I was provided a copy of Treacherous Is the Night by Anna Lee Huber in exchange for an unbiased review through NetGalley and Kensington. What a joy to have found a new author and series I can enjoy exploring further. This book is the second in a series featuring former Secret Service Agent Verity Kent in the time immediately following World War I. Although there are a few references to the first book in the series, having not read it in no way lessened the enjoyment of this novel as the story stands alone in it’s entirety.
As the book opens, Verity gives the reader a glimpse into some of the struggles she is experiencing, including attempts to repair her marriage which was almost torn apart by WWI, her drinking, which she feels may make her husband more critical of her, and several secrets she is holding that may drive the couple further apart. In spite of these concerns, her time and attention are quickly captured by an experience she has while attending a seance at the insistence of a close friend. It becomes apparent almost immediately that her presence has been manipulated and there is a message for her from Emilie, a former colleague and fellow agent from Belgium which leads to a need to find the woman whom Verity believes is in peril.
In response to her deductions regarding information received, Verity decides it is imperative to travel to Belgium to try and find her compatriot, even though it puts additional stress on her marriage and may cause it to break. While her relationship with her husband is an active storyline in the book, it is by no means the chief focus and as a result this book remains exactly what it purports to be, a historical mystery featuring intrigue and espionage. There are some wonderful descriptions that allow the reader brief glimpses into the result of a land ravaged by war, even though again, this is not the main focus of the book.
The pacing of the book is excellent as the reader is swept along a tide of cryptic occurrences and clues in which Verity seeks to learn the whereabouts of her colleague. At the same time she is trying to discover who has learned of their efforts during the war and what form of reckoning they now seek. Is it only a personal vendetta or does it go beyond that to one of more far-reaching destruction toward one or more of the Allied Countries.
Throughout the book, the reader gets glimpses of the period in terms of behavior, dress, and attitudes, although it is all woven skillfully into the plot line of intrigue. The reader is pulled through the book at a steady pace, one that encourages continued reading for “just one more chapter” or “just another half hour”. There is enough tension to create additional interest which creates a perfect pitch for reading and enjoyment.
If you like strong female protagonists, historical settings, and interesting secondary and tertiary plot lines, this may be the perfect book for you. There is just enough history to allow the reader to feel a part of the time while enjoying a well plotted and detailed story.
