3.5 — This lively tale was a great addition to the Amory Ames Mystery Series! Introducing an entirely new locale/country with enticing and dangerous new cohorts, I was so excited to revisit Amory and Milo’s crime-fighting ways yet again - and I’m super-hoping for the return of a certain enigmatic gangster in future novels...⁣
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Much thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for this advance copy for review. ⁣
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"A Dangerous Engagement is the stylish, charming sixth novel in the Edgar-nominated Amory Ames mystery series by Ashley Weaver, set in 1930s New York.

As they travel by ship to New York for her childhood friend Tabitha’s wedding, Amory Ames gazes out at the city’s iconic skyline, excited by the prospect of being a bridesmaid. Her husband Milo, however, is convinced their trip will be deadly dull, since Prohibition is in full swing. But when a member of the wedding party is found murdered on the front steps of the bride’s home, the happy plans take a darker twist.

Amory discovers that the dead groomsman has links to the notorious - and notoriously handsome - gangster Leon De Lora, and soon she and Milo find themselves drawn into another mystery. While the police seem to think that New York’s criminal underworld is at play, Amory feels they can’t ignore the wedding party either. Tabitha’s fiancé Tom Smith appears to be a good man, but he has secrets of his own, and the others in the group seem strangely unaffected by the death of their friend...

In an unfamiliar city, not knowing who they can trust, Milo and Amory are drawn into the glamorous, dangerous world of nightclubs and bootleggers. But as they draw closer to unraveling the web of lies and half-truths the murdered man has left in his wake, the killer is weaving a web of his own."

Because who doesn't like the siren call of the thirties with a dash or murder and mayhem?

Amory and Milo have crossed the Atlantic to attend her friend’s wedding. Tabitha Alden was a schoolmate of Amory’s but she returned to New York after her mother’s death. Her father lost a lot of money in the stock market crash but he seems to have recouped his investments, at least if the car that picks up Amory and Milo is anything to go by.
They get to Mr. Alden’s house and meet the rest of the wedding party: Tabitha’s fiancé Tom who seems to have no past beyond four or five years ago; Jemma Petrie, a friend of Tabitha’s and the only other bridesmaid; Rudy Elliot, a friend of Tom’s who is in marketing, most recently for a salad dresssing, his father was one of the men who committed suicide after the crash; and Grant Palmer, a confident man who is rumored to be in with the mob. In a quiet moment, Tabitha confesses to Amory that she believes that Grant is trying to lure her father into the mob business. When Amory overhears the two men talking, it seems they know each other better than they pretend.
Amory also witnesses Tom fighting with Grant; it seems Tom doesn’t want his past to come up again. But that could be for any reason, really. Perhaps he thinks his Midwestern past won’t fly with the high social group that is the circle Tabitha moves in.
And with Grant being the most unpleasant person in this book, it isn't hard to believe that he’s the one who ends up dead, shot several times outside the Alden house. Milo and Amory are dragged into the underworld.
Another great book in the series.

Four stars
Follows An Act of Villainy
ARC kindly provided by St. Martin's Press and NetGalley
Opinions are my own

Amory's excited to be in New York for her friend Tabitha's wedding, even if her husband Milo is less thrilled. It's 1933 and NY is a stew of all sort of things. Tabitha's fiancé Tom seems a bit mysterious- he has no past to speak of. He's also got a friend named Grant who is said to be tied to the Mob. Grant's also trying to persuade Tabitha's father to do some sort of business deal. It all seems a little shady and THEN Grant is murdered. Amory of course has to investigate and this leads her to the notorious Leon de Lora. I've only read one book in this series so the fact that Weaver carefully folded in the back story for the characters (especially, obviously Amory an Milo) was welcome; you would be fine with this as a standalone. It's nicely written, the plot isn't too complicated, and there's good atmospherics from the period. Thanks to the publisher for the ARC. Fans of the light historical mystery will enjoy this series.

“A Dangerous Engagement” ticks all the boxes when it comes to a historical mystery -- characters that fit into their time and place (while testing the boundaries a bit), and an author who does her research to see that those characters and the setting are true to their time and place. Then again, Ashley Weaver has been at it for a while with the Milo and Amory Ames series, so faithful readers should expect no less at her hands.

It’s 1933, and the couple are on their way to Manhattan for the wedding of a long-time friend of Amory’s. Well, such a happy occasion is no bar to trouble, and Ms. Weaver doesn’t waste any time letting us know that some such is a’coming amongst the players. Is it the groom, or perhaps one of his groomsmen? Or should we be worried about the bride’s father and his associates? Because the United States is still in the midst of Prohibition (although readers are told it’s about to be repealed), and Prohibition means bootlegging is still quite the thing. Are some of the men involved in that?

Then one of the bridal party is murdered, and we’re off. Amory gets to try on bridesmaid dresses, go to speakeasies and flirt with gangsters. And find out whodunnit, of course. For, as she puts it so eloquently, “I had to know what lay at the roots of acts of evil.” (Pretty much sums it up for any detective out there, amateur or otherwise.) There’s double-crosses, shifty characters, and plenty of information about pretty dresses, all that we’ve come to know and love about an Amory Ames book. And quite the exciting finish, with an unlikely ally that helps her unmask a killer and save someone very close to her.

In between it all we get Amory’s thoughts and feelings on her marriage. She also gets some very exciting information in this particular book, underscoring the partnership of these two, in more ways than one. There’s a big reveal -- which I don’t plan on revealing in this review. You’ll have to read the book to find that one out.

One last thought: as I finished the pages, I felt I was almost getting an “ending,” that “all’s well that ends well.” I hope I’m wrong. Nick and Nora Charles continued to sleuth, after all. Do hope we’ll see more of Milo and Amory, and in England, where they belong.

Thanks to the publisher and to NetGalley for a copy of this book, in exchange for this review.

Excited to be heading to New York for the wedding of her childhood friend, Amory Ames is looking forward to being a bridesmaid. Her husband Milo isn't as enamored with the idea because Prohibition is in full swing in the United States. In A Dangerous Engagement by Ashley Weaver the household is looking forward to the wedding although the bride's father has some questions about his future son-in-law. When a murder occurs, it seems someone in the bridal party might be a killer.

Get ready to take a trip back in time...to the time of Bogie and Bacall, Nick and Nora and Jimmy Cagney. A Dangerous Engagement is another very enjoyable mystery by Ashley Weaver. It's a fun look back to the 1930s and the world of prohibition, speakeasies and gangsters. Amory and Milo are in NYC for the wedding of Tabitha Alden, a childhood friend of Amory's, when murder makes it's appearance with the shooting death of one of the groomsmen on the front steps of Tabitha's family home. Not sure the police are doing all they can Amory decides to look into things herself...afterall she seems to have a talent in deduction. Over Milo's objections she makes the acquaintance of Leon DeLora, a well known bootlegger and speakeasy owner. She pays him a couple of visits at his club pretending that she's a reporter doing a story on him for the newspaper. She also investigates the family and other wedding party members. Despite all her work she's not any closer to learning who the killer is. The mystery is truly a mystery and kept me guessing until the exciting and satisfactory ending. Along the way there is an exciting revelation which will continue to impact this wonderful series.
Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Amory and Milo Ames are a wonderfully complicated crime-solving couple, and this sixth addition to the series was a clever one. It finds them leaving British soil for a friend’s wedding in NYC. Someone is murdered (literally on their doorstep), and Amory can’t resist sleuthing. We are introduced to an interesting gangster that I hope will show up in England at some point in the future. There were plenty of suspects to choose from, and I did not figure out the villain until they were revealed. Much enjoyed!

*Thanks to #NetGalley, #MinotaurBooks, and #StMartinsPress for providing the ARC. The opinions are strictly my own.

This is a fun and entertaining mystery set in the prohibition era of 1933, Traveling to NY for an event this incredibly charming couple become embroiled in murder and mayhem as they always do and this book is this wonderful series does not disappoint. While this is the 6th in the series it can read as a stand-alone if you’re not a stickler for details of the past. Thank you NetGalley for the advanced readers copy for review.

This is an excellent addition to the incredibly fun Amory Ames series. I’ve loved being on the sidelines for her and Milo’s exploits throughout the series, and this one is tied (for me) with the first as being the most fun! Taking the duo to New York was a great decision by the author. It came as no surprise that Milo was able to effortlessly navigate the Prohibition-era world of bootleggers and speakeasies. Leon de Lora was such a well-drawn character as well.

Many historical mystery series seem to fizzle out after the first one or two in the series, but that is not the case with this series. As always, there was the right blend of humor, historical detail, and well-plotted mystery. I cannot wait to see where the series takes them next!

While it is not necessary to read this series in order, I do recommend starting at the beginning. It’s certainly more fun!

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for a free digital copy of this book!

Another excellent Amory (and Milo) Ames mystery from Ashley Weaver! Weaver paints a vivid picture of 1933 Prohibition in NYC. Our intrepid duo arrive in the city to attend the wedding of Amory’s childhood friend, and when a groomsman is murdered, chaos ensues. All of the major players are hiding something to various degrees of severity, and Amory attempts to unravel it all, with a surprising assist from a notorious gangster.

Amory and Milo’s relationship continues to evolve, and I think long time fans of their story will be pleased with how they’ve grown as a couple. I hope we get another book with follow up from their latest development!

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

A Dangerous Engagement is the sixth Amory Ames mystery, but the first one I have read in the series. Amory and her husband Milo arrive in New York near the end of Prohibition so Amory can stand up for her childhood friend Tabitha who is marrying a young man named Tom. Amory senses Tabitha is worried about something and thinks it might have something to do with one of the groomsmen who is rumored to have ties to the notorious gangster Leon de Lora. However, before she can discover what’s up, someone is murdered right in front of her host’s townhouse.



A Dangerous Engagement was an enjoyable mystery. I like Amory and her relationship with her husband Milo which is not free of conflict. I like that they are not a Tommy and Tuppence sort of duo on the same page. Instead, Milo is not so much interested in seeking justice here, there, and everywhere and wonders what business this has to do with Amory.

The mystery is also fair. The information needed to solve the mystery is available to us at the same time Amory learns it. However, it’s more a case of revelation than deduction. When you like all or most of the characters, there is dramatic tension in learning this person you like is really the murderer. I think the solution was interesting but a bit of a cop-out.

A Dangerous Engagement will be released on September 3rd. I received an e-galley from the publisher through NetGalley.

A Dangerous Engagement at St. Martin’s Press | Macmillan

Ashley Weaver

Another charming entry in this historical mystery series. This time Amory and Milo are off on adventures in Prohibition-era New York City, and Amory's escapades are sure to delight readers.

This was a fantastic addition to the series! Amory and Miles are off to New York in this one to attend a friend's wedding. I loved the change of scenery and I felt Ashley did a great job with the atmosphere of Prohibition era 1930s New York. The mystery was well done, there were plenty of suspects and while I can sometimes guess who did it before it's revealed in some books, I didn't guess correctly here which makes for a satisfying read. While it became obvious to the reader, the exciting news revealed toward the end of the book is something to look forward to in future books to see how Amory and Miles adapt. I can't wait until the next in the series comes out!

Description
A Dangerous Engagement is the stylish, charming sixth novel in the Edgar-nominated Amory Ames mystery series by Ashley Weaver, set in 1930s New York. As they travel by ship to New York for her childhood friend Tabitha’s wedding, Amory Ames gazes out at the city’s iconic skyline, excited by the prospect of being a bridesmaid. Her husband Milo, however, is convinced their trip will be deadly dull, since Prohibition is in full swing. But when a member of the wedding party is found murdered on the front steps of the bride’s home, the happy plans take a darker twist. Amory discovers that the dead groomsman has links to the notorious—and notoriously handsome—gangster Leon De Lora, and soon she and Milo find themselves drawn into another mystery. While the police seem to think that New York’s criminal underworld is at play, Amory feels they can’t ignore the wedding party either. Tabitha’s fiancé Tom Smith appears to be a good man, but he has secrets of his own, and the others in the group seem strangely unaffected by the death of their friend. In an unfamiliar city, not knowing who they can trust, Milo and Amory are drawn into the glamorous, dangerous world of nightclubs and bootleggers. But as they draw closer to unraveling the web of lies and half-truths the murdered man has left in his wake, the killer is weaving a web of his own.

My Review

A Dangerous Engagement is a historical fiction where we see Milo and Amory arriving in New York City to attend a friend's wedding. Things of course are not all roses when one of the groomsmen is murdered. I must say that this is the sixth book in the Amory Ames series and I have not read the previous novels. So, based solely on this book I can tell you that if you like gangster novels set during the prohibition era you will definitely like this novel. Overall the story is entertaining and the characters are well written.

I was provided this book for free in exchange for my honest opinion. I give this a 4 Star

Sixth in the series, this time Amory and her husband are in New York City for the wedding of a friend. Filled with the vibes of 1930s New York, we are introduced to the aftermath of the depression, prohibition, and gangsters. A great read that had me guessing who the bad guys really were right until the end.

I didn't care for A Dangerous Engagement to quite the same extent as some of the previous titles in the series. I'm not sure is I'm simply missing the tension between Amory and Milo or if the change of setting was an issue in this title, but I never felt really intrigued by the mystery or invested in the outcome. I still found it a quick and enjoyable read. and would recommend it to those who enjoy the series.

This series continues to delight! This time Amory is in New York, which made it even more delightful as the change of scenery really brings out the interest in the characters. I know this book isn't out yet, but I can't wait for the next one.

In A Dangerous Engagement Amory and her husband Milo arrive in New York City to attend an old school friend's wedding. Amory senses that there is something suspicious going on, and her suspicious prove correct when one of the groomsmen ends up shot to death on the front steps of her friend's home.

Things I liked about this mystery: the setting and time period (prohibition), the gangster Leon De Lora, all the action and adventure that Amory gets herself into.

What was missing for me: While Amory and Miles are certainly charming, I was never really invested or interested in the mystery at hand.

A Dangerous Engagement is the sixth book in the Amory Ames series, and I suspect fans of the series will really enjoy this installment and some of the personal developments between Amory and Miles. This book can certainly be read as a standalone - this was my first book in the series and I did not feel like I was missing anything - and I think fans of mysteries like the Miss Fisher series will really enjoy this book.

I love historical fiction, and light mystery series. I really enjoy following familiar characters from encounter to encounter or adventure to adventure. So a bright but prickly couple who "live the high life" but also stumble in to crime seems made to order for me and I really want to bond with the protagonists in this series. It just isn't happening.

I read for character and "place" more than plot, so the "red flag" for me was when I got an early sense that I thought I knew what was behind the criminal activity in this book. That is definitely not something that happens to me and although it didn't directly relate to my reaction to this novel, it is symptomatic of the lack of other stimulus in the book.

New York City during prohibition is an environment full of opportunity for fun and for villainy and I felt like Ms. Weaver spent far too many pages talking about "how much work" and how time consuming it was to plan a wedding. If she was going to bore the reader with so many allusions to the planning, the least she could offer up was a luscious description of the elegant Society wedding----maybe she realized that by the time it happened we couldn't care less.

I wanted to enjoy this book, but the principal characters got in the way. The brightest light in the book was Weaver's attractive mob boss and his female associate. They had more depth and more nuance as characters than anyone else i the book.

NetGalley provided me a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.