A Moment’s Shadow

by Anna Lee Huber

Having finished The Cold Light of Day, I was delighted to find that although I had missed getting A Moment’s Shadow as an ARC, my library had copies of this book in various formats. I grabbed the ebook to dive right in. It is even more interesting than the previous book which set the stage for Verity and Sidney Kent’s informal assignments in Ireland. They have several goals. Verity wants to find Alec, her former colleague during the Great War, who seems to have disappeared in Ireland. The pair has also been asked to investigate some missing phosgene cylinders, and they have determined that Verity’s nemesis, Lord Ardmore, who is always two steps ahead of them, is responsible. While they are in Ireland, a jewel thief visits one posh house after another. How he can accomplish these daring heists is baffling, but as Verity and Sidney already move in the social circles of the victims and have a reputation for solving mysteries, they are pulled into the investigation.

As the story progresses, it is difficult to know which side characters are on, and by the end the Kents are not sure which group they identify with. Both sides are committing heinous acts of murder, destruction, and torture. Both sides use deeply embedded spies to accomplish their goals. Verity disguises herself to pass as an Irish worker when needed and then as the socialite she is when that is appropriate to her sleuthing. Other than the social events they attend, nothing is glamorous about their lives in Dublin. Many of the wealthier class have escaped the turmoil by fleeing to their country homes, to England, and even abroad. Verity is “recalled” as some powerful person is unhappy with her inquiries. Since she is not working as a spy anymore, the government doesn’t really have the power or authority to demand her return. The people in charge, however, make it plain that they have been providing her with a measure of safety and can withdraw that protection if she does not return. A Moment’s Shadow has plot action that crescendos at the book’s conclusion with a hook that leaves the reader hanging and ready to devour the next book in the series.

Rating: 5/5

Category: Historical Fiction, Mystery

Notes: 1.#8 in the Verity Kent Mystery Series. The author reintroduces characters from #7 and previous books in the series but I think it would be hard to jump in with #8. If you really want to read just the ones dealing with the Irish Revolution, then start with #7 and plan on reading at least two more—#8 and #9. 

    2. A good plan for reading books #7-9 would be to list the characters and acronyms along with a basic note about each. There are a lot of characters, and you might find it helpful to comment on where you think their alliances lie. 

  3. The book ends with a teaser chapter from the next book in the series, The Bravest Hour, with a projected publication date of August 25, 2026!

Publication:  2025—Kensington

Memorable Lines:

These sights were always discomforting to me, for instinctively I wanted to cheer on our Tommies, and yet the Crown Forces’ behavior reminded me painfully of the Germans lording over the Belgians when they’d occupied their country during the war.

Everyone was trying to avoid the notice of the Black and Tans, to survive in a place where affordable housing was scarce, sanitation was abominable, and a stray bullet could end your life at any moment.

With all the dry and sunny weather we’d enjoyed in September, it was easy to forget how damp Ireland could be. October elected to remind us of this with a vengeance. It lashed, it bucketed, it showered, it drizzled, it misted—but at all times some sort of precipitation was falling from the sky.