Review: Murder in the City of Liberty
by Rachel McMillan
About the Book
Determined to make a life for herself, Regina "Reggie" Van Buren bid goodbye to fine china and the man her parents expected her to marry and escaped to Boston. What she never expected to discover was that an unknown talent for sleuthing would develop into a business partnership with the handsome, yet shy, Hamish DeLuca.
Their latest case arrives when Errol Parker, the leading base stealer in the Boston farm leagues, hires Hamish and Reggie to investigate what the Boston police shove off as a series of harmless pranks. Errol believes these are hate crimes linked to the outbreak of war in Europe, and he's afraid for his life. Hamish and Reggie quickly find themselves in the midst of an escalating series of crimes that seem to link Boston to Hamish's hometown of Toronto.
When an act of violence hits too close to home, Hamish is driven to a decision that may sever him from Reggie forever . . . even more than her engagement to wealthy architect Vaughan Vanderlaan.
My Thoughts
With a war stirring across the pond, tensions are high in 1940s Boston.
As sides are taken and lines are drawn, Hamish and Reggie must find out where
they stand–both as individuals and together–and who to trust.
Returning to the Van Buren and
DeLuca Mysteries is a bit like revisiting old friends. I love Hamish and Reggie
and Nate and was so eager to read more about them. It was charming to see the
friendship between Reggie and Hamish evolve over the course of the novel, as
well as to learn of a budding romance for Nate. In Murder in the City of Liberty, we see the dynamic duo further grow
into their independence in the fabulous and charming city of Boston. I adored
the early ‘40s setting and reading about Reggie and Hamish’s fledgling
detective business. Scattered throughout the novel are references to classic
literature and film, as well as history tidbits that will keep you turning
pages; hallmarks of Rachel McMillan’s writing style.
Yet the book is not all fun and
games. The serious issues of racism and mental illness are dealt with openly in
this novel. Again, we are given a look at Hamish’s anxiety and panic disorder.
His mental illness is dealt with in an honest and open way that will give
fellow sufferers like myself someone to relate to. At times, it seemed as if
the mystery took a backseat to Hamish and Reggie’s romance. Still, it was
heartbreaking to read of the hate crimes that were so prevalent in the early 20th
century.
While Murder in the City of Liberty might not have been my favorite
offering from McMillan, I still enjoyed the book and would recommend it to fans
of vintage tales and cozy mysteries.
I received a complimentary copy
of this book from Thomas Nelson through NetGalley. All opinions expressed in
this review are my own.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteYou might have gone through the Inflatable kayaks, but I think portable kayaks are must better. Since, you don’t need to inflate or deflate the kayak before using. It is less bulky and portable than compared to inflatables.
ReplyDeleteElevens Cruise Plus