I am first in line when it comes to a Susanna Kearsley book but what a delight to find these other wonderful mystery writers. There are romantic elements to the stories but the focus is the mysteriously cursed (?) watch. As the time periods changed with each story each author brings to life that era. And in each story the protagonists try to get rid of the watch. The legend says that the curse, if there is a curse, will not end until the watch has been destroyed by water, earth, air and fire. I enjoyed following the watch through each time period. I recommend this book to Historical Mystery fans. You won't be sorry.

What is better than a good anthology? An anthology from 4 great writers including one of my absolute favorite authors, Susanna Kearsley. The other authors C.S Harris, Anna Lee Huber, and Christine Trent added wonderful contributions to the story. This is the 1st time that I have read anything from Christine Trent and I will have to check out her repertoire

The anthology follows a cursed watch called La Sirene, a watch that travels through the ages. With the motto “I am the only Master of Time”, the watch must travel through the 4 elements to lift the curse. The stories interconnect well and the writing and story lines are compelling. I love a bit of supernatural with my stories and this book fit the bill. The other nice part about an anthology is chance to read an unknown author and find a new author to follow.

If you like an anthology with mystery, romance, a bit of the supernatural and a chance to try some new or well loved authors, this is a great book to read.

Thank you to Netgalley, the authors and the publisher for the chance to review this book

Brilliant!

Four fabulous historical mystery writers have banded together to beguile us with the ominous story of a gold pocket watch. A mesmerizing piece with a siren engraved on it. Down through the ages it has garnered the name, La Sirène. This legendary object made from cursed gold can apparently affect many things including the weather. Greed, obsessiveness, maleficence and death on both a narrow and wide scale follow in its wake.
It was reputedly "first cursed by God when French buccaneers stole the gold from the holy altars as they sacked the city of Cartagena.” Doom is it's stamp.
There was so much packed into these novellas. Each was a sleek and deep read, with an overlay of the Gothic. I was entranced! I just loved the atmosphere and tension each writer brings to the overall premise. Characters we know from their novels are called to deal with the watch and its impact within their historical time frame. Each sequence adds a satisfying revelation about the watch as our known and loved characters battle La Sirène's cursed impact.
The miasma of evil hangs heavy and only the courage and intelligence of our beloved proponents are able to banish it from their time.
This had everything one could wish to make it a startling and satisfying read.

A Poisoned Pen ARC via NetGalley
Please note: Quotes taken from an advanced reading copy maybe subject to change
(Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.)

I really enjoyed this collection of novellas. I was familiar with Susanna Kearsley and Anne Lee Huber's work before, but had not read CS Harris or Christine Trent previously. I will definitely check out their work after reading The Deadly Hours. The connecting storyline throughout the novellas was compelling, and seeing it interwoven with existing characters from past stories/ongoing series (in the case of Kearsley and Huber) made it even more exciting. I know this anthology was a long time in the works, but I hope that they join together for another collection in the future.

Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press and Netgalley for providing an ARC for review!

Billed as an anthology, at its center is a cursed pocket watch of unimaginable beauty and workmanship. Is it cursed or are the people coveting it just that evil or ill fated? Do they deserve ownership and thereby whatever may befall them? Spanning several centuries from February 10, 1733 to the Second World War, each of the four novellas weaves a mysterious tale with historical accuracy. Portofino, Italy where an assassin is trying to make his way to Rome and the deposed King James, then Scotland, Greyfriars Kirkyard and the spotted typhus outbreak of the 1830s, then handed off to a female undertaker in 1870 at the same Kirkyard and finally to Kent England in 1944; all linked through the centuries by La Sirene, a watch which must pass through the four elements of the earth before it can be laid to rest where it can do no further harm.

I enjoyed the collaboration of these talented writers and each of their novellas rendering one complete story. Well done. Thank you NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for a copy.

Come for one of your favorite authors and stay for a new writer and character to engage with!

The Deadly Hours is a linked set of novellas about a cursed watch.

With stories from Susanna Kearsley, C. S. Harris, Anna Lee Huber and Christine Trent, there are characters and historical eras for everyone. Kearsley’s contribution starts the tale off in the early 1700’s, with Jacobites and pirates. The Lady Darby novella of Huber moves to 19th century Edinburgh and a very modern feeling plague. Trent’s contribution is set in the world of a 19th century female undertaker. The final part of the story, by Harris, set during the waning days of World War II reminds us that the line between good and bad is always tenuous and never as clear-cut as the history books would tell.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I love anthologies! It's a great way to meet new authors and to enjoy a favorite. The Deadly Hours is 4 interconnecting novellas following an allegedly cursed watch through the centuries. I'm a huge Anna Lee Huber fan and I enjoy Christine Trent so I was happy to read their stories, but CS Harris and Susanna Kearney are authors I've been wanting to try for a long time so I was excited to get the chance to read their contributions. I wasn't disappointed and enjoyed all four stories.
Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you for the ARC. I did start reading this book but decided I would wait until I could purchase it. Love the authors and did really like what I had read before deciding on purchasing...

What a treat! Four novellas by four authors all featuring a watch. Each author writes the story of the watch during a period in which their own fiction is set- and several feature characters from their novels. Sometimes this sort of novel feels strained but there was clearly collaboration here. You might like one part of the story better than the others (I was a fan of Fevered Hour by Anna Lee Huber) but know that all of them feature strong female protagonists, Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A fun read.

The Deadly Hours is a clever conceit, and for the most part the execution lives up to the idea. Four popular novelists, authors of historical mysteries, team up to write the ongoing, centuries-long saga of a cursed pocket watch and the lives - and deaths - through which it passes. At least two of the resulting novellas focus on the characters of those authors’ existing series (I’m unsure of the other two, though I’d happily read a WWII-set series from C.S. Harris, of whose Regency era Sebastian St. Cyr novels I’ve long been a fan), and working the watch and its accumulation of legend into their stories is as fun for readers and fans as it seems like it was for the authors. The four novellas are a bit uneven in quality - the Lady of Ashes story is the weakest of the bunch, not quite living up to the more skillfully crafted WWII story at the end, or the tight structure of Kearsley’s introductory tale - but hold together pretty well. As a fan already of Huber and Harris, I found the book as a whole to be an enjoyable sampler/introduction to the two authors whose work I’ve not read before, and a fun new treat from the two I have.

**Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the advance review copy**

This was a fabulous idea and I'd certainly like to read more books that travel through time. This book contains four stories from four different authors and each one charts the journey of a cursed watch. We might begin the journey in the seventeen hundreds but we end up most definitely in the twentieth century. Fans of mysteries and romance will be enthralled with the way these authors entertain the reader and this anthology is a good way to try new authors.
This voluntary take is of a copy I requested from Netgalley and my thoughts and comments are honest and I believe fair

Entertaining omnibus of four novellas linked by the story of a cursed pocket watch. The first three segments featured protagonists of ongoing series. This was a little problematic for me, personally, as I have a pathological distaste for reading series out of order. This wrong-footed me a bit, but that was my only complaint. It was an excellent book (and gave me several ideas for new series to explore!)

Thanks to NetGalley for providing an ARC copy for my review.

*Many thanks to the Authors and NetGalley for arc in exchange for my honest review.*
It seems that the idea of an object travelling through centruries worked well with the authors each of whom added their own special story. This work is rather original and the first I have ever read of this kind. A solid piece of historical fiction.

Four interconnected stories trace the journey of a cursed and priceless watch from 1733 to 1944. From Italy to Scotland to England, the watch touches each of its owners with misfortune.

Readers first see the watch, called La Sirène by its French pirate owner, in Susanna Kearsley's "Weapon of Choice," my pick of the stories. The travels continue in 1831's Edinburgh in Anna Lee Huber's "In a Fevered Hour" then Christine Trent's "A Pocketful of Death" finds readers in the streets of London during a series of chilling murders. The anthology ends with C.S. Harris's "Siren's Call" in 1944.

The owners were told what needed to be done in order to break the curse, but you know what happens when someone possesses something, rare, priceless, and beautiful. From the description of the timepiece, I would have had a difficult time parting with it myself.

I enjoyed seeing how these four authors took an idea and ran with it. The only thing I didn't particularly care for was the acknowledgments at the end of each story. They were repetitive and really intruded on the flow of the story. It would have been much better if they'd all been relegated to the end of the book.

A cursed mysterious watch that manages to always resurface at crucial moments in history, to the everlasting despair of the temporary possesor, is at the heart of four novellas in THE DEADLY HOURS. I am most familiar with the previous work of author Susanna Kearsley and her section is good, if somewhat complex. It plays almost as farce except the piece is obviously meant as a thriller. There is a great deal of unknown politics and mistaken identities while several groups are stranded in a hotel during a fierce storm, interrupting their journeys toward intended mayhem elsewhere. The other authors contribute fine chapters as well; their pieces all moving the watch forward in time. The final chapter provides a satisfying ending for a creative anthology. This is a good book for lovers of historical fiction with a touch of time-honored curses. I received my copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

The Deadly Hours
by Susanna Kearsley; C.S. Harris; Anna Lee Huber; Christine Trent
Publication Date: September 1, 2020
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Description from NetGalley...
“A stellar line-up of historical mystery novelists weaves the tale of a priceless and cursed gold watch as it passes through time wreaking havoc from one owner to another. The characters are irrevocably linked by fate, each playing a key role in breaking the curse and destroying the watch once and for all.

From 1733 Italy to Edinburgh in 1831 to a series of chilling murders in 1870 London, and a lethal game of revenge decades later, the watch touches lives with misfortune, until it comes into the reach of one young woman who might be able to stop it for good.”

“This outstanding collaboration of authors includes:
Susanna Kearsley –New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of compelling time slip fiction.
C.S. Harris – bestselling author of the Sebastian St. Cyr Regency mystery series.
Anna Lee Huber –award-winning author of the national bestselling Lady Darby Mysteries.
Christine Trent –author of the Lady of Ashes Victorian mystery series.”

Thank you to @NetGalley @poisonedpenpress for the digital ARC in return for my honest review.

My thoughts...
So the premise of four stories, written by four different authors, interconnecting through one cursed gold watch was so intriguing. I have actually not read any of these authors (shame on me), but this book was a great introduction to their respective books, writing styles and main characters. If you’re familiar with these authors, you’ll get more out of this book, as you would be more familiar with the characters. As for me, even though the book is a stand-alone, I felt I came in the middle of the characters’ development. However, the flow of the cursed gold watch mystery from one to the next was really good. This is also a reminder for me, who loves historical fiction, that there are other types of historical fiction that are great reads.

DNF - Unfortunately, this book for me, was boring and badly written. I could not finish. I like the authors involved with it, but this was such a disappointment for me. I'm sure there are others out there who might like it.

First of all, a big thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the ARC of this title. An honest review was requested but not required.

I was drawn to this title because of Anna Lee Huber (whose Lady Darby series I enjoy very much) and C.S. Harris, whose Sebastian St. Cyr series I adore. Specifically, this was a historical mystery anthology with a slightly paranormal touch (centering on a cursed gold watch). The novellas are each set during a different time period, with different characters; the watch is the only major connection between them although sometimes characters from previous novellas are obliquely referenced in the succeeding stories.

The first was Susanna Kearsley's, setting the foundation for the watch and its curse. I have long wanted to read Ms. Kearsley's books but never got around to it... now I think I might have to fast-track that plan. The male main character, Hugh, reads like a (much) more taciturn and slightly more murder-y cousin to Jamie Fraser and I was here for it. The backstory of the watch felt a little tedious, but but honestly the rest of the story was good enough that I didn't mind. I did appreciate Valtour's point about revisionist history, whether or not he was a good man or committed the crimes of which he was accused. 4/5 stars for story #1, with a sidebar that I'll be fast-tracking Ms. Kearsley's work.

The second story was Anna Lee Huber's. I enjoyed this one as I'm a fan of the Lady Darby series, and the way the mystery was solved seemed plausible. We didn't really learn anything new about Keira or Gage, but the story was engaging and I personally like Bonnie Brock and was glad to "see" him again. 3.5/5

Christine Trent's novella, the third in the book, was okay but I just didn't buy into the undertaker character (Violet Morgan, whom I understand to be a series character for Ms. Trent). Why on earth would Violet be so involved in solving murders? Not to mention that a female undertaker in Victorian times sounds very implausible. The writing was good but story-wise, I was unconvinced. 2/5

C.S. Harris' novella, the final installment in the anthology, was the one I was looking forward to the most, and it did not fail to satisfy. I LOVE Sebastian St. Cyr and his wife, Lady Hero, but Ms. Harris went with all-new characters here. I'm not sure I bought into the romantic feelings between Jude and Rachel but as mystery-solving characters, they were terrific. Ms. Harris also absolutely nailed the WWII time period IMO, as well as some of the less popular elements of the era: xenophobia, suspicion, the more unromantic aspects of espionage and intelligence work, privation, you name it.. I found myself feeling very sympathetic towards a few characters that I will not name, to prevent spoilers. And I would definitely be interested in reading more about Jude and Rachel, but to be quite frank I would read anything Ms. Harris cares to write. 4.5/5 stars

Overall this was a very enjoyable historical mystery anthology that I would recommend to anyone who is a fan of any of the four authors; if you're unfamiliar with the others there is a good chance you'll find a new author to enjoy here.

I struggled to finish this book. I can honestly say that I’m very surprised because this book features some great authors. I guess I was expecting something completely different than what this actually was. Very disappointing.

The Deadly Hours is a fantastic anthology by some of today's leading historical mystery writers. I knew by name three of the four authors; I wasn't familiar with Christine Trent. The only one I've actually ready anything by was Anna Lee Huber. I loved her last Verity Kent book. I now have some new favorite authors! Though some of these stories contain characters from previous books, all four stood alone just perfectly.

"I am the only master of my time." This is the engraving on the cursed watch which is the thread that pulls all four stories together. Running the gamut from 1733 Italy, 1831 Edinburgh, 1870 London to 1944 United Kingdom's Kent Coast, the watch connects the couples from each time period together. La Sirène is the name of the watch, and its curse can only be broken by going through the four elements: water, earth, air and fire.

All four stories were quite enjoyable, with the strongest being the story set during WWII by C.S. Harris. Almost equally as good were those by Anna Lee Huber and Susanna Kearsley. The book by Trent was the weakest, but I still enjoyed it very much. I have numerous books by most of these authors that I haven't read yet, and now I know I shall love them. That is the thrill of reading anthologies - you know which author's books you will enjoy. This anthology is top notch!

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 expressed are solely my own.