Treacherous is the Night
by Anna Lee Huber
Although the Great War is over, no one is over the Great War in Anna Lee Huber’s Treacherous is the Night. Every family has been affected by the huge number of fatalities and the return of badly wounded soldiers. Civilians carry the memories of deprivation and on the continent all live daily in the midst of destruction and rebuilding. For Verity Kent, the end of the war means reunion with a husband long thought dead and the end of her dangerous stint as a spy. Verity is dragged back into the aftermath of the war when she is an unwilling participant in a séance that is an obvious hoax.
Verity and her husband are trying to sort out their difficult relationship, but manage to put their struggle aside to solve the mystery, decipher codes, and discover who is lying. Huber does an excellent job of putting the reader in the timeframe right after the end of the war, and she reveals the horrors of war without being graphic. She portrays Verity as a woman restricted by the times she lives in, but capable and competent to achieve so much more than is expected from a woman in that period.
I enjoyed Treacherous is the Night and would like to read the first book in the series for more background and to experience Verity’s previous adventures.
I would like to extend my thanks to netgalley.com and to Kensington Books for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
Rating: 5/5
Category: Historical Fiction, Mystery
Notes: #2 in the Verity Kent Series, but acceptable as a standalone.
Publication: September 25, 2018—Kensington Books
Memorable Lines:
We might be incapable as of late at discussing anything of importance, but as well-educated upperclass Brits, we could always rely upon our proficiency at inane small talk. After all, we’d been drilled in it since the cradle.
But in my estimation, he was naught but an officious pig, no offense to the swine.
“…the truth is war is hell on everyone who falls near its angry maw. The actions you take thinking to spare the innocent or inexperienced can just as easily cause their destruction, simply because the world is turned so bloody upside down.”
Excellent review. I enjoyed 9th books and waiting for the next one.
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Thanks! I am interested in where the author will take the storyline next.
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I liked the memorable lines. This book sounds good. I’m glad the séance was a hoax. 😉
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Yes, unfortunately after WWI there was a Spiritualism movement that was very popular because so many people were desperate to hear from and speak to their loved ones who were so suddenly snatched away. I normally don’t read anything with the occult, but the summary specifically indicated the nature of the séance so I felt comfortable reading the book. In fact it was a setup to provide clues to the main character to make her aware of the mystery. When I first retired, my mission was to read all of Agatha Christie’s works. A few come from that movement. I didn’t enjoy those, and actually thought they were her poorest books.
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Thanks for the background info. Linda. 😊
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This book sounds like more than I had expected when I looked at it originally. Wonderful review, I need to look at this one again.
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I had the same reaction when I read Bettylouise’s review of the first one. I had passed it up as something I wouldn’t be interested in.
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I might have to go back and read the first one as well.
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