A Pretty Deceit (Verity Kent, #4)
Anna Lee Huber
In the aftermath of the Great War, the line between friend and foe may be hard to discern, even for indomitable former Secret Service agent Verity Kent, in award-winning author Anna Lee Huber's thrilling mystery series. Peacetime has brought little respite for Verity Kent. Intrigue still abounds, even within her own family. As a favor to her father, Verity agrees to visit his sister in Wiltshire. Her once prosperous aunt has fallen on difficult times and is considering selling their estate. But there are strange goings-on at the manor, including missing servants, possible heirloom forgeries, and suspicious rumors--all leading to the discovery of a dead body on the grounds. While Verity and her husband, Sidney, investigate this new mystery, they are also on the trail of an old adversary--the shadowy and lethal Lord Ardmore. At every turn, the suspected traitor seems to be one step ahead of them. And even when their dear friend Max, the Earl of Ryde, stumbles upon a code hidden among his late father's effects that may reveal the truth about Ardmore, Verity wonders if they are really the hunters--or the hunted . . . Praise for Anna Lee Huber's Penny for Your Secrets "Stellar mystery . . . a great read for fans of the series and all who enjoy Downton Abbey-era fiction." --Booklist
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0A Pretty Deceit, the latest in Anna Lee Huber's post-WWI mystery series, is sure to please those who have already read and enjoyed the previous books starring Verity Kent, wartime spy turned peacetime detective. This fourth volume sees Verity and her war hero husband Sidney, along with an ensemble of characters established over the last few books, pursuing their ongoing investigation of the devious Lord Ardmore's treachery and murders. Along the way, they're entangled in another mystery or two - murder does seem to dog Verity's footsteps - as first some thefts and disappearances, and then corpses, cause her long-suffering aunt to demand Verity's assistance. Naturally, this being a solidly plotted mystery novel, these seemingly disparate mysteries have their connection with Verity's continuing investigations, all of which provides for both a satisfying conclusion (to the single-story mystery) and a strong lead-in to a future Book #5.
Verity remains an engaging heroine, surrounded by an ensemble of more or less interesting characters (some rather more than others; I find Alec Xavier intriguing, but servants Nimble and Sadie feel wasted so far), and the plot moves at a smooth pace, sprinkling clues here and there at just the right times. I wouldn't say the solution has the rich inevitability of an Agatha Christie puzzle, but it's more than adequate, and the historical setting, just post-war and rife with comments on demobbed soldiers' PTSD, secrets & treason that have continued into peacetime, and the hardship faced by those on the home front while despairing over their loved ones in the trenches, is successful at going far deeper than just set decoration.
All in all, it's a solid, enjoyable, and quick read for fans of historical mystery series, and I look forward to it continuing for several more books to come!
Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for the advance review copy!
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