Part of Verity Kent Mysteries
First published 2021
Verity Kent settles into seaside tranquility with her husband Sidney in November 1919, savoring what feels like a return to prewar normalcy. Then Great Aunt Ilse arrives unexpectedly from war-torn Germany, seeking refuge from anonymous threats that have followed her across borders. Verity's Secret Service connections offer disturbing intelligence but few solutions. The family retreats to the Yorkshire Dales for the holidays, hoping distance will provide safety. Instead, hostile neighbors target Ilse as a convenient scapegoat for their wartime losses. When Ilse's maid turns up murdered, Verity must determine whether anti-German hatred has escalated to killing, or if more personal motives drive the violence. Her investigation grows more urgent as signs point toward Lord Ardmore, her dangerous adversary who operates from the shadows. Verity races to protect her family while knowing that Ardmore's next strike will cut closer to her heart than ever before.
Genres: historical-fiction, 20th-century, mystery, adult, adult-fiction, thriller
Vibes: atmospheric, dark, fast-paced, suspenseful, tense
Tropes: amateur-sleuth, dangerous-adversary, family-in-peril, personal-vendetta
Setting: Yorkshire Dales, Germany, England
Period: November 1919, Post-World War I
384 pages · Paperback · Kensington
Content warnings: murder, racism, violence