Two Series of Murders Seem Mysteriously Connected Step into True Colors — a series of Historical Stories of Romance and American Crime Three years before Jack the Ripper began his murderous spree on the streets of London, women were dying in their beds as The Midnight Assassin terrorized the citizens of Austin, Texas. Now, with suspicion falling on Her Majesty’s family and Scotland Yard at a … family and Scotland Yard at a loss as to who the Ripper might be, Queen Victoria summons her great-granddaughter, Alice Anne von Wettin, a former Pinkerton agent who worked the unsolved Austin case, and orders her to discreetly form a team to look into the London matter.
The prospect of a second chance to work with Annie just might entice Isaiah Joplin out of his comfortable life as an Austin lawyer. If his theories are right, they’ll find the The Midnight Assassin and, by default, the Ripper. If they’re wrong, he and Annie are in a bigger mess than the one the feisty female left behind when she departed Austin under cover of darkness three years ago.
Can the unlikely pair find the truth of who is behind the murders before they are drawn into the killer’s deadly game? From Texas to London, the story navigates the fine line between truth and fiction as Annie and Isaiah ultimately find the hunters have become the hunted.
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Murder, mystery, intrigue. All of these elements are found in this interesting story. I couldn’t stop reading. I received a complimentary copy of the book from Barbour Publishing. No review was required.
I generally do not read crime novels but when I was given the chance to read this book by Netgalley and Barbour Publishing I couldn’t pass it up. The Black Midnight is based upon the true life serial killings in Austin, Texas between 1884 to 1885 and in the Whitechapel district of London between August and November of 1888. This is the story of two Pinkerton detectives, Annie Walters and Ike Joplin as they try to solve the cases. The interesting twist to this story is that Annie Walters is a.k.a. Alice Anne von Wettin, the granddaughter to the Queen of England. There is just enough details to the story to keep you on the edge of your seat without being gruesome. Before you get to the end of the book everyone is a suspect and you are left wondering just who did it. This book is a nail biter from the first page. You not only can’t put it down, you won’t want to put it down. I really enjoyed this book and look forward to reading the rest of the series.
I received this book from Netgalley and Barbour Publishing but it did in no way influence my review.
This fictional account of a possible pursuit of Jack the Ripper was an engaging read. Having the great granddaughter of Queen Victoria as a Pinkerton assigned to the case made things very interesting. As clues were followed, a fun romance developed with a fellow Pinkerton. I enjoyed the scenes when they spent time together for the Christmas holiday and the humor added was a nice touch. This well researched historical fiction is a nice addition to this True Colors Crime series. I was given a copy of this book by the publisher. All opinions are my own.
I really enjoyed this read, the author gives us a delightful young woman, one who has really spread her wings, and is now a Pinkerton Agent. She is pared with a man who seems to have a lot of compassion, and opens his heart to a woman he can never have.
The story spans continents, and sadly a string of murders, unsolved, and happening as we enter Austin Texas, and then meet suspects. As the book unfolds we leave Texas and go to Buckingham Palace in England and more murders, are they connected?
We enjoy being with Isaiah’s family, and then with Anne’s and the contrast couldn’t be more different. Family, yes, and we see these characters interact, and get too enjoy being with both. Will sparks fly between these two?
Be sure to read the Author’s Notes at the end, it gives great information as to what led to this book!
I received this book through Net Galley and Barbor Books, and was not required to give a positive review.
The Black Midnight by Kathleen Y’Barbo is a Christian Historical Fiction based on True Crime and is a part of an exceptional series published by Barbour Book. I have enjoyed this series immensely and this latest book is especially interesting since it involves a crime spree by the Midnight Assassin in Austin Texas that may have a connection to the Jack the Ripper crimes in London. I loved the characters especially the appearances by Royal family members and Queen Victoria. The possibility of a murderer traveling between different areas is not a new idea but I had never heard of the Austin, Texas murders and their relationship to London murders. The Author’s notes on the actual historical details that went into this book is very well done as is the book because of her extensive research.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. I appreciate the opportunity and thank the author and publisher for allowing me to read, enjoy and review this book. 5 Stars
This is a wonderful addition to the True Color series. This book is well written and has a blend of murder, mystery and romance. The author did a wonderful job of blending fact with fiction and it made an exciting read. I recommend this book and the entire series. Thank you Barbour Publishing via NetGalley for the ARC copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
I am really enjoying these true crime books. I have always liked true crime stories and with favorite inspirational authors taking turns featuring one each is really awesome.
*My thanks to Barbour Publishing for a copy of this book. The opinion here is my own.