Verity and her husband have a slightly awkward conversation. Immediately afterwards the narration spends to pages on explaining how her relationship has changed because of what they saw in the war and what happened after the war. That their relationship will never be the same as it was before. That they both still have to work through all those issues but that both have problems opening up to the other because they feel they don’t really know the other person anymore.

When Verity’s friend asks her to accompany her to the seance and that she hopes to contact her brother we are told in great detail how close that friend and her brother were, how hard it was for her when he fell and a detailed run-down of the friend’s other family members (and friends) and why it would be a bad idea when they accompanied her.

This happens again and again. And when we aren’t told what the characters feel, we get plain infodumps about the war, Verity’s work in the secret service, Belgian architecture and a lot of other things we don’t need to know in that much detail.

All this already made me almost quit the book a few chapters in because while I understand that sometimes an author just has to dump some stuff on the reader unceremoniously (especially in a case like this where they want the reader to be able to start reading a series at any point without getting confused by vague allusions to past events) this was just too much. But the mystery was quite intriguing so I read on.

That was a bad idea.

Because it quickly turned out that Verity’s husband is a horrible human being.

You see, Sidney wasn’t just missing presumed dead and turned up again. He deliberately faked his own death to draw out some traitors. Verity though he was dead for 15 months before he appeared again and demanded her help in his plot.

Verity now has some issues. They had a whirlwind romance anyway and quickly after they married he went to war so they didn’t really get to know each other. Then he died and she grieved for him (FOR 15 MONTHS) and then he just pops up again. And he is a different man now because war changes people. It has also changed Verity and now they are essentially a married couple that barely know each other. And that is somehow Verity’s fault as far as Sidney is concerned. When Verity is reluctant to share her own experiences he is all hurt. He shouts at his wife, who he let believe he was dead for 15 months because she can’t bring herself to share intimate details with him.

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After one of these confrontations she points out the whole You-made-me-think-you-were-dead thing and he yells “So this is all my fault?”

Yes, Sidney. It is. It might have been unavoidable to fake your own death. It might have even been unavoidable to not tell her in advance because the grief had to be genuine. But you could have considered telling her quicker than those 15 months. And if that wasn’t possible then you have to fucking deal with it. Deal with the fact that you can’t pick up exactly where you left off.

But of course, Verity doesn’t tell him that. She assures him that it isn’t his fault. (Which I guess means it is her fault. Stupid womenfolk).

That placates him until he finds out that she slept with another man. While she thought he was dead, grieved for him and was probably not exactly emotionally stable. But of course, Sidney is angry that after learning he was dead, his wife did not lock herself in, had no contact with anybody and just dealt with her grief just by sobbing uncontrollably.

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When they encounter Verity’s one-night-stand again Sidney punches him. Because that’s an emotionally mature reaction and doesn’t at all suggest that he will again react with violence when he doesn’t like something.

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But men getting violent because of something you did is so romantic, right?

But despite all that, they reconcile and have sex. And after that, he asks “I hope you don’t mind that I didn’t take precautions?” Because hey! It’s always better to ask for forgiveness than permission!

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In all that it felt like the mystery was just a backdrop to Verity’s and Sidney’s relationship issues (which I felt weren’t handled well…as you can probably tell). It wasn’t bad (yes there were some convenient coincidences but that’s the case in most mysteries) but it would have needed to be fleshed more out in some parts to work really well. But that space was needed to convince us what a great guy Sidney is…

Treacherous is the Night is an amazing piece of historical fiction.  Not only does it provide insight into the changing role of women after WWI, it doesn’t shy from discussing the effects of time in the trenches on soldiers or from portraying the callous “patriotism” of those not directly involved in the war.  The effects of war play a central roles in this espionage/mystery. On the one hand, there is the strain on Verity and Sidney’s marriage. (Verity had believed Sidney dead until only recently, and he was unaware of her work for the secret service). On the other hand is the more complex and compelling mystery- the disappearance of one of Verity’s former associates.  Anna Lee Huber’s characters are complex, flawed, and affected realistically by their experiences. She is balanced in her portrayals, clearly understanding why some individuals collaborated or had relationships with German soldiers, as well as reminding the reader not every German was evil. Anna Lee Huber also has an eye for detail that comes through in her descriptions of the Belgian post WWI landscape, the cities slowly coming back to life, the roads and villages demolished, now slowly being rebuilt, the people doing better but still suffering from shortages and privation.  It is her attention to detail in both character and setting that brings Treacherous is the Night to life in such an impressive manner.


The novel begins with a seance. Spiritualism was very popular in the late 19th and early 20th century.  Verity doesn’t believe, but she allows herself to be convinced to accompany her friend Daphne. Madame Zozza has a message purportedly from an associate of Verity’s.  It is clear the message is a fake, but the secrets within are real and classified. Before Verity can question Madame Zozza, the woman is killed in a fire. With her husband by her side, Verity travels to Belgium, intent on finding her former ally, and discovering the meaning behind the strange message.


Treacherous is the Night is an exceptional post WWI historical thriller.  I look forward to reading more of Anna Lee Huber’s work.


5 / 5


I received a copy of Treacherous is the Night from the publisher and Netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review.


— Crittermom

Wow, another thrilling adventure for Verity. I loved all the intrigue and suspense. It was an exciting historical escape. Loved every page!

Huber sets this series not during WWI, where her heroine undertook dangerous missions for British intelligence in Belgium, but in the aftermath--as disgruntled refugees blame the British for their destroyed villages and prison time, badly behaved tourists flock to grim battlefields, demobilized soldiers and agents attempt to adjust to civilian life and the heroine and her veteran husband find that a desire to return to normalcy clashes badly with the way in which they and society changed over the course of the war.

What a great thriller, set in the aftermath of the First World War, Verity and Sidney are recovering and working on their marriage after he returns having been reported dead 15 months earlier. They had Married just before the war broke out and had very little time to together. So after their war experiences are now both completely different people. Sidney rose to be a Captain in the Army and Verity worked for the Secret Services in Europe, sometimes going across the enemy line and working in enemy occupied counties. Her reward was to be discharged as soon as enough men were available to do the work after the war was over
When one of Verities closest friends Dorothy is given a free ticket to see a popular clairvoyant and wants Verity to join her which is the last thing she wants to do. However to protect here sometimes naive friend from being conned she agrees to go, which proves to be the farce expected it to be but but in the expected way. There is a message from one of her friend also a former agent from Belgium but Verity is sure that A- her friend isn't dead and B- how did she know her name as this was never made known to each other as they used different names in service to protect each other if one or more where captured. You can't reveal what you do not know. So this is how the adventure begins and for the next stage of this twisting Thriller I will let you read it for yourself rather than ruin it, mind it would be hard to spoil it because this is a great story well written and written in the a style more akin to the times that they lived in. Good example being the difference between a kiss and a buss not as obvious as I would have thought a kiss is a kiss and a buss is a friendly gesture where your lips just touch the cheek more friendly than the current air kiss. But you probably knew that, I had to look it up.
This is my first book of Anna Lee Huber I have read and it won't be the last so thanks to the Publishers and NetGalley for my copy. Amazon has a number of her books so I will decide which one it will be as soon as I finish this review.
I do highly recommend this book if you like historical thriller books that open your eyes to the times they are set but also keeps you on your toes from the various plots that unfold in this magnificent book then you will love this one

It was great catching up with Verity and Secret Service. Could understand how she and Sidney were having problems with him coming back from his mission. I could understand why she couldn't trust after he never told about the secret mission he went on.

Note: This is my very first copy of a book from NetGalley in return for an honest review.
I did not read the first book in the series nor was I familiar with the author. But I will definitely read it now. And read more of Anna Lee Huber’s works. I saw reviews who recommend you read the first one to understand this book. I disagree as I was able to follow the story and put the main characters in perspective very early on.
To be honest, I could not put the book down and finished in one day. It was well-written and the characters were well developed and seemed like real people rather than characters in a book. The descriptions of the ravages of war in Belgium and the anguish off all survivors across Europe are extremely vivid. I honestly felt like I was on the journey with them, trying to sort the clues and unravel the mystery. I did not guess who the perpetrator was.

I was really pleased to hear about this next installment in the verity mysteries.
Seemlessly picking up from the first novel, this inter war series just keeps getting better with more insight into the characters. Readable and relatable despite the period, can’t wait for the next one!!

This is the second book in the Verity Kent mystery series which follows six weeks after the conclusion of, "This Side of Murder". In the first book, the Great War has recently ended. Verity's stint in the British Secret Service has come to an end. Yet, those skills honed in service are vital to solving the riddles and mysteries found in book two.

Without giving too much away, I must say that author Anna Lee Huber brings her characters to life so fully that one could easily imagine that these persons are very real. Each is replete with their own fears, sorrows, regrets, strengths, cleverness and devotion. Watching Sidney and Verity, each with their own war secrets, dance around one another and try to reconnect after 15 months of separation, appears much as any couple would do in a similar situation today. Each is hesitant to reveal to the other the brokenness, fear, deep sorrow and doubt coursing through their being. Watching the dance is heart-breaking and yet uplifting at times throughout the book.

The writing in this book is exquisite; scene descriptions - painterly; and history - well researched. If you are a fan of good, solid historical fiction with a touch of sleuthing, then I highly commend this series to you.

I am grateful to Netgalley for having provided a free ebook of this story. Their generosity, however, has not influenced this review - the words of which are mine alone.

Synopsis (from author's website):
In 1919 England, in the shadow of The Great War, many look to the spirit world for answers. But it will take an all too earthbound intrigue to draw in the discerning heroine of Anna Lee Huber’s latest mystery . . .

It’s not that Verity Kent doesn’t sympathize with those eager to make contact with lost loved ones. After all, she once believed herself a war widow. But now that she’s discovered Sidney is very much alive, Verity is having enough trouble connecting with her estranged husband, never mind the dead. Still, at a friend’s behest, Verity attends a séance, where she encounters the man who still looms between her and Sidney—and a medium who channels a woman Verity once worked with in the Secret Service. Refusing to believe her former fellow spy is dead, Verity is determined to uncover the source of the spiritualist’s top secret revelation.

Then the medium is murdered—and Verity’s investigation is suddenly thwarted. Even Secret Service agents she once trusted turn their backs on her. Undaunted, Verity heads to war-torn Belgium, with Sidney by her side. But as they draw ever closer to the danger, Verity wonders if she’s about to learn the true meaning of till death do us part . . .

I received a copy of this title from the publisher for an honest review. I could not put this one down and resented when work and life prevented me from devouring it. Treacherous is the Night is the second in the Verity Kent series; I would recommend readers read the first book This Side of Murder before this title. The story begins approximately a month after the events of the first book; Verity and her husband are trying to figure out how to make their marriage work after spending WWI apart including 15 months during which Verity believed herself to be a widow. Neither Verity nor Sidney are willing to share their experiences during the war with each other. Verity is struggling to adapt to her post-war life after spending much of the war working for the Secret Service including numerous trips to Belgium to assist with information gathering and Sidney refuses to share his experiences on the front lines.

Verity finds herself tagging along with a friend to a seance where the psychic claims to have summoned the spirit of Emilie, a Belgium woman that Verity worked with during the war to gather information vital to the war efforts. Concerned about how the psychic learned the classified information about her war activities and worried for Emilie, Verity travels to Belgium and attempts to locate Emilie and who exactly is behind the recent events. Joined in her search by her husband, Verity and Sidney are forced to expose their war time events to each other.

The mystery around Emilie is extremely well done and kept me guessing until the end, but I loved the historical details that Ms. Huber included. I felt like I could see the devastation the was post-war Belgium and the struggles that the survivors faced in trying to reconcile their war experiences with a normal life. The detail about the tin masks was fascinating as well as the history of the Belgian people to help Britain prevail against the Germans. There are just way too many details to include, but the amount of research the author did is extremely evident throughout the entire book. The character development of both Sidney and Verity as well as the developments in their relationship were so well done; I could feel Verity's struggle to reconcile her experiences during the war of having a purpose with her work with the Secret Service with settling into the more mundane life expected of upper class young women. I can't wait to see what adventure Verity finds herself in next.

After the miraculous return of Verity’s husband, Sidney, from the dead, the two of them are working - not all that successfully - on revitalizing and repairing their marriage. When one of her friends invites her to a seance, Verity reluctantly attends, only to leave furious and puzzled when the medium conjures the ‘spirit’ of a fellow spy that Verity worked with during the war. When her mission to question the medium goes awry, and events continue escalating on their own, Verity’s insistence on pursuing the events of the seance to Belgium add more strain, and the truth she has been hiding from Sidney begs to be set free. The war is over, but not for everyone, and the danger only grows, making Verity the target of a madman, one she may not escape.

I loved this book, honestly. It started off slow for me but then I got so wrapped up in it that I could barely put it down. Huber as always does a remarkable job with the setting; her writing is very descriptive, so much so that as a reader I always feel truly a part of the story, easily able to visualize everything. The character development was nuanced and very well done, and not overwrought at all. Every conflict had a purpose, every remark added to the story. So often with romances and historical fiction that is not the case, but Huber handles it deftly, a great plus for any reader. We delve more in this volume of Verity Kent’s mysteries to her work as a spy, and the people she worked with during the war. This sort of adventure is always very compelling and interesting, and I loved getting insight into what Verity did, how she worked with the resistance, what sorts of missions she went on during the war, and how she got on with the people she knew. Alec Xavier was a particularly interesting addition, which I will leave at that, but I do so hope we see more of him, and of Max, the Earl of Ryde, Verity’s almost flame from her first book.

The relationship between Sidney and Verity was another huge draw for me with this book. I really enjoyed seeing them work through their differences and the gulf that lay between them after Sidney’s return. It was a delight watching them discover each other again. For me, their relationship is a focal point of the series, and I want to see Huber continue to work with that. I’m eager to read the next book in the series, not only for whatever adventure Verity stumbles into but also to see where the relationship between her and Sidney goes, and how it grows. How they grow with each other.

I had such fun with this book, and I would definitely recommend it to others.