Klassen's latest is mystery mixed with a bit of romance. The mystery moved at a bit slower pace than expected. I did enjoy the fact that the romance angle wasn't overwhelming, coming mostly near the end. The author keeps you guessing throughout. There is a Christian angle, but it's not preachy. Scenes are beautifully painted and easy to visualize. Characters are well developed, including the secondary ones. I enjoyed getting to know Isabelle and Benjamin. Trusting God and forgiveness are key themes.

Benjamin Booker has failed. He thought this important case would bring honor to his mentor’s firm, instead, a beautiful face snookered him into believing a lie. A lie that could cost the law firm’s reputation.

Word travels fast in London, and Benjamin’s court loss will surely confirm to his father and brother that he chose the wrong profession. But Benjamin has no desire to work with sick or dead people as an apothcary or investigator. He loves the law and all its nuances.

In the wake of a shocking murder, Mr. Hardy, Benjamin’s mentor and boss, asks Benjamin to travel to Belle Island. Mr. Hardy has questions for the reclusive owner about the murder of her guardian and Mr. Hardy’s law firm partner, Percival Norris. Benjamin agrees with alacrity—anything to escape the gossip of London. Even if the trip might bring on one of his episodes.

Isabelle Wilder hasn’t left Belle Island in over ten years. Ever since the tragic death of her parents, the thought of crossing the bridge from her island to the mainland fills her with physical anguish.

Isabelle works diligently to keep the estate afloat, but her guardian insists they need more streams of revenue in order to keep the estate. When Mr. Booker shows up one day and questions her about her whereabouts on the night of her guardian’s murder, Isabella knows she has the perfect alibi. She hasn’t left the island in ten years. Everyone knows that.

But do they? The more Mr. Booker pokes around, the more Isabelle questions her own sanity. Will he uncover the killer before more people die?

This fast-paced Regency mystery from Julie Klassen will keep readers guessing to the very end. Klassen’s characters may live in the 1800s, but they share common problems with today’s reader: believing false narratives, phobias, and struggles to reconcile a loving God with the tragedies that surround us.

*** REGENCY MYSTERY***
1819, London – Thirty-one-year-old Benjamin Booker is an attorney who has risked everything for a female client he fully believes is innocent. But, when he loses her case, his whole world comes to a crashing halt.
Distraught and frustrated he meets up with his boss at a local pub to discuss the case and his future. As they head out, they discover a scene at the home of Percival Norris, their retired colleague. Further investigation leads to a dead body that will eventually take Benjamin on a journey to Belle Island, across the Thames and the village of Riverton where his boss has asked him to investigate. Benjamin will do his best to remain objective and make his boss proud of him again.
Thirty-year-old Isabelle Wilder is trapped by fear on the island, but has learned to navigate enough to be mistress of the house, despite much of her funds being tied up in a trust. She is respected by her employees and does her best to create jobs that will help provide for them. Everything is fairly routine, except for a beloved niece whose upcoming nuptials pull at Isabelle’s heart strings since the wedding will be off-island. When a stranger shows up to share the news of the death, everything changes.
Benjamin and Isabelle will have to work together, but neither fully trusts and both have debilitating issues to deal with. There is a murderer at large and threats move ever closer to the island as the story twists and turns.
Favorite Quote: Psalms leapt out at her. God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea. Though the waters roar and be troubled.
Lovely Tea Moment: Isabelle and Carlota sat side by side on chaise lounges in the boathouse, the double doors thrown wide to reveal the morning sunshine shimmering on the gently rippling water of the Thames. A tray of tea things sat on the small table between them, along with a plate of muffins. Isabelle had tasted them herself and filled the kettle. …A leisurely morning was a rare luxury on Belle Island … and Isabelle and Lotty were determined to enjoy it.
I enjoyed 98% of this book. I felt the ending suddenly stretched out in an odd way, but that is perhaps my own preference. Overall, this is a very enjoyable book I would be happy to recommend.

Bethany House Publishing
© 12/3/2019
This is a stand-alone novel. I received an ARC of this book via NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion with no further compensation or expectation.
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This book is a combination that works very well. It is a nicely done mystery with many twists and unexpected turns. And a great Regency romance in an unusual setting. The characters are well developed and the action and pacing keep the reader engaged. An enjoyable read.

Julie Klassen is a hit or miss author for me. Some of her books I love others not so much. This one fell right in the middle. It was a slow moving mystery with a bit of romance attached to the end. The story and characters take time to build. The mystery is a very good one. I was pretty stumped. Klassen wrote this so you would suspect everyone! Even the sweet leading lady who I knew could not have done it. It was a very well done book. I just felt like the characters got lost to the mystery with this one and I am all about the characters. This is very chaste, there is a murder and attempted murders and some good bad guys. This is also a Christian novel, but you wouldn't know that till almost the end of the book.

'Did she believe God was loving? She wanted to trust, but fear and worry all too often won out.'

I have been a Julie Klassen fan since her very first book, which I have read several times. Her Regencies are perfect and the mystery she throws in completes them. I was drawn in immediately here and continually kept trying to find the culprit. Her characters are great and the plot was also the same and the build up to the ending was superb! Recommended.

*My thanks to Bethany House Publishers for a preview copy of this book via Net Galley. The opinions stated here are entirely my own.

The Bridge to Belle Island is an enjoyable book. Isabelle, is afraid to leave her island, but still finds herself accused of a murder in London. Benjamin is a lawyer that has come to the island to deliver news of her uncle's death, but doesn't believe she committed the crime, even though much of the circumstances point to Isabelle. As time goes on, they become closer, and Benjamin soon finds the real killer. Exciting story with many surprises, I really enjoyed reading this book!

#TheBridgeToBelleIsland #NetGalley

Julie Klassen weaves a tale of suspense along the Thames river. A young lawyer finds himself caught up in the middle of a murder investigation. Benjamin Booker, heads to Belle Island with the intent of finding out where Isabelle Wilder, was on the evening of the murder. Isabelle has not left Belle Island due to family members who have lost their lives. A story of forgiveness and trust.. A book that will keep you guessing.

Bridge to Belle Island

By Julie Klassen

A case gone wrong sends Benjamin Booker to Belle Island to lay low and regain reputation, however Belle Island is not the simple escape he thought it would be. Belle Island holds a killer and the longer Ben is there the more complicated his feelings become concerning the case and murder suspect Isabelle Wilder. How can Ben trust his feelings towards Isabelle when they might be leading him down the familiar path of deception.

I have enjoyed every book I’ve read by Julie Klassen and this was no different. It was however a bit more mysterious then other books she has written. I was kept on the edge of my seat until the end. I think that the intrigue was well developed. There were many different suspects to keep track of but the main characters were relatable and easy to like.

I received a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion shared here.

THE BRIDGE TO BELLE ISLAND by JULIE KLASSEN is a murder mystery that grips you from the first page and really keeps you guessing. The author has obviously done a great deal of research into what life was like in early nineteenth century England, and also on the islands in the Thames. The book is well written, with believable and mostly loveable characters, and beautiful descriptions.
The story starts in London with the suspicious death of Percival Norris of the law firm Norris, Hardy and Hunt, where Benjamin Booker works, and moves to
Belle Island, the Wilder family's country estate in Berkshire which is owned by Isabelle Wilder.
Benjamin is sent by his employer and mentor, Mr Hardy, to the island to look into possible murder suspects.
There are many twists and turns in the story and there is lots of suspense, and some romance. There is also a strong Christian message based largely on Philippians 4 verses 6-7.
I am not going to tell you any more as I do not want to spoil things for you, except to say that it is truly a worthwhile and enjoyable read and one that I can highly recommend.
I was given a free copy of the book by NetGalley from Bethany House Publishers. The opinions in this review are completely my own.

The Bridge to Belle Island tells a story of a murder, a disenchanted lawyer, and an innocent (or is she?) woman caught in the middle of the murder. Set in both London and a remote island on the Thames, this book will keep you guessing until the very end.

The Bridge to Belle Island by Julie Klassen is a Regency Mystery Romance. While the story centers around Belle Island, the story actually focuses on the hunt for a murderer and the idea of Isabella Wilder and her ability to not be able to leave the island. Isabella Wilder has a kind heart, just like most heroines in this period are written. She is afraid to leave the island since the death of her parents on the main land. The story starts with a dead body collapsing on a desk in an office. The rest of the story continues for the hunt for who killed the man. Since it isn't a modern story, the foresenics isn't up-to-date as readers are used to. It was more of paying attention to details and finding clues to hunt for the murderer. The way a mystery should read. Even though the story reads like a Regency novel complete with the setting and the characters, I really enjoyed the mystery element Klassen threw in. It sparked my mystery-loving mind. As for the spiritual elements, I can't really recall anything that stood out to me. The transformation of Isabella was the most memorable thing about the characters. Overall, The Bridge to Belle Island by Julie Klassen fits right into the Regency Romance category with a hint of an overarching mystery. The mystery is subtle but just enough for fans of cozy, safe mysteries. Fans of Klassen's previous works or Sarah E. Ladd pick enjoy this novel.

I received a complimentary copy of The Bridge to Belle Island by Julie Klassen from Bethany House Publishers, but the opinions stated are all my own.

Julie Klassen has been a favorite author of mine for a while, so when I had the chance to review her latest novel, The Bridge to Belle Island, I jumped at the chance. Klassen has a gift for helping the reader to empathize with her characters, and immersing the reader in the setting. That's why I tend to read her novels.

I picked up The Bridge to Belle Island, set in Georgian England, and quickly found myself intrigued by realisitic and interesting characters, especially Benjamin and Isabelle, and by a riveting plot line. Caught in the middle of a mystery he's trying to unravel, attorney Benjamin finds himself wanting to believe that Isabelle was not involved in a sinister plot. However, Isabelle herself begins to question whether she was involved when indisputable evidence begins to pile up against her, yet she has no recollection of the event. The Bridge to Belle Island had some twists and turns that kept me reading much later than I should have. Bravo, Klassen, for yet another enjoyable read--a great combination of mystery, period drama, an intriguing plot line and interesting characters.

Note: I received a copy of the book from the publisher in exchange for this honest review.

In The Bridge to Belle Island, Julie Klassen has penned another intriguing, mysterious and wholly entertaining whodunit set during the end of the Regency era. I found the first chapter to be a bit confusing and had to go back and read again in order to get the characters straight....and there are many characters in this cast of murder suspects. The majority of the characters were very likable and I was completely unsuspecting of who the murderer turned out to be. As one who suffers from panic attacks, I found her descriptions of anxiety driven episodes to be spot on and I could empathize with the character who suffers and strives to overcome this illness. I appreciated that her character did not remain "stuck" but through faith and prayer makes small steps toward recovery. I can't say that this was my favorite Julie Klassen novel, it never became a "can't put down" for me, but I still enjoyed the story and would recommend reading it. I always look forward to Julie's novels and can't wait for the next one!

I love Julie Klassen’s books. She’s one of the few authors whose book I buy without even reading the back. I enjoyed this book but I have to be honest, I didn’t love it. I never entered that “I can’t put it down phase.” I found the mystery to be interesting and well thought out, although (maybe because I’m an avid mystery reader) many things I saw coming. The characters were sweet but I think perhaps this why I just enjoyed the book and didn’t love it. I didn’t love the characters. I didn’t dislike them either but they just didn’t come off the page for me. Even though they had real struggles to overcome, somehow I didn’t connect with their emotions. Also the romance, though sweet, fell flat. There just really wasn’t any until near the end. Also, I couldn’t help but feel that if a certain man had lead his family the way he felt was best instead of giving into his wife’s hysterics literally none of this story would have happened. And that bothered me for some reason.

Mystery and Sweet Romance

This page-turning mystery kept me interested from start to finish, including an eye-opening plot twist I never saw coming! Fictional and beautiful Belle Island provided a scenic backdrop to the story and enabled me to learn more about the geography of the Thames River. Along with a supporting cast who contributed much to the plot line, Isabelle and Benjamin, were endearing and strong characters who each had their own issues to overcome. As an avid reader of Christian fiction, I was impressed by two major themes and how they were incorporated into the storyline: forgiveness and trusting God. I love the way Ms. Klassen wove supporting and inspiring Bible verses into the story to support these concepts, including a personal favorite that I haven’t seen much in Christian Fiction. This was another winning and highly satisfying novel from talented author Julie Klassen, with perhaps her most inspirational messages
yet. Well done!