Mistress of Lies
Author: Holly West
Series: Mistress of Fortune, #2
Genre: Historical Fiction, Mystery
Publisher: Carina Press
Publication Date: September 29th, 2014
Format: ebook
Pages: 344
Source: Me, My Shelf and I
Purchase: Amazon | B&N
iBooks | Kobo
Rating: ★★★★
London, 1679
Isabel, Lady Wilde, mistress of King Charles II, has made a good living disguised as fortune teller Mistress Ruby, counseling London's elite. But after the murder of one of her customers, business has taken a downturn, and Isabel is on the verge of accepting the king's offer to move into the palace.
Isabel's plans are interrupted when a beggar girl named Susanna shows up at her home, claiming to be her niece. Isabel always believed that her older brother, Adam, died alone during the plague. When Susanna reveals that Adam was actually murdered, Isabel is compelled to take up an impossible task: discover the truth about her brother's death, twelve years after it happened.
Isabel's investigation leads her through the gamut of London society, from bear-baiting matches and brothels to the realm of wealthy bankers. But as she uncovers her brother's dark secrets, Isabel begins to wonder whether the past is better left buried, especially when uncovering the truth could lead to her own funeral. (Goodreads)
Isabel, Lady Wilde, mistress of King Charles II, has made a good living disguised as fortune teller Mistress Ruby, counseling London's elite. But after the murder of one of her customers, business has taken a downturn, and Isabel is on the verge of accepting the king's offer to move into the palace.
Isabel's plans are interrupted when a beggar girl named Susanna shows up at her home, claiming to be her niece. Isabel always believed that her older brother, Adam, died alone during the plague. When Susanna reveals that Adam was actually murdered, Isabel is compelled to take up an impossible task: discover the truth about her brother's death, twelve years after it happened.
Isabel's investigation leads her through the gamut of London society, from bear-baiting matches and brothels to the realm of wealthy bankers. But as she uncovers her brother's dark secrets, Isabel begins to wonder whether the past is better left buried, especially when uncovering the truth could lead to her own funeral. (Goodreads)
Opening Lines
“Monday, 13 January 1679Mistress of Lies was a fast read that kept me on my toes! It picks up a couple of months later in terms of where Mistress of Fortune ends. I highly recommend reading Mistress of Fortune before picking up Mistress of Lies. Isabel's character growth continues into this novel, we get a looked into her past and see what her family and childhood was like. I also enjoyed the history lesson, throughout the novel the readers learn a good amount of information about goldsmith and banking which I really didn't know anything about. Isabel was an easy character to love, she's strong, independent and is determined to make something of herself. While tossed into many situations that would diminish that amount of independence and confidence, Isabel just seems to move right through it all with her back straight, chin up, and head held high!
I hardly remember when I first noticed her, the girl who would change everything. She was simply there one evening, huddled in the narrow overhang of a tavern near my home, soliciting spare change from passersby.”
Romance wasn't the main factor or genre for Mistress of Lies, which I liked. This book focused more on the mystery, a mystery that kept me on my toes and no matter how many times I tried to guess how this would all end I never got it right! I don't want to spoiler anything, but I will say that I remember when it got down to the last 6-8 chapters my heart was speeding up and I was hoping for the best. Overall, Mistress of Lies was a fantastic read! I loved the setting, plots, characters and the mystery surrounding Lady Wilde's brothers death. If you love historical fiction and mystery than I highly recommend picking this series up!
Giveaway!
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About the Author
Holly West is a crime fiction writer based in Los Angeles. Her short stories appear in several anthologies and her debut historical mystery, MISTRESS OF FORTUNE, will be published by Carina Press in 2014.
I have seen this all over lately with awesome reviews, I need to check this series out!
ReplyDeleteMissie @ A Flurry of Ponderings
Thank you so much for being on the tour - so glad you loved the book!
ReplyDelete