From the author of Suitors and Sabotage comes a suspenseful and enthralling new Regency novel, perfect for readers who like their Jane Austen classics with a side of mystery and murder. 1833. A near-fatal carriage accident has deposited an unconscious young woman on the doorstep of Hardwick Manor and into the care of young Lord James Ellerby. But when she finally awakens, it is with no memory of … awakens, it is with no memory of who she is or where she came from.
Beth, as she calls herself, has no identity; the only clue to her circumstances is a recurring nightmare of a hummingbird, blood dripping from its steel beak.
With the help of James and his sister, Caroline, Beth tries to solve the mystery of her own identity and the appalling events that brought her to their door. But nothing could prepare her for the escalating dangers that threaten her and the Ellerby clan. From the hazardous cliffs of Dorset to the hostile streets of London, Beth will fight to reclaim her past, hunted by a secretive foe with murderous intentions.
Fans of Cindy Anstey’s previous novels won’t want to miss The Hummingbird Dagger, a dark and twisty new offering that blends romance, danger and mystery.
Praise for The Hummingbird Dagger:
“A blend of Jane Austen, Jack the Ripper, and your favorite cozy mystery. … The romance was lovely, sweet and a perfect subplot to the darker tones of murder, mystery and mayhem.” –Isabel Ibañez, author of Woven in Moonlight
“Quite fun. … There is a softness when it comes to Cindy Antsey’s historical novels … it calms me somewhat while still letting me enjoy the twists and turns.” —Whatever You Can Still Betray
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A great Regency Regency romantic Suspense.
This story is a YA Regency mystery/romance. It is a clean YA story. The writing style reflects that of Jane Austen. I could not wait for this book to come out. I pre-ordered it as a Birthday gift for myself. The cover gave me Sherlock vibes; however, I know that the author does not write mystery that way. So I went into this book understanding that it was not going to be action packed and the romance would be clean and slow burning. Knowing all that I was not disappointed by this book at all. It was exactly what I was looking for at the time and I loved it.
I can’t imagine waking up and not having any memory of who I am or my past. Then every night having horrifying nightmares of a hummingbird dagger dripping my blood, and not knowing what any of it means. I loved the character Caroline and how she seemed to hold everything together.
Oh My God as I am writing this I just realized that James reminds me of Bingly. I’m not sure what it is exactly about his character that makes me think that but I’m okay with it.
I loved Walter and watching how much he grew in this story and the fact that it was realistic. He went from being a little wild to being responsible and it all stemmed from the fact that he felt responsible for Beth’s condition. Which is true since he caused the accident.
So if you are looking for a slow-burn clean romance and some mystery written in Austen esque style then this is your book.
A young lord, still unaccustomed to his new title, witnesses a carriage accident on the outskirts of his estate. He takes in an injured young lady, who does not know who she is or where she was going. It soon becomes clear that danger haunts “Beth” and what she knows mean life or death.
This story starts off with excitement and then calms down until the end. There is a lot of discussion about what certain things mean and what clues might be pointing to. This allows time for our leads, James and “Beth” to lean on each other and come to trust each other. We also have James’ sister, Charlotte, and younger brother to assist in the plot.
While this wasn’t my favorite tale from this author, I did enjoy it. It did feel longer than it needed to be, and at times, the time passed was a bit vague. Still, the details of the time period (late Georgian, right before the Victorian era began) were enjoyable.
For fans of YA historical fiction, this is an enjoyable mystery/romance.
I’ve only read one other book by this author, but enjoyed it, so had an idea what to expect with this one. This was very much like the other in the time period and types of character interaction. The mystery and suspense hold you all the way through. While it was kind of slow for me, and it wasn’t a quick and easy read, the need to know exactly what had happened to put Beth in the position she was in kept me going to the end. I had my guesses, but even those weren’t quite on spot, and I do like when an author is able to hold off the final details until the actual reveal in the story so that you don’t guess it all up front.