ARC Review: A Moment's Shadow by Anna Lee Huber

A Moment's Shadow
Author: Anna Lee Huber
Series: Verity Kent Mysteries (Book 8)
Publication: Kensington (August 26, 2025)

Description: Violence, reprisal, and intrigue abound in post-World War I Ireland as the bloody conflict between the Irish Republican Army and the British authorities continues to escalate. But former Secret Service agent Verity Kent must deal with a more immediate concern—the possession of poisonous gas by a ruthless adversary . . .

August 1920, Dublin, Ireland: A fraught task keeps Verity and her husband Sidney in the country after their initial clandestine mission has been completed: the traitor Lord Ardmore is scheming to employ the deadly phosgene gas he’s stolen for some terrifying purpose, and the couple will need both the Crown forces and the rebels’ help to thwart him.

As they pursue their quarry, they are drawn into a case involving a series of cunning and brazen jewel thefts. Many believe it is the work of the Irish rebels, seeking to fund their revolution, but when Verity and Sidney are also approached by Michael Collins and the IRA to unmask the thief, they suspect he may instead be an opportunist using the political unrest as a cover for his crimes.

As the thief continues to pull ever more risky jobs—including targeting Verity and their friends—the couple receive new intelligence that the gas they seek may be intended for a crowded event, one that the entire world will be attuned to. They must stop Lord Ardmore at all costs—or the consequences will be devastating . . .

My Thoughts: It is August 1920 and Verity and her husband Sidney are still in Dublin hunting down a missing shipment of phosgene. They know Lord Ardmore stole it and they know he must have some sort of nefarious plan. However, they don't know what the plan is or where the gas is now. 

This is a very political novel. Keeping track of the various factions who are working for Ireland's future is a complex task both for Verity and Sidney and this reader. Verity's friend Alex whom they were originally sent to Ireland to locate has switched to the Irish side rather than the British which Verity and Sidney have neglected to inform Verity's British bosses about. 

Verity herself is very conflicted about the whole war going on. She's seeing behaviors that remind her way too much of the way the Germans behaved in occupied Belgium. She also doesn't hold a very high opinion of the official British Intelligence in Ireland.

Just to make things more complicated, there is also a jewel thief removing valuable jewelry from the British upper classes in Ireland. They are tasked with locating the thief which gives them a reason to stay in Ireland after Verity's boss C demands that they come back to England. 

Despite the overabundance of politics, this was an entertaining story. I sympathized with Verity as her loyalties are tested. My only complaint about the story was the cliffhanger ending which will leave readers distressed until the next story in 2026.

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.

Friday Memes: A Moment's Shadow by Anna Lee Huber

 Happy Friday!

Book Beginnings is hosted by Gillion at Rose City Reader. She asks that the first sentence is posted along with the author and title of the book and the reader's initial thoughts on the sentence, the book, or anything else it inspires. 

Carrie at Reading Is My Superpower.org also provides a linky for sharing first lines and connecting with others. This meme asks that the chosen books be PG or marked as Mature if they are not. 

Beginning:

"Got no use for phosgene." The man's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Least not until the British use it first. 

Friday 56:

"Who says I'm here at Ardmore's bidding?"

I turned to look at him fully, arching my eyebrows in open skepticism.

This week I am spotlighting A Moment's Shadow by Anna Lee Huber. This is a review copy. It is the eighth book in her Verity Kent series. Here is the description from Amazon:

Violence, reprisal, and intrigue abound in post-World War I Ireland as the bloody conflict between the Irish Republican Army and the British authorities continues to escalate. But former Secret Service agent Verity Kent must deal with a more immediate concern—the possession of poisonous gas by a ruthless adversary . . .

August 1920, Dublin, Ireland: A fraught task keeps Verity and her husband Sidney in the country after their initial clandestine mission has been completed: the traitor Lord Ardmore is scheming to employ the deadly phosgene gas he’s stolen for some terrifying purpose, and the couple will need both the Crown forces and the rebels’ help to thwart him.

As they pursue their quarry, they are drawn into a case involving a series of cunning and brazen jewel thefts. Many believe it is the work of the Irish rebels, seeking to fund their revolution, but when Verity and Sidney are also approached by Michael Collins and the IRA to unmask the thief, they suspect he may instead be an opportunist using the political unrest as a cover for his crimes.

As the thief continues to pull ever more risky jobs—including targeting Verity and their friends—the couple receive new intelligence that the gas they seek may be intended for a crowded event, one that the entire world will be attuned to. They must stop Lord Ardmore at all costs—or the consequences will be devastating . . .

ARC Review: Laying Down the Latte by Ellie Alexander

Laying Down the Latte
Author: Ellie Alexander
Series: Bakeshop Mysteries
Publication: Minotaur (August 26, 2025)

Description: Another delicious installment in the Bakeshop Series set in Ashland, Oregon!

Baker Jules Capshaw, along with her husband, Carlos, and Torte’s resident barista, Andy, are packing their bags and preparing for the ultimate coffee excursion in Costa Rica. A fortuitous invitation from one of Carlos’s former colleagues, Valentina, has them venturing to the coffee capital of the world for a tasting tour and an immersive weekend at her family's organic coffee farm.

They soak in the tropical breezes, the vibrant colors, the sounds of morning birdsong, and the sweeping views of the historic coffee farm. Valentina is the ultimate host, offering them traditional meals and thrilled to have their input as she’s preparing to open a coffee counter and bakery on the farm.

The getaway is just what Jules needed. A chance to relax and unwind, curl up with a book and iced latte by the pool, and tinker in Valentina’s kitchen, dreaming up new recipes to bring home. Except her tranquil weekend quickly turns into a nightmare when one of Valentina’s employees is found dead in the pulping machine. Now, Jules will have to put her vacation on hold to try and uncover the murderer before one of Torte's beloved workers becomes the next body thrown into the mix.

My Thoughts: Jules Capshaw, her husband Carlos, and barista Andy travel to Costa Rica to spend a long weekend with friend Valentina. They bring Andy because Valentina owns and lives on a coffee plantation. They expect a quiet weekend of reconnecting with old friends and learning more about coffee production but find themselves involved in solving a murder when Valentina's cousin and co-owner of the plantation is killed while operating some machinery. 

There are all kinds of things going on. Miguel had decided to sell his half of the plantation to a huge corporation which displeased and angered everyone else on the plantation from his cousin to his workers to the man who buys most of the coffee for his coffee shops. When the farm manager is arrested, Jules, Carlos and Andy get involved in finding the real killer since none of them believe the manager is guilty.

Lots of information about coffee growing and production and lots of recipes fill this culinary cozy. It is also rife with possible suspects who, in Jules's mind are more probable, than the young farm manager. Engaging story with interesting characters and a great setting. 

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.

ARC Review: A Lonesome Place for Murder by Nolan Chase

A Lonesome Place for Murder
Author: Nolan Chase
Series: Ethan Brand Mystery (Book 2)
Publication: Crooked Lane (August 26, 2025)

Description: In this dark mystery, perfect for fans of C. J. Box, one wrong step leads Ethan Brand to the most dangerous case of his career...and the most personal.

Hoping to surprise his sons, Ethan Brand, the chief of police of a small town in northern Washington state, is contemplating buying a horse. But when the horse literally stumbles upon an abandoned smuggling tunnel, Ethan and his lead investigator Brenda Lee Page discover a dead body connected to a decade-old mystery.

Ten years ago, Tyler Rash, a troubled friend of Ethan’s, vanished without a trace. The body in the tunnel has Tyler’s ID and personal effects.

As Ethan and Brenda Lee investigate Tyler’s disappearance, they follow a trail that leads them to a cross-border smuggling operation connected to the town’s notorious family of smugglers. And when a bomb is sent to Ethan’s own house, the case takes a deadly and personal turn. A killer is stalking Ethan Brand–a killer he’ll have to face if he wants to see his family again.

My Thoughts: The second Ethan Brand mystery has Ethan taking a look at his past. When he is looking at a horse to buy for his sons, the horse stumbles into a tunnel built on an isolated ranch. Exploring the tunnel leads to a body with a wallet giving the name of Tyler Rash.

Tyler had been taken in by Ethan's family when he was a boy. Ethan's dad Jack really bonded with Tyler since they were both outdoorsmen and survivalists. Finding what looks to be his body, Ethan is faced with his relationship with his father who disappeared into the wilderness when Ethan was a teenager.

But, when Chief Deputy Brenda Lee discovers that the body is not Tyler's, the mystery deepens. It makes Ethan wonder if Tyler is still alive out there somewhere. A visiting DEA Agent is also wondering if Tyler is still out there since the tunnel mirrors other smuggler's tunnels that she has investigated. 

Ethan is also involved in the local race for mayor since he has had a bad relationship with the current mayor since firing his corrupt nephew and admires the woman who is running against him. Stolen campaign signs and harassment of the candidate opposing the mayor takes up some of his time too.

When a letter bomb is delivered to Ethan's house, he knows he's getting close to something but isn't sure exactly what. 

This was an intriguing mystery. I really like Ethan Brand's character. He's a Vet who came home from Afghanistan with a prosthetic and oxy addiction but managed to straighten up to become the Sheriff. He's dealing with the fact that his wife left him and took his sons to Boston. He's had some relationships including one with a married woman who decided to go back to her husband. And he has a sort of relationship with Sissy McCandless who is running the biggest crime family in the area. 

I liked the story and look forward to more in the series. 

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.

ARC Review: Death at an Irish Village by Ellie Brannigan

Death at an Irish Village
Author: Ellie Brannigan
Series: An Irish Castle Mystery (Book 3)
Publication: Crooked Lane (August 26, 2025)

Description: Entrepreneur Rayne McGrath’s wedding venue is open for business until a dead and unburied body is found at the cemetery in the third Irish Castle mystery.

With six months left to fulfill the provisions of Uncle Nevin’s will and save the fixer-upper castle she and her cousin inherited, Rayne McGrath and Ciara Smith’s bridal venue venture is finally bringing in money. To unite the reluctant villagers, some who’d vehemently protested their efforts to modernize the village, they agree with Father Patrick’s idea to create a group of volunteers to clean the old cemetery behind the beloved church. When a body is found by one of the historic tombstones, the cousins must work overtime to solve the newest case.

The plot thickens and an unsolved crime from the past is unearthed when it’s discovered that the body was on top of a fake grave that has connections to Rayne’s ancestors. With two weddings scheduled at the castle and her mother on the way, Rayne fears she won’t be able to balance it all, yet she rolls up her sleeves and dives into old family journals in hopes of puzzling out not one but two mysteries.

Perfect for fans of Carlene O’Connor and Sheila Connolly, this whimsical cozy will charm mystery readers everywhere.

My Thoughts: The third Irish Castle mystery has Rayne McGrath and Ciara Smith searching for ways to fulfill the terms of Rayne's uncle's will. They have a year to make the village and castle solvent. Things would go smoother if murders didn't keep happening. 

This time, with a wedding to take place at the castle, Rayne and Ciara discover a body leaning against a tombstone during a clean-up of the graveyard. As Rayne and Ciara look into Aiden Dennehy's death, they soon learn that he had a number of people who might prefer him to be dead. The garda are convinced that the bartender who punched him the previous night because Aiden was messing around with his sister is at the top of the list. 

Rayne and Ciara don't believe that Beetle the publican killed Aiden but don't have a stronger possibility. They are busy getting ready for the weekend wedding which will provide funds for the winter which is only one thing on their massive to-do list. High on the list are finding a lawyer to help answer some of their pressing questions, dealing with the property management firm to discover just what they own, and finding a way to draw younger people to the town to bolster the population and the economy.

A trunk found in the attic filled with photo albums from the 1920s raises more questions than it answers and doesn't help identify the Thomas McGrath supposedly buried in the main cemetery instead of the McGrath plot. 

Adding even more complications is Freda Bevan who wants to annex the village Rayne and Ciara are trying to save and an elderly and wealthy lady from Dublin who is demanding the Rayne and Ciara look into the death of her 90-year-old brother who lived in the village. 

Throw if a few romantic relationships and Rayne's sociopathic ex who has escaped from prison and may or may not be hiding out in Mexico and you have a plot filled to overflowing. 

The story is filled with a large cast of characters between people working at the castle and the people living in the town. It was hard to keep track of them all. Also, the story could likely have been 20% shorter if the constant repetition of plot points was eliminated. It was like the author wrote each chapter months apart and felt that the reader needed the reminders. 

Fans following the series will want to read this one despite its flaws and clear lack of resolution of the plot concerning whether or not Rayne and Ciara will be able to save the town and the castle. Various other plots introduced in this episode are solved or partly solved. 

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.

ARC Review: Mrs. Christie at the Mystery Guild Library by Amanda Chapman

Mrs. Christie at the Mystery Guild Library
Author: Amanda Chapman
Series: Mrs. Christie (Book 1)
Publication: Berkley (August 26, 2025)

Description: Book conservator Tory Van Dyne and a woman claiming to be Agatha Christie on holiday from the Great Beyond join forces to catch a killer in this spirited mystery from Amanda Chapman.

Tory Van Dyne is the most down-to-earth member of a decidedly eccentric old-money New York family. For one thing, as book conservator at Manhattan’s Mystery Guild Library, she actually has a job. Plus, she’s left up-town society behind for a quiet life downtown. So she’s not thrilled when she discovers a woman in the library’s Christie Room who calmly introduces herself as Agatha Christie, politely requests a cocktail, and announces she’s there to help solve a murder— that has not yet happened.

But as soon as Tory determines that this is just a fairly nutty Christie fangirl, her socialite/actress cousin Nicola gets caught up in the suspicious death of her less-than-lovable talent agent. Nic, as always, looks to Tory for help. Tory, in turn, looks to Mrs. Christie. The woman, whoever or whatever she is, clearly knows her stuff when it comes to crime.

Aided by an unlikely band of fellow sleuths —including a snarky librarian, an eleven-year-old computer whiz, and an NYPD detective with terrible taste in suits—Tory and the woman claiming to be her very much deceased literary idol begin to unravel the twists and turns of a murderer’s devious mind. Because, in the immortal words of Miss Jane Marple, “murder is never simple.”

My Thoughts: Agatha Christie takes a field trip from the afterlife to help book conservator Tory Van Dyne solve a couple of murders. 

Tory works at the Mystery Guild Library in New York City. The library was started by her grandmother who left the top two floors to Tory as her apartment and the basement as the workshop where she repairs old books. Tory suffered a trauma that has made her reclusive, but she is gradually coming to terms with the trauma.

One of the features of the library is a room set up as a duplicate of Christie's library in England. When her cousin Nic comes to her in distress after her agent was pushed in front of a subway train, Tory agrees to help her cousin, and she is aided by the appearance of a woman who introduces herself as Agatha Christie and who appears in the room set up as her library. 

But Tory isn't alone in her investigations. The librarian who is a good friend of hers and who doesn't believe in ghosts is drawn in. So is an eleven-year-old neighbor who is lonely after the death of her mother. And so is police detective Sebastian Mendez-Cruz.

And it is a good thing they have teamed up because the agent is only the first death. 

I really enjoyed the frequent quotes from Agatha Christie's works which make up a big part of the Christie character's vocabulary as well as beginning each chapter. I loved Tory's point of view. She has a really quirky sense of humor and a wonderful turn of phrase. 

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.

ARC Review: Claws Out by Cate Conte

Claws Out
Author: Cate Conte
Series: A Cat Cafe Mystery (Book 9)
Publication: St. Martins Paperback (August 26, 2025)

Description: The ninth installment in a charming cozy mystery series set on an island off the New England coast and featuring the cat cafe owner Maddie and her cat JJ.

After a long, snowy winter on Daybreak Island, Maddie and her cat cafe crew are finally ready to embrace the spring, though life is anything but calm. With Val and Ethan's wedding taking center stage, Maddie finds herself juggling wedding plans alongside a new and unexpected venture―a generous donation has made her the co-owner of a traveling cat cafe truck. To kick off the new chapter, she seizes the chance to take the truck on its inaugural trip to a cat literary festival in Provincetown, accompanied by her family and some of the shelter crew.

The festival is organized by the renowned cat-romance author Jasmine Prescott, who also runs a beloved cat rescue foundation on Cape Cod. But when Jasmine's longtime friend and fellow author Vivi St. Clair arrives with a boatload full of drama―everything from a dangerous ex-husband to an unwanted Netflix crew―tensions run high. At first, it seems like just another dose of celebrity chaos―until Vivi is found murdered. As new evidence ties Maddie and her cat cafe into the investigation, Maddie must dig deeper into the tangled web of secrets, rivalries, and feline-friendly drama to uncover the truth. The question is: what’s the connection between the cat cafe and Vivi’s untimely death?

My Thoughts: This cozy mystery is the ninth book in the Cat Cafe series. Maddie and her Cat Cafe crew were gifted with a mobile cat cafe and take it on its first outing to a literary festival in nearby Provincetown. 

Noted cat-romance author Jasmine Prescott is the host of the fund raiser for the cat shelters she sponsors. And special guest Vivi St. Clair is also making an appearance. Not being a reader of that genre herself, Maddie depends on her young sister Sam to know who's who and to do all the fan-girling. 

Also along on the trip are Maddie's sister Val and her fiancé Ethan who are bickering and showing stress with their wedding coming up soon. 

As Maddie deals with tension between Val and Ethan, she also finds herself involved in a murder investigation when Vivi is found stabbed to death on the pier. Vivi had all sorts of drama surrounding her including a mobster ex-husband, a stalker, and an intrusive Netflix film crew. 

But Maddie isn't alone in her quest for answers, she has her grandfather who's a police chief turned private investigator and Harry who is also a retired police officer. Only Harry goes missing which adds even more stress to the investigation. 

This was another fun episode in this long-running series. Most of the series regulars appear with roles of varying importance in this episode. Fans of the series will enjoy this latest edition. 

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.