1940s Boston & Baseball! What could be better (except for the Red Sox, cause, hello let’s go Yankees!). This was my first venture into Reggie & Hamish but was able to catch on despite not having read the first book! There is quite the sizzling romantic tension between our two leads which certainly adds a levity to a mystery that deals with anti-semitism and the evils of WWII. As a Jewish woman, I believe it is always important to immerse ourselves in history and how evils came to be in order to prevent repeating the past. McMillan does a wonderful job of setting the scene and capturing the terror that was abound at the time – even as most of us forget, in America. My first foray into McMillan’s writing and more than that, my first foray into cozy mysteries at all, but this will certainly not be the last on either count!

Ah, yes. And Rachel McMillan does it again! I will freely admit that I picked up this story because of Hamish. And he is as delightful as ever! While mysteries aren't usually my first choice of genre, for Ms. McMillan and Hamish I am willing to make an exception. Because what adventures doth await the one who is willing to journey alongside of these characters! :)

The characters are certainly worth getting to know, yet half of my enjoyment of this story also came from the clear love of the era and the city that Ms. McMillan has. It's like finding yourself inside one of those noir-type movies of old. Where every little description of alleyways and outfits just draw you in further, along with all the details lovingly scattered about throughout the chapters. The atmospheric feel of the story is quite a lot of fun.

I will have to admit that Reggie frustrated me several times. I just wanted to make her be honest with herself! And stop hurting my poor Hamish. But since she does finally learn to understand her own heart, I can forgive her. :) And Nate! I couldn't believe where his part of the story took him. What a lot of uneasiness followed by glorious bliss! Just you read and find out for yourself, friends.

Mystery! Adventure! Romance! And Luca. Every bit of happiness is always underscored with reminders of Luca and all the uncertainty he tends to bring to everyone. I'll just be over here anxiously waiting for the next book of the series in order to find out more about him! Because he's most certainly a curious one. So you should run out and pick this one up, reader friends. You know you want to be part of all the fun too! :)

**I received a complimentary copy via Netgalley. All opinions expressed are my own.

Private investigators Reggie Van Buren and Hamish DeLuca are asked to look into a property development that is threatening to push out an old wharf in Boston. But when they show up, the person who called them suddenly doesn’t seem to want their help anymore. That doesn’t mean they are going to let things go, though. An African American minor league baseball player also has come to them for help in figuring out who has upped the pranks against him to a threatening level. The problem is, it is 1940 and the number of people who don’t like a man of his color is quite high. Is it someone on the baseball team who feels threatened by how good he is? Is it someone influenced by the “Christian Patriots” group spouting hateful philosophies outside the stadium every day? And as if two cases that seem to be going nowhere aren’t enough, Reggie is also trying to figure out if she should follow her heart or her family’s expectations regarding who she should marry, and Hamish is worried about his gangster cousin’s return to town and the uncharacteristic secretive tendencies of his roommate Nate of late.

I have not read the first book in this series, and I usually don’t like to jump into a series in the middle. But they recapped events in the first book enough and characters were re-introduced sufficiently that I feel like I wasn’t missing anything. You can totally read this one without reading the first book. It seems fitting that Reggie frequently mentions The Thin Man movies and their characters, Nick and Nora Charles, in this book because she and Reggie’s mystery solving adventures do remind me of theirs. Like those movies (I can’t speak to the books as I haven’t read them), the book spends equal amounts of time on the character’s lives as on the mystery solving. And the time period is the same. Reggie is a debutante who came from old money and struck out to be an independent woman though she still has one foot in that old world and she can’t quite figure out if she wants to or even can completely leave the socialite world. She is bold and adventurous, sometimes to a fault. Hamish is a complicated character. He is kind and compassionate, but also sometimes lets his heart take over his head in moments of being overwhelmed with negative emotions. He struggles with anxiety and panic attacks, and I’ve never seen another private investigator dealing with those issues but also with a strong enough passion for justice he works to overcome them to solve cases even if it gets dangerous. It is a different thing for this genre, but a good thing. The author says in the back that she herself has lived with these issues and wanted to create a character that helps bring awareness and understanding of people who live with anxiety. Definitely pick up the book for that reason alone. The mystery elements of the story were complicated and sometimes a bit muddled (as would probably be true during an investigation). Towards the end of the book it felt like the characters’ stories and dealing with prejudice (against African Americans, Jews, lower classes, etc.) took over and the cases were secondary. It wasn’t bad, it's just a different kind of mystery novel. Sometimes the cases can take so much precedence that characters in a mystery novel can be super stereotypical and cardboard-like that this could be a refreshingly different read for many readers. My one qualm with the book was hopefully something that was fixed with the final edits (I read an advanced reader copy). I felt like there were frequent moments when there was little to no transition from one scene to another and we’re suddenly in a different time and place. It was jarring, but again, I’m guessing this was fixed with final edits. This book is published by a Christian publisher but there was little to no content that made this book Christian per se. Recommended to those who like pre-WWII mysteries, books set in Boston, books that explore issues of injustice or misunderstood people, and clean historical romance fans.

Notes on content: No language issues. No sexual content beyond some kissing and close dancing. There are two murders but very little gory details. Some perilous situations that result in mild to moderate injuries that aren’t gorily described. Racial hate is spouted by some characters that are not painted in a good light. Some consumption of alcohol by various characters, and true to the time period, some characters smoke (but this was very minimal… lower than would have been true of the time period).

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This is book two in the Van Buren and DeLuca mystery series by Ms. McMillan. I was very intrigued to read one of her books after seeing so many people comment about her books on social media. This is the first book of hers that I have read. This is a historical suspense novel. Reggie and Hamish are partners who investigate issues for people. For Reggie, this is an adventure that she loves to solve, but is so different than her past. Hamish, a lawyer, also enjoys his work as a detective. At the beginning of the book, Reggie is in a serious relationship with Vaughan who is a part of her past; however, Reggie and Hamish have an interesting friendship especially for this time in history. This book focuses on a case that a baseball player, Errol, brings to them. Someone is pranking him, but it seems harmful even though the police are not doing anything about it. As they investigate, they realize there is a lot more to this than just what he originally hired them for. This book was very intriguing. It can be read as a stand-alone novel, but I am sure that reading the first book would be beneficial. I really enjoyed reading this novel and highly recommend you read it! I look forward to reading more Van Buren and DeLuca mysteries.
***I was given a free electronic copy of this book from the publisher. This is my honest opinion. Even though I received this copy free, this is my own opinion.

I really enjoyed Murder I the City of Liberty, but I was constantly aware of the fact that I would have understood the characters and the plot better had I read Murder at the Flamingo first. So of course that is what I recommend doing. Even without that advantage, I was quickly pulled into the lives of Regina (Reggie) Van Buren and Hamish DeLuca, private investigators in 1940s Boston. Regina brings a connection to high society, Hamish to the underworld through his cousin Luca, and both to the minority community of the North End. Sometimes these connections create complications more than they help as Reggie and Hamish pursue their current case involving Minor League Baseball, the building of tenements and the smuggling of munitions as the world waits to see if the United States will join the second great war.

I was grateful to have received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Several years have passed and the business of Regina Van Buren and Hamish DeLuca hask ept them busy. Now Errol Parker, black baseball player needs their help. The Boston police believe that they are just pranks, but he is unsure. Then a dead body is discovered. Is there any connection to the construction of new buidlings in their area, the closeness of the war, and what of Hamish's cousin, Luca Valari.
An enjoyable historical mystery,well-written with some very likeable characters. Although it can be read as a standalone I would recommend reading Book One as it gives some background to the story.

I was having a bit of a time to get into this story, but soon realized that this was the second book, and I did feel lost.
While this story takes place just prior to WWII we meet prejudice and antisemitism head on, and there is a mystery and sparks flying, I’ll admit I had to fight my way through this book.
I have a fondness for the Red Socks, and this baseball team led me there, but maybe I needed the first book to really get this book.
I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Thomas Nelson, and was not required to give a positive review.

I had difficulty reading this novel. I was confused by the beginning, starting with Luca. I remember wondering who Luca was when this novel was about deLuca. That chapter would have better been placed later, after identifying the relationship between those cousins.

Then there was an immediate introduction of a number of characters from the previous novel. The back story of their involvement in that novel was reviewed but I was at a loss until about a third of the way into the book as to how they figured in this one.

I did not find the main characters engaging. Someone mentions to Hamish about traveling from Boston to Cincinnati, for example. “Hamish knew nothing about American geography. 'Is that far?'” (1319/3875) I don't mind a bumbling hero but I don't like a stupid one. I just never found anything engaging about Hamish. Reggie seemed like a foolhardy woman to me. I did not find her decisions to pursue a vague sense of adventure endearing. The relationship between the two of them seemed to be the focus of the novel. I would have rather had the focus be the cases Hamish was working on with the romance/friendship tension a side issue.

I did appreciate learning a bit about minor league baseball in the 1930s as well as the housing situation in Boston.

This is not a stand alone novel. One must have read the first in the series and I would suggest having read it very recently. Potential readers would need to be satisfied with a plot heavy on relationship issues rather than sleuthing.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent and honest review. I read an ARC and the quote I noted in my review may have changed in the final edition of the book.

Spira, Spera! (I want this necklace, does it exist?)

I'll start by saying that you really do need to read the first book in this series to get the entire picture. I believe I would have been pretty lost, especially with so much reference to what went on and the continuing storylines from that book (and actually, if you want to get the *real* whole picture you should read the Herringford and Watts series before this one, you're welcome)

I just love the banter and interplay between Reggie and Hamish. Hamish is such a fabulous character, but I truly care about both of them as if they were real people. This isn't an easy-read mystery, there are many characters and a good deal of action, you need to pay close attention to what's going on. Even in the end, I'm not totally sure what I think about one of the characters...

This book and this series is a treat to read. I stayed up WAY too late reading and now I'll be thinking about it for days. Can't wait for the next one.

I should have trusted my gut and not requested this one when it became available; after not liking the first one, I should have known that this one was going to be not for me, but I am always hopeful and optimistic, so I went ahead and got this one. Ahhh, yeah. This one is not working for me either.
I don't like the characters or the pacing or really, anything about this book. Sigh.

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson - Fiction for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Onetime socialite Regina “Reggie” Van Buren and shy lawyer Hamish DeLuca met in a previous book I haven’t read. But not having read the first in the series isn’t what kept me from enjoying this sequel in which the pair, now partners in a detective agency, look into some nasty pranks aimed at a baseball rising star.

Set in Boston in 1940, Murder in the City of Liberty features characters that made me think of the 1980s television show Moonlighting: DeLuca is the stolid Cybil Shepherd character, while Reggie’s the devil-may-care Bruce Willis stand-in. As on the show, there’s a sexual tension between the two characters, with the female reluctant to reciprocate the male’s love. How could such a set-up go wrong?

Ask author Rachel McMillan. Somehow I could never get into this cozy mystery. Reggie seemed so foolhardy and thoughtless (her quest for “adventure” always seems to create trouble for DeLuca), and Deluca seems like such a sad sack that I have to admit that I couldn’t force myself to finish this book. Say what you like about the original Moonlighting, the actors made you care about the characters they played, Maddie Hayes and David Addison, and neither made stupid mistakes. I simply couldn’t make myself feel the same way about DeLuca and Reggie.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This was a wonderful 1940’s mystery. It was amazing that the author brought forth authentic problems like racism and corruption. This gave the story a rounded and full quality. The characters were super sweet. I instantly fell in love with Reggie and Hamish; although, as cute as their “friendship” was, it did drag on a little long.

“Hamish raised his coffee cup with a smile that stretched just wide enough to settle in Reggie’s chest and winnow its way down to her toes.”

The writing was well done and was quite detailed - which is okay, but I felt that this somewhat slowed the pacing.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

More character and atmosphere driven than plot, but still a great read.

I really enjoyed this book! The plot was a little meh - the beginning was extremely confusing, and it felt like they didn’t do much actual sleuthing - but the characters were wonderful. They had friends and family beyond what was required to advance the plot which helped make them well rounded. The atmosphere was nice as well - pre-WWII, people not sure if the US would enter the War or not with lots of discrimination, etc - and help enhanced them as well. The attention to clothing detail, for example, and priority felt so appropriate to the time and characters as well.

Highly recommended.

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley.com and voluntarily chose to review.

Murder in the City of Liberty (https://amzn.to/2YwrAYn)

By Rachel McMillan, Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2019, 352 pages.

Murder in the City of Liberty (a Van Buren and DeLuca Mystery) is the second in a series. Hamish DeLuca, a lawyer who suffers from anxiety attacks that prevent him from trying cases, has moved to Boston and made a name for himself in the community as a detective who helps the underdogs. His partner, Regina Van Buren, shares his penchant for adventure and solving mysteries.

The action starts with Hamish and Reggie going down to the wharf to help out a potential client. Instead, they end up in the water fighting for Reggie’s life. Afterwards, they question what they saw, more importantly, they question who they saw.

When they take on a case investigating the malicious pranks someone has been playing on Errol Parker, a minor-league baseball player, a tragic murder forces Hamish to wonder if someone from his past has returned.

I didn’t read the first book in the series, and I often found myself lost as the author made cryptic references to actions and people in the first book in the series. For this reason, I found the book difficult to lose myself in for the first hundred pages as I tried to piece together what happened in book one.

Once I figured out the basics, I enjoyed the book a lot more. McMillan writes in a terse style appropriate for a gumshoe mystery set in the 1930s. Although listed in the Historical Christian Romance category, there are few references to God, faith, or the other things one might expect in a book in this category. On the other hand, the actions of the characters remain chaste and the author hints at the darker details of life instead of spelling them out.

If you enjoy Julianna Deering’s Drew Farthering Mystery books, you’ll probably enjoy this series as well.

I am a sucker for mysteries, especially ones set in historical settings! Getting to read a story in 1940s Boston was so unique. This book was super fast-paced and sometimes events would be unfolding without enough exposition but overall the story was pretty enjoyable. I'm also so glad I got to read something by a Canadian author because they're really underrepresented in literary fiction these days.

Even better than the first one! I felt like we got a lot more character development with Reggie and Hamish, individually (and together...). I will say I enjoyed the character plot on their development even more than their latest mystery, but it was such a good read.
I enjoy the setting, I feel like I have a good picture of the city, of their neighborhood. I also enjoy Hamish's overlay of the city with his favorite novel, The Hunchback of Notre Dame.
This story is supposed to take place two years after the last book - this was my only qualm with the story. The characters do not seem to have moved two years ahead, there doesn't seem to be enough history mentioned to make up for it. The story picks up like there hasn't been any time lapse at all. If I hadn't been told two years had passed, I wouldn't have known, and so I just kind of ignored that fact. I feel like the only reason that was even included was to put us at the proper time on the eve of the War for certain aspects of the story.
BUT! Nevertheless, a great read. Evil isn't always what it seems on the surface, and everything you thought you knew about the villains will be challenged. Read on!

Reggie and Hamish sleuthing team is at work to solve the seemingly petty crimes in the baseball world.

After two years, Reggie and Hamish are still friends. Oh wells, good luck with that. Luckily, there are gangsters of all sorts to provide the opening for the changes in their relationship status - or to make them suffer. Or both.

Unfortunately, this second installments does not hold my excitement of the first volume. Maybe because I am not interested in baseball. Or maybe I am too much interested in the bad boy Luca. Or maybe because Reggie and Hamish's "friendship" can be dragged only for so long. What they have been doing during the two years from our last meeting?

So while this series have awaken my need to visit Boston and to watch couple of movies from the Hollywood Golden Era, I would prefer more active sleuthing. And more Luca! Luca, truly, is soul of this series for me - a bit darkened, but the more interesting for it!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

<i>“A little mystery, lots of injustice.”</i>

Murder in the City of Liberty centres on a crime-solving duo - former heiress Regina “Reggie” Van Buren and shy lawyer Hamish DeLuca - who receive their latest case in the form of a series of hate crimes potentially linked to the outbreak of war in Europe.

I put off reading this book for ages, even knowing that I’d probably love it. But the first chapter really put me off. I felt like I’d missed a chapter or a book before this one - and I had, because it’s the second book in a series. However, there are ways to make subsequent books in a series accessible to a reader without ruining a book, and, indeed, the book’s second chapter goes on to do that perfectly. It would honestly have been a much much better way to start the book.

It’s hard to tell the actual tone - it alternates between philosophical gangster-noir and… lyrical historical romance? without much effort to mesh the two. Despite that, it’s well-written and flows nicely. The story is interesting, but I wouldn’t call it engaging.

Overall, a nice read with an excellent concept but not exceptional by any means.

This was pretty good. I didn't realize this was the second in a series some how. I think I would have enjoyed it more if I knew the back story. It was still a very good story, and I enjoyed it, but I would have enjoyed it more with that context. I think the beginning was particularly hard for me, since they just jumped into the main characters with little background. This is wonderful if you've read book one. Not so great for reading book 2 only.

I received a copy of this book to facilitate my review. All opinions are my own. I was not required to leave a review.

Loving this cozy, historical fiction series!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!