verity attempting to break through to him and his guilt. I think it was handled beautifully and honestly. I am eager to continue following the adventures of Verity and Sidney. Thank goodness I have the first two books in this series to tide me over until the next installment, plus the Lady Darby Mystery series to check out!
I received an ARC of this book courtesy of the publisher and NetGalley. I received no compensation for my review, and all thoughts and opinions expressed are entirely my own.
Penny for Your Secrets is the third installment in the historical murder mystery series, Verity Kent by Anna Lee Huber. I enjoyed the first two books and this one was no exception. In this book, Verity investigates not one but two seemingly unconnected murders. The first murder is of Lord Rockham, the husband of Verity’s friend, Ada. Ada is the suspect because their marriage was on the rocks, and she was heard making a joke about killing her husband during a dinner party. The second murder is of a young woman, Esther Shaw, who died in her own home in apparent cat burglary. The longer Verity investigates both crimes, the more she believes they are connected.
Verity’s husband, Sydney, is assisting her in the investigations. Their relationship adds another interesting layer to the books. Sydney struggles with guilt following his return from the war, and Verity doesn’t know how to help him because he shuts her out. Although I do find this subplot interesting, I must say I miss Max Ryder very much. I was team Max in the first book and was not entirely happy with the way he mostly disappeared from the subsequent books. His parts in the last two books are much smaller than in the first book. I was hoping that he would have a bigger role in the series, but I now think it’s not going to happen. Overall, Penny For Your Secrets is a great addition to the series and a book I would recommend to mystery fans.
Penny for Your Secrets by Anna Lee Huber is the next in the Verity Kent series of mysteries, this one taking place shortly after World War I, one of my favorite eras. Verity and her newly restored to her husband, Sidney are at a dinner party at the home of the Marquess and Marchioness of Rockham’s home. Things do not appear to be going well in the marriage between Rockham and Ada, a friend of Verity’s, which was odd as it had been a love match, with Rockham divorcing his American wife and mother to his two children, to marry Ada, his mistress of five years. Ada appeared to be carrying only openly with another man and Rockham seemed as cold and detached as ever. The only really surprising thing to happen was Ada pulling a gun out of her chair at dinner, and sloughing it off as a possible way to kill her husband. Verity and Sidney were awoken by the telephone ringing at 3 a.m. with Ada on the other end relating that her husband had been killed and the police were at her home. Could Verity come and help?
This is part of a series and sadly, the first one I have read, although I plan to go back and read them all. Verity and Sidney are written as typical upper crust English struggling to find their places after the Great War. After three days of marriage Sidney went off to war, leaving Verity at home like thousand of others. She rebounded by helping the war effort by working undercover, a secret she was not able to share upon Sidney’s return, but a mutual friend in the government was able to help fill in the blanks. They are reserved; they are staid; they are fearless. This is a terrific who-dunnit book, which I highly recommend. It is written in a very formal style, befitting its subjects and is an open window into life at this time in England, where everything was changing. I very enjoyable read.
I received a free ARC of Penny for Your Secrets from Netgalley. All opinions and
interpretations contained herein are solely my own. #netgalley #pennyforyoursecrets
Anna Lee Huber does it again in her third of her amazing post-World War I mystery / suspense / intrigue / murder / historical fiction series. There are so many levels to this book, and the author really makes you think and realize, even though this is fiction, what it was like to try to live in the post-World War I world. And phew, I feel like I was on a roller-coaster for hours with the twists and turns. This makes me want to go back and reread the first two books again. Ms. Huber is a Master at her craft.
I was excited to receive an ARC from NetGalley and Kensington Books of Penny for your Secrets in exchange for an honest review. This is my first book by Anna Lee Huber. The setting is London, after the Great War and Verity’s husband, Sydney, has just returned home recently after being presumed dead. Both had worked in the Secret Service during the war.
The couple receive a telephone call in the middle of the night after having been at a dinner party at Verity’s friend Ada and Lord Marcham’s. home. Lord Marcham was murdered, and it appeared he was shot with a revolver that Ada took from under her seat at the dinner table. Thus begins the story.
I found this mystery to move at a snail’s pace and I found myself having to reread as It did not maintain an interest for me. I also realized that it was the third book in a series. Maybe if I had read the first two books I would have been more engaged.
This is fast becoming one of my favorite mystery series ever!
I have always loved mysteries and historical fiction, so when I first started reading historical mysteries about ten years ago, I eagerly read as much as time allowed. Huber’s impeccable attention to detail, a gripping mystery of murder and espionage with a dose of romance that sizzles make for a very satisfying read.
What I love most about Ms. Huber’s books is her character arcs throughout a series. Verity and Sidney’s inner turmoil mirror much of what was experienced by many following the end of the war. The invisible scars of war and the shifting roles of society have left an unstable foundation for the wedded bliss expected by many when the war was over. Huber handles this tumultuous journey deftly as our hero and heroine discover that one needs to realize that their best efforts are sometimes not enough. While Verity is struggling to break down the walls that separate her and Sidney, she displays great insight into how others are handling many similar emotional battles. This insight makes her an ideal heroine for the unofficial crime-solving tasks she undertakes. I look forward to reading more of Verity Kent in the future.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author/publisher and was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine.