Member Reviews
The combination of historical mystery and time travel had me hooked on this series from the first book. My enjoyment hasn't diminished one bit. I think it's best to read the books in order but a new reader would still find this entry to be a satisfying read. Having the back story and seeing Kendra trying to adapt to 1816 England. It's a far different world for a strong, intelligent woman trained as an FBI profiler. She's not one to sit around and look pretty, letting the men make the decisions for her. She is not going to hold her tongue. Fortunately she has a place in upper crust society thanks to the Duke of Aldridge taking her in as his ward. His nephew, Alec also knows her secret. Her fiend, Rebecca does not. Over the three previous books, Kendra has shown that she is very good at investigating crimes and this time is no exception.
Sam Kelly, a Bow Street Runner comes to Kendra for help when a gruesome murder is committed in a church. The man is naked, garroted and his tongue has been cut out. Later, at the morgue, it is discovered that he has crosses on his body, in invisible ink. Time for Kendra to again apply her FBI training to solve the crime. It's bizarre and twisted and I never did figure it out. That's the way I prefer my mysteries, full of twists, turns and red herrings. Add some romance between Kendra and Alec and a bit of humor. all wrapped up in England of the 1800's....well I'm a happy reader and I';m looking forward to the next book.
Loved it! This series is so much fun to read. This is probably my favorite so far. The Who-Done-it in this storyline was very well done and had me continually changing my mind. I highly recommend this series & I can not wait for more adventures with Kendra & the crew.
I had read the rest of the series. I enjoyed this book. I did not see the murderer coming. I do wish that Kendra and Alec would just get married already. It's not a weakness to be married for Pete's sake. It can be a strength. Not to mention it'll keep the other men away. Also just tell Rebecca already. It wasn't the best, but it wasn't the worst. That being said. Being a fan, I want the next book please.
This series gets better with each book. I love all the characters, especially Kendra and Alec. I loved all the sarcastic quips Julie included in this book, I found it very entertaining. I especially found it funny when Kendra has to dance at some ball and then gets unwanted gentleman callers, the Duke’s sister glee at all that was hilarious :)
Betrayal in Time is Julie McElwain's fourth book in her Kendra Donovan series. If you haven't read the first three, you can still greatly enjoy the thrilling mystery in this story, as I did. However, I did feel like I missed a lot that would have made this book even better. By now these are fully established characters, and I missed the joy of discovering their origins and learning the history of their previous investigations.
Kendra Donovan is a 21st Century FBI agent who somehow stumbled back in time to 19th Century England. She's like a fish out of water, struggling to conform to this entirely different time she now inhabits; but she is learning. She is the ward of the Duke of Aldridge and is in love with his nephew Alec. Both know her secret, unlike the Duke's godchild and Kendra's friend Rebecca. When Sam Kelly, Bow Street Runner, investigates the brutal murder of Sir Giles Holbrooke, a spymaster, he believes the odd ward of the Duke can help him solve the crime.
Kendra is a fun character, being a hardened FBI agent trying to adjust to a time where a single woman cannot go about without a chaperone and is considered to be a creature of delicate sensibilities. Her relationship with the Duke was my favorite, as he tries to help her maneuver in this alien environment. There wasn't much heat in the romance she had with Alec, as it is kept primarily behind closed doors, but he is likeable. I especially liked Rebecca, who deals with the scars left by smallpox; I enjoyed her burgeoning relationship with Muldoon, a newspaper reporter. The mystery was exciting to me. I just KNEW I figured it out...but I was a bit off! It was a good story, and I plan to go back and discover all the fun I missed.
I received an ARC of this book courtesy of the publisher and NetGalley. I received no compensation for my review, and all thoughts and opinions are entirely my own.
I was given an advanced copy from the publisher via Netgalley for an honest review.
This is part of a series - I've not read the previous parts or any of the author's work before and now I desperately need to read the rest and then this one again so I have the full picture
I LOVED this - Not gonna lie the lush cover was what drew me in - Its soooo beautiful I just knew I would love this before I even started!!
Historical fiction is my genre - I absolutely love it - so to be able to find a new voice through netgalley has been SUCH a treat for me. Add a bit of murder mystery in the mix and I am in heaven !!
Juliie McElwain has written such a great strong female character - Such a nice change from some of the insipid female characters sometimes written in this genre
Kept my interest from the very first page - a wonderful page turner, I was sad to finish it but excited by the prospect of being able to read the rest in the series and anything else I can get my hands on !!
I can't recommend this highly enough !! Just wish I could give it more than 5 stars - it certainly deserves it
In the fourth installment of the Kendra Donovan series, Kendra is called upon to investigate the murder of a postmaster, the first in a series of killings by a truly deranged murderer. A watchman chases a thief through the icy cobblestone streets of 1816 London, leading them to an abandoned church and a grisly discovery. The body of Sir Giles Holbrooke is found hidden in the church, naked and garroted, and with his tongue cut out. Bowstreet runner, Sam Kelly, is called in to investigate and during the autopsy, the case becomes even stranger with the discovery that invisible ink was used to leave symbols that look like crosses all over the body. Sam turns to the one person that can help him. Kendra has been trying to adapt to life in 1816 but jumps at the chance to use her FBI skills. This investigation will definitely take all of her expertise because Sir Giles was far from your average nobleman.
All of Kendra's adventures in London have captivated me, and this one was no exception. In fact, this may be my favorite in the series, so far. I love all of the characters that she's met, the Duke, Alex, and Rebecca, in particular. I think she's doing a great job adjusting to her very unique, difficult situation. That said, I think Kendra should think more about how her actions will affect the people with care about her. I get that in her time, she was independent and didn't really have anyone. But, when she just jumps into situations it not only risks her life and reputation, but also Alex and the Duke. I'm also holding out hope that she'll marry Alex. Part of me hopes that Rebecca gets sent to the future. It just seems that with some adaptation, she would do well. I honestly can't wait for book five of this amazing series. Julie MCELWAIN obviously does a ton of research into the time period and manages to paint the scene so well that you feel like you've actually there.
I was given an advanced copy from the publisher via Netgalley for an honest review.
Oh how I love these novels! Murder mystery, a strong female character and just a dash of romance, yet not too overpowering.
We continue to follow modern day FBI agent Kendra Donovon stuck in the 1800s and beginning to come to terms with the fact that this may be her life, this mundane life of a high born lady. Yet, she does not have to wait long to utilize her 21st century skills again as the Bow Street Runner, Sam Kelly, calls upon her for her services after a gruesome murder of a lord is discovered in a long abandoned church. However, this investigation seems to be more dangerous then previous ones as there is a killer still out there and seeking revenge for what seems to be secrets long kept.....or so some thought they were kept.
Another wonderful and thrilling adventure of Kendra! I do love these books and am always terribly excited when the next in the series comes out, these always keep me captivated to the very end and frequently guessing with all the twists and turns the author takes as the story unfolds. Another great chapter in this series and I am excited to see what is in store for the next novel.
I am so in love with this series! It has everything that appeals to me - suspense, mystery, time travel, romance, strong, well-developed characters. Kudos to Julie McElwain on another wonderful story!
I was gifted an early copy of Betrayal In Time by the amazing writer herself and I loved it(just as I have the other three)!!!!!!!!! Love her writing style and the cloud of mystery she keeps in her stories. Julie McElwain has quickly become one of my favorite historical authors and her Kendra Donovan series is on my list of " must read books".
In this fourth installment Kendra has to help solve the murder of Sir Giles Holbrooke who was found brutally murdered, naked, amd with his tongue cut out. What disturbs Kendra and Sam Kelly, the bow street runner, is Sir Giles tongue is cut out and he is what seems to be tatooed with some sort of cross imagery. Is it a message from the killer? If so what in the world does it mean?
Thank you Julie McElwain and her awesome editor for gifting me the newest installment in the Kendra Donovan series!!!!!!
With thanks to #Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.
If you have not read previous titles in this series this review contains a spoiler.
I first discovered this series by chance via Overdrive; the public library’s e-book and audio book online borrowing system. I’m so glad that I did.
While there are many timeslip historical romances there are few which are as good as this series.
In this title there is a series of murders to solve; what could cause a person to cut out someone’s tongue?
Kendra’s unease over her growing acceptance of the time period in which she finds herself... and of course, her chafing at society’s strictures regarding the behaviour of unmarried ladies is a continuing storyline.
Will Alec convince Kendra to marry him? How much knowledge of the future will Kendra share with Duke? And, will Rebecca finally meet her chance for happiness?
Kendra Donovan is an FBI agent from the present who traveled through time, landing in 1816 England. She spent the first three books of the series solving a host of horrible murders, and trying to deal with the culture shock of a totally different world, and this one is no different. I don’t want to spoil anything by giving any more details—just go read these books, because they are great fun. In this book, Kendra is finally introduced to London society, which made for some interesting character development and a few laugh-out-loud moments for the reader. Although it is not my favorite in the series, I still thoroughly enjoyed this book. I just wish I hadn’t read it so quickly, because now I have to wait another year to spend more time with Kendra and the Duke and Alec!
I think I actually squealed when I got the notice that I was approved for this ebook-- I was that excited to dive into more of the time traveling adventures of Kendra Donovan. This series is my guilty pleasure & this book was just as great as the others.
I'd definitely recommend it (and have recommended the series) to patrons and will buy my own edition of it!
I love Rebecca. When we first met her in the first book she was smart and kind. It was a shame that her smallpox scars made people treat her cruelly. This book decides to give her a love interest that treats her with contempt because of her social class. Every time the two interacted I flinched because I knew it was going to be 'he hurts you because he likes you' romance. Nothing happened between them in the end but I'm wary of it for the next book.
As for the rest of it, Kendra is still a fish out of water but is getting a better handle of things. She still doesn't care about society conventions but that's what makes this book series so enjoyable to read.
The mystery took me on several turns and even though I guessed some of the twists, some still surprised me.
I another installment in Kendra Donovan's chaotic life. This one was a little more predictable than the previous books. I was not surprised by the ending at all. Personally, I would love more of the Kendra/Alec storyline. I love the mystery, don't get me wrong, but I also like romance angle and wish there was more of it.
I read the first three books in the series.
I LOVED ALL THREE!
I loved this book for its great writing and plot.
The story continues and I would say only this..... Before you read this time travel story, grab the previous books by Julie McElwain and read them in order. Otherwise, you will understand book number 4, but perhaps never want to go back to the previous books as you would already know what is happening to the main leads.
Plot is surprising, fast paced, and romantic with bland of suspense in it. You never know what will happen next!
I love this author!
I can't wait until she writes another book, even I just read this one within few days!
Rating: 5/5 for sure!
I’m so exited that Julie has written another Kendra book!
I did not see the ending coming until it was RIGHT on top of me - well done! The plot was lovely and brisk, the characters showed depth and growth, and I loved Kendra’s slow transformation.
I did notice a wrong word choice at 78% through the book - the incorrect version of “to” was utilized. No doubt your editor will have caught it.