When it comes to Regency Era fiction, Klassen is at the top of my list. She never disappoints, and this latest book is no exception.

There is always a hint of mystery in Klassen's books, but the intrigue took a more focal point in this one. I loved the suspense and how the characters developed throughout the story. Klassen expertly penned a tale that stirred my imagination every step of the way. Though I have greatly enjoyed all of Klassen's books, this one ranks as one of my favorites. The setting, characters, and complexity of plot drew me in with a magnetic pull. I was caught off guard more than once and spellbound until the end.

This book definitely marks one of my favorites of the year. I highly encourage you to give it a chance!

I received this book from Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

I enjoyed this book. It was like a Regency type Clue murder mystery. I don’t typically like murder mysteries but I like this author so I knew it wouldn’t be gruesome or scary.
Isabelle lives on Belle Island and hasn’t left her island in 10 years, however, she’s suspect #1 to the murder of her uncle in London.
Benjamin is a lawyer who just lost a case and is really trying hard to save his own name as well as his firms.
His mentor sends him off to get information on Isabelle Wilder and that’s when things get interesting. There are many secrets, characters, and suspects but Ben and Isabelle also find themselves attracted to each other...which is never good when one suspects the other of murder. ;-)
The book kept my interest all throughout even though the ending felt a little drawn out. All in all, it was an entertaining story.

What I Loved: What a treat! I couldn't wait to get my hands on a new Klassen novel and I found exactly what I was looking for. 
From the moment the story began, I was emersed in the Regency lifestyle and a most intriguing mystery. 
The romance was tender and sweet. I enjoy a story where the romantic relationship tenderly unfolds ... although I'll be honest and say that the last couple of chapters were suddenly dragging for my tastes. 
The mystery was by far the greatest factor. I was blown away by the many clues and details woven into the story. There was no shortage of solid suspects. It was hard to narrow them down until the end was in sight. 

Rating and Recommendation: I'm giving it 5 stars and recommending to those who enjoy Christian Regency or a historical cozy mystery. 

~ I received a copy from the publisher through NetGalley. All thoughts are my own. I was not compensated for this review or required to give a favorable one.

I have read Julie Klassen books in the past, so when I was approved for this on NetGalley I was excited! Thank you so much to NetGalley for a copy of this book to review. After Benjamin Booker is deceived by a client and embarrassed, he goes to Belle Island to investigate a murder. Once there he meets Isabelle, who is one of the murder suspects! I enjoyed the book and it was a great mystery!

First sentence: Benjamin Booker sat in the Old Bailey, pulse pounding. His most important case to date had finally been called to trial—his chance to prove himself to the firm’s partners. The courtroom was the usual raucous scene: noisy spectators and newsmen in the gallery, milling witnesses awaiting their turn, and wigged barristers goading one another like boxers in the ring.

The Bridge to Belle Island is a wonderful read! I will share my biases up front. I usually love Julie Klassen's novels. I have yet to be disappointed with her work. I also love, love, love, love, love the Regency genre. Whether it's historical romance or historical mystery set during the Regency--I have a tendency to get swept up, up, and away and just fall head over heels with a story.

Benjamin Booker is the HERO of this one. He is a law clerk for a law firm in London. When one of the founding partners in the firm (Mr. Norris) is found dead--MURDERED in his home--Benjamin Booker sets about to help solve the crime. His brother, Reuben, is in law enforcement--and is officially on the case. Booker is encouraged by Mr. Hardy, another partner, to play amateur detective. His sleuthing takes him to Belle Island to the home of Isabelle Wilder. Mr. Norris is--was--the trustee of Isabelle Wilder and her niece, Rose Lawrence. Both (young) ladies had reason to dislike Mr. Norris and his control over their lives/property. The murder occurred on the night of Miss Rose's engagement party...

Can Benjamin solve the murder? Is Isabelle Wilder innocent or guilty? Is she protecting someone else?

I loved this one. I just LOVED, LOVED, LOVED it. I love mysteries. I wasn't necessarily expecting Klassen to give me a great mystery--I think of her more as a romance novelist. But I ended up LOVING every moment it. I loved that the main character was a guy. Again, something that I don't necessarily expect from a regency romance. It was a suspenseful read.

I always enjoy Julie Klassen's books so I was really looking forward to reading this one. Mostly I liked it, but it is a departure from her other books. All of her other books are romances that include a little bit of mystery, but this time around we have a mystery that includes a little romance. I have to say that I thought the romance felt a little bland in this one, but I'm not really surprised about that, since the book focused more on the mystery than the romance. I think because it's a Julie Klassen book, I automatically expected the romance to be more like her other books. That being said, this was not a bad thing, just not what I was expecting.

Overall this was a good read with a pretty solid mystery plot and characters that were easy to like. For the author's first mystery, it was pretty good. I've read so many mysteries that I was able to pick out who the perpetrator was easily, but I wouldn't say it was glaringly obvious. I enjoyed the book despite that. I'm not sure if the author will keep writing mysteries, but I would read another one.

Thanks to NetGalley and Bethany House Publishers for providing me with an ARC of this book.

The Bridge to Belle Island is a mystery where everyone is suspect but nobody claims they did it.

Lawyer Ben Booker resolves to never again be taken in by a pretty face. No matter how much he believes they are innocent! But when murder comes too close to the firm, senior partner sends Ben to Belle Island to investigate,

Isabella Wilder has never left the island in ten years. Over come with fear, she finds herself trapped on the island. But when she becomes the suspect in the murder of Percival Norris, her trustee, she battles confusion. And her dreams haunt her seeing the murder victim.

Although slow reading, I found the story to be interesting enough to keep going. Especially that it kept me guessing, with the suspects volleying back and forth.

Good Regency Mystery and romance.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from Net Galley and the publisher. All views expressed are my honest opinion

This book opens up with Benjamin Booker's colossal failure in the court room, followed fairly quickly by a murder. Benjamin is picked by the owner of the law firm to go to Belle Island to check out the heir to the murdered man. In the meantime, another man is murdered and all evidence points to Belle Island and Isabelle for whom the island is named.

Julie Klassen is a marvelous author who writes historical fiction with grace and aplomb. I really haven't found one of her books I didn't like. Some I've liked better than others, and this one kind of fell into the lesser liked category. A lot of my determination on this is probably my mood. Sometimes I'm in the mood for heavier plot lines and sometimes I'm in the mood for fluff.

I give this book four solid stars. My thanks go to Bethany House for always publishing a quality product, and through NetGalley.com for providing the galley I read for this review.

I really enjoyed this book. It was full of suspense. It was fun to try to figure out the mystery, the who and why. Just when I thought I had it figured out a new twist would be revealed. I found the characters complex and well written. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves a good mystery and clean romance.

Even though it took me a little bit to get into this book, once I got into it it captured my attention. I loved how it kept me guessing. Whenever I thought I had figured out who the murderer was, something new would come to light and change my mind. I really enjoyed this book!

After a humiliating mistake, lawyer Benjamin Booker resolves to never again trust a beautiful woman. When an old friend is killed, the senior partner isn't satisfied with Bow Street's efforts and asks Benjamin to investigate. Eager to leave London for a while, Benjamin agrees. Evidence takes him to a remote island on the Thames, a world unto itself, shrouded in mist and mystery. Soon he finds himself falling for the main suspect--a woman who claims not to have left the island in ten years. But should he trust her?

On Belle Island, Isabelle feels safe and leads a productive life, but fear keeps her trapped there. When Mr. Booker arrives with news of her trustee's murder in London, Isabelle is stunned. She has not left the island, yet she has a recurring dream about the man's death. Or is it a memory? She had been furious with him, but she never intended . . . this.

When a second person dies and evidence shockingly points to her, Isabelle doesn't know who to trust: the attractive lawyer or the admirer and friends who assemble on the island, each with grudges against the victim. Can she even trust her own mind? While they search for the truth, secrets come to light and danger comes calling.

Let me start by saying this book had a good mystery. I had a little trouble getting into the romance of the book. There was a lot of back story that had to be told to actually get to the romance. At times it seemed like more that one romance was going on. I also had a little trouble keeping the characters straight. The book dealt with Benjamin's lack of faith in himself after a sound defeat in his last trial. Isabelle can not physically leave Belle Island. She gets a panic attack every time she steps foot on the bridge to get off the island.

I would still recommend this book because it was a good mystery. There was several surprises that I didn't see coming.

I was given this book by Bethany House Publishing via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I was not compensated in any way.

Gerade hat Anwalt Benjamin Booker unrühmlich und geschäftsschädigend einen Fall vor Gericht verloren, weil er den Lügen der schönen Angeklagten auf den Leim gegangen ist, als er mit Robert Hardy, dem Besitzer der Kanzlei, zufällig zum Tatort eines Mordes dazu kommt, Opfer ist ein nun pensionierter Partner der Kanzlei. Da sie dem Ergebnis des Pathologen und dem Engagement der Bowstreetrunner nicht recht trauen, macht sich Benjamin auf Hardys Bitten hin auf den Weg zur verdächtigten Tante nach Belle Island, mit der er sich das Opfer zuletzt gestritten hat. Gerne lässt Benjamin nach seinem peinlichen Versagen London für eine Weile hinter sich und schwört sich nie mehr einer schönen Frau auf den Leim zu gehen. In Isabelle trifft er auf der Insel jedoch eine gleichaltrige Frau, die angibt die Insel schon seit 10 Jahren nicht mehr verlassen zu haben.

Man kommt gut in die Geschichte rein. Sie liest sich flüssig, man bemerkt die erfahrene Autorin. Der erste Teil des Romans ist eine reine recht ruhige Spuren- und Tätersuche, mit vielen Fragen und Verdächtigungen. Dann nimmt die Erzählung etwas Tempo auf, als immer mehr Beteiligte auf der Insel auftauchen und weitere Ereignisse eintreffen. Den Täter konnte ich schon zum letzten Drittel hin erraten. Spät entwickelt sich noch eine schöne Romanze. Das Ende ist ereignisreich und alle Fragen werden geklärt. Mit den gesundheitlichen und mentalen Beeinträchtigungen der Protagonisten hat die Autorin sich ernste Hintergründe ausgewählt. Diese andere Art des Romans kommt vielleicht nicht bei allen Fans gut an.

Für das eBook, Danke an Netgalley.

If you love a good ol' fashioned murder mystery that keeps you guessing right until the very end, The Bridge To Belle Island is certainly one you will want to add to your TBR list!

As I was reading this book, I couldn't help but think of the game Clue. In the beginning there is a bit of a question as the the HOW, but for the most part it really has you guessing as to the WHO. We were introduced to a wide variety of possible suspects--- all with motives and all seemingly hiding something. As such, it was hard to figure out right away just who it could be. They all seemed as though they could be the guilty party! But was it the MURDER they were guilty of? Isn't that what makes a good mystery? I did start to possibly suspect the real culprit towards the end, but I wasn't quite confident in that, nor was I able to figure out the details. For the most part, this isn't a high paced mystery, but rather one that draws out much more slowly giving us bits and pieces of information until the final reveal. There are a few more action packed moments, but for the most part it was pretty slow moving. Typically I do prefer a more fast paced suspense, but I really felt like it worked in this particular story.

If you pick up this book hoping for a ton of romance, you might be a little disappointed. Don't get me wrong, there IS some romance in the story, but I didn't feel like it was a huge part of the story until the very end. I didn't mind that in the slightest, but again something to consider if that's what you are looking for.

Overall, this was a really fun read and one that I would certainly recommend to those who like a historical mystery! I very much enjoyed it.

**I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley for consideration. All thoughts are 100% my own.

I read this book on author reputation alone - I've read most of her books. So I was a little surprised to find myself immersed in a murder mystery, rather than a historical love story, like I expected. Some things were predictable and I thought were obvious from the beginning, others I missed entirely... and I related with other characters berating themselves for having overlooked things. There is a decent blend of love story and suspense. And I loved reading about medicine and law from a historical perspective. Very interesting and a page turner for sure, especially in the last third.

Side note: as usual, I think this book would have been even stronger with just one perspective, heightening the doubt and mystery.

“Benjamin Booker sat in the Old Bailey, pulse pounding. His most important case to date had finally been called to trial—his chance to prove himself to the firm’s partners.” - Opening lines of “The Bridge to Belle Island” by Julie Klassen

This Julie Klassen novel is full of mystery! It had me hooked from the first page to the last! In “The Bridge to Belle Island”, our leading man, Benjamin, finds himself at a murder scene with his mentor and the law firm’s senior partner. When the investigation doesn’t progress swiftly enough, Benjamin is sent to Belle Island to observe our leading lady, Isabelle, and establish if she’s involved in the murder.

Both Benjamin and Isabelle are wonderful characters supported by interesting and complex ones. The mystery is multi-layered and full of twists! The writing is beautiful, descriptive without slowing the pace of the story. To this, Julie adds a delightful romance, slow-growing and realistic. The principles of Christianity form a backbone to the story and something to think over once the novel ends.

If you love historical mysteries, with a touch of romance, this one is for you! It’s a five out of five on the en-JOY-ment scale and highly recommended!

Julie Klassen once again pens a book with a creative plot, the mystery surrounding the death of Percival Norris entirely unpredictable as she takes you on a journey wherein by the end of the story, you have probably suspected every character of being involved! The book definitely held my interest and I had trouble putting it down! I loved the slow building suspense as you get to know the characters, their flaws and pasts detailed for you to connect with them as they grow and change. I really liked how Isabelle is a kind and caring person, but she also harbors fear of the unknown, of change, and of leaving what is comfortable for her. The romance is clean and sweet. I liked the bits of history and descriptions of the scenes that made it easy to envision the setting. The spiritual content is flawlessly woven among the story. I am a big fan of Julie Klassen and really love her books! This is definitely a book that I recommend!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley. Opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

Isabelle Wilder is a 30 year old spinster who is chained to her home on Belle Island by fear since most of her relatives who left the island ended up dead. Thirty one year old Benjamin Booker is a lawyer who just lost an important case due to being swayed by the wiles of his female client. Now one of his bosses, Percival Norris, has been found dead; and the main suspect is Isabelle Wilder whose trust he handled. When his other boss, Mr. Hardy, sends Benjamin to Belle Island to investigate, he finds much more than he bargained for.

Slow building suspense and a plethora of suspects set the stage for a well developed Regency, romantic suspense. When you just about think you have figured out who killed Percival Norris, there is a twist that seems to point the finger at someone else. I felt the pace was a bit slow in places, but overall a very enjoyable read.

**I received a complimentary copy of this book from Bethany House Publishers through NetGalley. Opinions are mine alone. I was not compensated for this review.

What an interesting book…..A lone island with only a bridge linking it to the mainland. The owner, a woman who is ruled by fear that crossing the bridge will surely bring death to her. Even though the one dearest to her is to be married and she longs to be there for her, she cannot overcome her panic…..Then things get very complicated, her uncle is murdered and she is the number one suspect, even though she has not crossed the bridge in years. She could not possibly have done the murder…..Enter a young lawyer who comes to the island to see what he can learn about the heiress and for evidence that she really did commit murder….All in all a great read filled with suspense, intrigue and romance. Klassen has certainly written one that will hold your interest to find out who the culprit is. It will surprise you…….I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher, through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I have read many Julie Klassen novels and was overjoyed when I received The Bridge to Belle Island by Julie Klassen. This book introduces a lawyer named Benjamin Booker who experiences a detrimental loss in his career. So now, he has trust issues, particularly with beautiful women. When he and his mentor discover that an old partner has been found murdered, they are determined to bring the culprit to justice. The evidence leads them to Isabelle Wilder on Belle Island. Isabelle has experienced so much tragedy in her life that she has not left her island in 10 years. Or has she? Evidence points to her, but she is adamant that she is innocent. Can Benjamin believe her? Or is he too trusting? If she is innocent, then who committed the murder?

I have always enjoyed Julie Klassen novels but this one is just on another level! There is a wonderful romance story and historical aspect, but the murder mystery just adds so much more. It is complex and I was trying to solve the murder as I was reading. It was not predictable either, which is huge for me! The moment I picked up the book, I did not want to put it down. The characters feel so real and engaging. In fact, I could really relate to both Benjamin and Isabelle. Benjamin struggles with vertigo and Isabelle struggles with severe anxiety. Both of which, I struggle with. In fact, both put me in the hospital. So I could really relate to the fear and struggle they both experience. I really hope people can learn how debilitating both of these illnesses are.

The book touches on many themes, but the major one is forgiveness which really tugs at the heartstrings. Isabelle is such a darling character and watching her rise above and care for those around her and forgive those who hurt her the most. Then seeing Benjamin deal with learning to trust again is beautiful as well. Those who enjoy inspirational historical fiction will love this book and those who love a good mystery won’t be disappointed either! This book deserves 5 out of 5 stars!

Thank you to Julie Klassen, Bethany House, and NetGalley for a copy of the book!

Julie Klassen is one of my go-to Christian fiction novelists. In a world where many Regency writers vie for attention, I know I can usually rely on her to provide work that’ll entertain me. Klassen is one of a select few who have taught me more about this particular era of my birth country’s history than any formal history classes did. Actually, the curriculum during my school years missed most of it and we gained a skewed perspective from BBC period comedies. I can also say that I am NOT a particular fan of Jane Austen. The 1990s BBC production of Pride and Prejudice gave me a slight appreciation of her work, but that’s it.

Is it strange that someone who isn’t a fan of Austen can enjoy novels inspired by the 19th century writer? In my case, I enjoy the stories rather than the art of the storytelling. The Bridge to Belle Island is a tasty whodunit, which begins with an apparently unconnected trial at the Old Bailey in London, and finishes in a Thames community far quieter than the bustling English capital. By the time I finished reading, something I might have done quicker than I did thanks to the intercession of real life, I had suspected several of the cast of characters – only to discover how wrong I was. I was tempted to re-read it to see what I’d missed. Klassen had provided the clues, but I’d failed to spot them.

This is a novel I can imagine being played out on screen, so long as it paid attention to Klassen’s descriptive settings, characters, and plot. I read the dramatic conclusion and saw it taking place in my head. I loved the ending. Yes, it’s a postscript, but it isn’t rushed. Instead, it matches the pace of the preceding pages, and contains the expected happy ending.

Disclaimer: Although I received an electronic copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley, the words and opinions below are my own.