This Side of Murder by Anna Lee Huber

Anna Lee Huber writes a fast- paced mystery set after World War I. The story holds you from the very first page with its wonderful descriptions. The tension increases from chapter to chapter with a touch of the Gothic. A cryptic Message has been sent to the Widow of an Officer killed on the front. It alludes to the fact he may have been a Traitor. Her trip to find the truth is the beginning of a dangerous mission. But one she feels she must go on...

The Guests are all invited to an Engagement Party, set on Umbersea Island, complete with a Castle and estate grounds. Many of the men were from the same unit overseas, the unlucky Thirtieth- overrun by the Germans. It seems an odd beginning to the festivities as several are still stamped with the bitterness of War. Then the deaths begin...without Verity having any idea why or who is behind this. But as she is stranded on the island... it will become life or death to find out what is going on... and play along. Is it a form of revenge or is there a crazed Killer among the group?

This story has great interlocking characters. Some you like... others you feel sorry for...but as the bodies pile up it becomes a question of truth. This book captivated me from the first page. I read it in one sitting. I could not go to bed until I found out what happened. Huber writes with a consistent tension that keeps you hooked. If you like historical mysteries then I highly recommend this one.



Blurb:
The Great War is over, but in this captivating new mystery from award-winning author Anna Lee Huber, one young widow discovers the real intrigue has only just begun . . .
 
England, 1919. Verity Kent’s grief over the loss of her husband pierces anew when she receives a cryptic letter, suggesting her beloved Sidney may have committed treason before his untimely death. Determined to dull her pain with revelry, Verity’s first impulse is to dismiss the derogatory claim. But the mystery sender knows too much—including the fact that during the war, Verity worked for the Secret Service, something not even Sidney knew. 

Lured to Umbersea Island to attend the engagement party of one of Sidney’s fellow officers, Verity mingles among the men her husband once fought beside, and discovers dark secrets—along with a murder clearly meant to conceal them. Relying on little more than a coded letter, the help of a dashing stranger, and her own sharp instincts, Verity is forced down a path she never imagined—and comes face to face with the shattering possibility that her husband may not have been the man she thought he was. It’s a truth that could set her free—or draw her ever deeper into his deception . . .

A Christmas Peril (A Theater Cop Mystery ) by J.A. Hennrikus

J.A. Hennrikus writes a good- little- mystery in time for an early Christmas read. The heart of the story is the mystery, not the jingle of bells or even the town. The past is only a reference to the people and to Sully herself. But, the plot is strong and any number of people could be the perpetrator. I like stories like that and those which tie up neatly at the end.
 
Sully, has left the Police Force and is a General Manager for a Theater group. She is also involved in a murder. Peter Whitehall, a distant relative, and  a leading Citizen of the Town is found dead. Sully, is drawn into helping when she is asked by the murdered man's Lawyer. He also happens to be her ex-Husband. But can she stay out of trouble as the bodies start dropping?

There are quite a few little sub-plots in the story. One is her ex-husband which leaves the door open to a reunion and romance. Another is the play and all the Actors with their various quirks and problems.  But the pieces tie together well and there are likeable characters which keep you reading. All together a nice mystery for a cozy night of reading.

Blurb:

Sully Must Get Her Childhood Friend Off the Naughty List Before They’re Both Scrooged
When Edwina “Sully” Sullivan’s life imploded, she left behind her job on the police force and her unfaithful husband to start a new life as the general manager of her hometown theater, the Cliffside Theater Company.
For five years, she focused on budgets instead of crime and kept the Cliffside running alongside its mercurial artistic director. But when her childhood friend is suspected of killing his father, no one is looking for another culprit. So, in between keeping A Christmas Carol on budget and Scrooge sober, Sully dusts off her investigative skills to find a murderer. Her two lives collide when her ex-husband arrives on the scene to play lawyer and she’s forced to confront her past in order to save her present.