This delightful series would be a shame to miss. Set in 1919 Sussex and then the Yorkshire Dales, headstrong and adventurous Verity and her dashing husband Sidney get entangled in webs of deceit once again. Sidney has returned unexpectedly from the war after "missing" for fifteen months so he and Verity are getting reacquainted with the rhythm of marriage. Dear Tante Isle arrives at their home and it is immediately apparent to Verity she has changed. Isle has received threats and war has taken its toll on her. Verity has difficulty with sorrow of her own.

After an absence, Verity, Sidney and Isle visit Verity's parents in the pastoral Yorkshire Dales. Her parents, in particular her controlling mother, are curt and not exactly receptive. Everyone is withholding secrets, even her siblings, many due to hushed roles in the war so they are on edge and tense when the topic of war comes up. Her sister Grace is now a teenager who believes herself to be in love. And then there's murder...

The historical details add so much to the story such as the split skirts, cars, bobbed hair and vernacular of the time. Huber's writing is gorgeous and flows seamlessly, beautifully done. There is so much scope for future books in the series, too. Historical Fiction fans ought to read this...it's exactly the type of book you will want to sweep you away.

My sincere thank you to Kensington Books and NetGalley for the privilege of reading this charming and interesting book.

I really like this series. The mysterious death if the maid is an interesting mystery itself, but the history of post WWI England and the strong anti-German sentiment then is equally fascinating. Highly recommend this book. Thank you Bet Galley for the advance copy.

Anna Lee Huber is so good at intrigue and mystery and this is another great example of her work. I highly recommend this for anyone who likes to read about post World War I life and thinking about how people tried to gain some sense of normal life back - while dealing with mysteries. This is a great addition to this series!

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for an e-galley of this novel.

The Verity Kent series by Anna Lee Huber has been tempting me for quite a while now so when I saw this one available on NetGalley I decided this would be a great time to take the plunge. It isn't very often that I'm stymied by jumping into a series even when it has multiple books already available, but this one was a hard pull for me to get involved with. That has nothing whatsoever to do with the talents of the author because her talent shines through. My problem is with this specific book because so much of it is used for looking back at cases solved and remembering people who have figured so large in the cast of characters. The arch enemy is not present in this sixth book and yet he is mentioned throughout the entire book. Add to that a total lack of anything even remotely mysterious until I had passed the 53% mark on my e-reader and I was definitely a fish out of water.

So...once the murder had taken place I got to watch how Huber has her characters work together in order to solve a crime. I enjoyed the interactions between the characters, the feeling of being in a very specific time period and watch the family relationships change, hopefully for the better in the future. I would not recommend that a friend begin this series with this book, but I would recommend that a friend begin this series. The first is probably the very best place to start and there is a teaser chapter from THIS SIDE OF MURDER at the end of this book.

Much Atmosphere....
The fifth in the Verity Kent Mystery series. A new ordeal for Verity when a visitor appears and a death occurs and Verity is sent into a tailspin Needless to say, Verity finds herself with another mystery to solve. An engaging tale with a likeable protagonist in Verity and a colourful cast of supporting characters. A solid historical mystery with much atmosphere and a good sense of time and place. Another most enjoyable read and a worthy addition to the series.

Thank you to Netgalley for, one again, letting me read the ARC for an honest review.

Once more murder follows the Kents wherever they go, but this time there are family hurts and issues to work through before finding the killer. Verity's Great Aunt Ilsa and her new lady's maid arrive quite unexpectedly upon Verity's doorstep having fled Germany for greater opportunities in Britain. Soon stories of mysterious men and German spies abound and Verity is determined to get to the bottom of it!

I was really pleased to see Verity interact with her family and the various hardships all have while they struggle to celebrate the holidays and try to lean on each other for support. While Verity's mother is a real pill, Ms. Huber does write in such a way that the reader understands that the difference in generations really does play a role. I was on the edge of my seat and cannot wait for more in the Lord Ardmore plot as well...

I enjoy the Verity Kent series and this was an enjoyable addition to the series.

In the fifth book, Verity’s great-aunt arrives from Germany with her maid which leads to Verity and Sidney leaving for Verity’s childhood home. That adds another layer of emotions to the story, returning there after all Verity has been through. Understandably, there’s a lot of anti-German sentiments and when the maid is killed, Verity and Sidney start to investigate. While that’s going on, the two of them are still working out the bigger issue of Lord Ardmore’s ongoing threat.

There seemed to be more repetitive phrases in this book, and at times it almost became distracting from the story. However, it didn’t take away from the actual story, which I thought was quite engrossing.

I continue to really enjoy Verity and Sidney and their ability to work through the past and continue to work on their relationship and understanding of each other.

I’m looking forward to continuing this series in the future!

Thanks to Netgalley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

There is something immensely satisfying about an Anna Lee Huber mystery and the latest Verity Kent novel did not disappoint. Her world building and characterization is excellent, but it never gets in the way of a fast moving and engaging plot. Can't wait for the next one!

In this post-WWI historical mystery, Huber movingly highlights the struggles of war veterans and their families. Oh, and there’s a murder to be solved, too!

Huber’s wonderful Lady Darby series made me want to check out her other work. I jumped right into this 5th installment of the Verity Kent series, and I am just as equally impressed with Huber’s writing. The 1910s aren’t my first choice for reading material, but the struggles of Verity, Sidney, and her family pulled me in despite not being familiar with their backstories or the period. The characters – intrepid spies Verity and Sidney, a biting mother, a quiet father, and exuberant but grieving siblings and great-aunt – resonated for their realness. While emotions take center stage, the mystery of a second deserter from a prior spy mission and a murdered despised German immigrant adds some necessary action.

Thus far, Huber’s books beautifully drawn characters and engaging historical mysteries never disappoint!

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for an advanced read copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book, the 5th installment in the Verity Kent series, was one of my favorites. In this book we got a chance to see Verity interact with her family and see her deal with an issue that has been haunting her for years. It was an emotionally charged read which addressed family, relationships and grief, and contained some passages that were not only thought-provoking but moving as well.

Although there was still a murder to be solved, the focus was really on Verity and her interactions with others. The previous run-ins with Lord Ardmore took a back seat and I think it was a welcome break/pause in the series. I highly recommend, not only this book, but the entire series! Thank you to Kensington Books and NetGalley for an advance copy.

I enjoy the Verity Kent series very much and this was another strong addition to the series. In this offering, the fifth book, we have Verity and her husband trying to decompress from their last spy-related mystery that is still afoot. Breaking up their rest is the arrival of her great-aunt from Germany, fleeing from danger at the hands of her neighbors who seem to know that she helped the British for Verity. In taking on her Germany great-aunt and her maid, she is taking on more than she expected and risks being outed as a WW1 spy herself to her family.

I liked this book, though I found it to be a bit more repetitive than it either needed to be. I worry that it could be a function of the spy plot being more complicated than it possibly should be. I did find the themes of grief and the need to confront it to be very well explored in this specific book.

I will look forward to the next installment in the series.

I thank the publishers for granting me access to a digital advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review.

Part mystery and part family saga, Verity finally returns to her parents home To deal with the death of her brother 5 years earlier. Seriously looking at the impact of war and loss on the survivors, we see that healing must begin. Complicating the visit is the arrival of Verity's German aunt and her maid along with the villagers reception of them.

(The following review will run on CriminalElement.com the week of publication.)

It’s been five years since Verity Kent last visited her childhood home. The Great War — and the death of her beloved brother Rob, one of England’s first fighter pilots — made the prospect of returning too difficult. But now, with the holidays fast approaching and her mother growing insistent, the former intelligence operative can’t put it off any longer.

Verity faced a number of terrifying ordeals in her work for the Secret Service, surviving bombs, German soldiers, and even assassins, but navigating the emotional landmines at home may be the most difficult one yet. Even with the loving support of her husband Sidney, one of the few who knows the truth about her wartime work, walking the familiar landscape and knowing Rob — and fifty other young neighbors — will never see it again may be too much to bear.

What makes it even harder is that her family continues to think badly of her. To the wider world, Verity was merely a secretary at a shipping company during the war, so her excuses regarding her work always rang hollow. When Sidney was (falsely) reported dead, she momentarily earned herself a reputation as a party-girl, attempting to escape the pain in a haze of alcohol, which was hardly endearing, either.

But having signed the Secrets Act, Verity can’t tell her parents and siblings the truth. Not that the truth would make them think any better of her…


The work of intelligence agents was considered by some to be dishonorable, or at least unsporting, particularly by the older generations. The term spy was a dirty word, as was everything that went along with it. Mindsets were changing among those who were younger and had witnessed firsthand the good that such intelligence gathering could do. The soldiers at the front had recognized the necessity for Military Intelligence officers, though many still eyed them with some disfavor. In the case of men working behind enemy lines, like Alec, this introduced more shades of gray, but their bravery was still valued.
However, for a woman to embark on such work, and a lady at that, it was seen as both unnatural and a betrayal of her sex and class. Never mind that what I was doing was just as necessary, that the world was at war, and that my efforts saved lives. It was still unbefitting a woman of my station, and consequently, I was not to be fully trusted.


Between her grief and her family’s disapproval — her mother has always found fault in her, while her siblings are angry and hurt that she’s avoided them for so long — Verity has more than enough on her plate.

Unfortunately, that’s not all she’s struggling with. Her beloved great-aunt Ilse makes an unexpected visit that stirs up anti-German sentiment in the village, and the old woman’s health is worrying. Even more worrying is the news she brings pertaining to Verity’s old Secret Service work: Ilse once helped smuggle Verity and a German deserter across the country, and now says a second deserter visited her months later.

A second deserter Verity’s superiors knew nothing about.

Then, a young maid’s body is found in a nearby barn. The girl had left a note for Verity asking her to meet her — but someone else clearly found her first. Was she silenced before she could tell Verity something important? Is her death connected to this second soldier? Or is something else at play?


I’d felt in danger of sinking into moroseness, but I could not afford to indulge in such emotions knowing what awaited me. Nor could I afford to lose my head when there was a murderer to be unmasked. One who had either followed my great-aunt to England and knew of my work with the Secret Service, or one who would be found among my parents’ neighbors. Given the choice, I wasn’t sure which I would choose. Neither would be a welcome revelation.


Murder Most Fair, the fifth book in Huber’s Verity Kent series, is perhaps the most introspective and emotionally fraught adventure yet. War-time trauma and grief weigh heavily over the novel’s pages, permeating the entire story. The mystery itself is a small portion of the narrative, and takes a backseat to commentary on the psychological toll the Great War left on the survivors.

Everyone knows about Britain’s infamous “stiff upper lip” attitude. But Huber lays bare just how that demand for outward serenity left deep scars on an entire generation. Without any outlets to properly express and process their pain, thousands upon thousands of soldiers (and wives, and parents, and children) struggled greatly in the years between the World Wars. Nearly every character here is fractured and imbalanced, in one way or another.


Everyone, everywhere, throughout the entire war and after, had always been watching, scrutinizing, assessing. Judging whether you were grieving right. Too little and you either hadn’t cared enough or weren’t acknowledging the loss. Too much and you were maudlin and overemotional, and damaging the war effort by not keeping enough of a stiff upper lip. You weren’t supposed to cry too much or talk too much about your pain, but drinking or taking morphine, or any of the other things you might do to excess to numb the ache, were also frowned upon. You were compelled by society to conform to an impossible set of strictures, one that no one could hope to maintain for long without cracking.
In addition to the strain of those untenable strictures, I had also needed to be able to perform my job with the Secret Service. And that was a place where there was absolutely no room for error, no space for emotion, and no time for weakness. I became so good at denying those feelings either by will or the use of gin and dancing, that even when the war had ended and I had been demobbed, and finally there had been an opportunity to actually grieve, I found I no longer knew how. The pain had become planted so deeply inside me that I was no longer certain I could uproot it without also uprooting a large part of myself.


As always, narrator Verity remains a complex heroine with a compelling voice. She’s brave and clever but also impetuous, rushing into danger even in peacetime. Her dynamic with dashing husband Sidney is sizzling, adding some satisfying romance that helps to balance the heaviness of the subject matter, and the pair make for quite the potent combination, capable investigators thanks to their war-time backgrounds.

The series-long threat of the sinister Lord Ardmore still hangs over our heroes’ heads, but Murder Most Fair is a far more personal story than the previous installments, with a narrower focus that allows Huber to really dig into the emotional core of Verity Kent.

This is a slow-burn of a novel, taking plenty of time to build up the atmospheric rural setting, the interpersonal dynamics, and the tension before finally reaching its most dramatic crescendo. Huber’s ability for immersing her readers into a historical period is only growing with each new book; any aficionado of this time will find plenty of details to enjoy.

And Huber also does a superb job of stoking that air of perpetual unease that comes with espionage work, where the spies must always be on their guard and expect that anyone they meet could be an enemy agent or paid accomplice. Any telephone could be bugged. Any message could have a coded double meaning. And the smallest wrong move or slip of the tongue could ultimately spell disaster…

The Verity Kent series is one I love to recommend to friends, because Huber has packed so much into it that appeals to a broad swathe of readers. Can’t get enough about spycraft and intelligence operatives? Read this. Tired of WWII-set stories and more interested in the years surrounding the Great War? Read this. Love a historical story, especially when it’s got a British accent? Read this. Want a bit of romance (with a dash of spice) in your mystery? Read this. Enjoy a novel with a strong female lead who’s still allowed to be vulnerable and fallible? Read this.

If any of that tickles your fancy, Huber should already have a spot on your auto-buy list. And now’s the perfect time to pick her up if you haven’t already; don’t you just love discovering a great new author when they already have an established series (or two) to tear through?

The Kents are back, and this time the mystery hits even closer to home. Quite literally.

In ‘Murder Most Fair,’ Verity’s German great-aunt Ilse shows up on her doorstep, maid in tow, having made the voyage from her home country after the heavy hit Germany took during the war. Not only does Tante Ilse want to see her family again, but she comes bringing a puzzling story of her own, involving a covert assignment Verity completed during the war that of necessity involved her aunt. But the second half of Ilse’s story is a surprise to Verity and adds an element of mystery and doubt — who knew about her first mission and capitalized on it, and who is threatening her elderly aunt for ‘what she did’?

It makes sense to travel with Ilse to Verity’s family home in Yorkshire, something Verity has spent five years running away from because she still cannot face the death of her favorite brother, Rob. Because her family members have strong personalities — especially her mother — and because none of them knew exactly what Verity did during the war, there’s quite a bit of tension brewing, due to hurt feelings and misunderstandings about why she stayed away. She finally makes peace with her grief in this book. I admit I was glad for a few reasons: having suffered loss myself this year, I found myself feeling mildly frustrated with her immature handling of it at times. Reminding myself that her character is only 23 and had a huge deal of stress during ‘her war’ made it bearable, but I’m glad her character has faced the loss and explained herself honestly to Sidney and her family. They deserved that, and her inability to face Rob’s loss has been an underlying storyline in each installment so far.

While in Yorkshire, anti-German sentiments rear up in the village at the presence of Ilse and her German maid. Still trying to figure out the mystery of the second deserter, Sidney and Verity try to navigate these feelings to see who in the area could possibly be behind the threats to Ilse, as far-fetched as this seems initially. Another murder brings things to a head as they finally piece together the truths of what happened both in Germany and in Yorkshire. The end of the novel brings resolution on this front, and resolution between Verity and her family.

Here is some constructive criticism, if Ms. Huber herself reads these reviews. This is my own opinion, but as a reader and big fan of this series I simply have to say this: the author has the habit of using the same words repeatedly, ad nauseum, in a very distracting way. The main culprit? Tresses. If I had a dime for every time Verity referred to her hair (or another woman’s hair) as tresses, I’d be a bit wealthier. It’s grating, and once you notice it a few times, you can’t help but notice every single time it’s done. I honestly don’t think that, even in the 1920s, a woman would refer to her hair as ‘my tresses.’ Enough of that subject now. Just please, as an author, see that for your readers this can set teeth on edge.

My sincere thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read this in exchange for my honest review.

Thanks Netgalley for allowing me to read this book. Verity's aunt comes to visit after receiving some disturbing pieces of mail. Verity uses some connections to determine who could be behind this. When someone close to his aunt is found murdered, Verity will go to great lengths to figure out who the culprit is.

I received an advance reader copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review via NetGalley and the publishers.
This latest installment of the Verity Kent mystery series picks up a few weeks after the previous book, A Pretty Deceit, left off. Verity and her husband Sidney have just had a few weeks of well-deserved relaxation at the seaside when her great-aunt Ilse surprises them. Great-Aunt Ilse is fleeing the ravages of post-war Germany, but even more than that are the anonymous threats she received, triggering concern that her and Verity's wartime secrets may come to light. Verity and Sidney decide that the safest place for her aunt is with Verity's family for Christmas--but Verity hasn't been home in 5 years, and much has changed due to the war. They face anti-German sentiment and a startling murder that must be solved, all with the specter of Verity's nemesis hovering over all.
Firstly, I recommend that this book be read in order with the rest of the series. The ongoing thread of the fight to expose the heinous and amoral Lord Ardmore is central to the plot, including the murder investigation.
That having been said, for fans of this series this latest book does not disappoint! The Great War still overshadows the present and drives many choices. We see the continuity of the theme of attempting to cope with its horrors and trying to forge a new way forward. We also see how Verity's grief has been leading up to this moment as she returns home and has to finally face the fact that her brother, Rob, is really dead. Grief, loss, change, and family are the central themes here, even more so than in previous Verity Kent books.
I appreciate the way the author takes us down the various investigative paths, some of which do not necessarily help solve the mystery but all of which help paint a bigger picture of the characters and their time. I also appreciate that everyone is human with their own flaws. Insights are realistic and clues are overlooked, and all the characters are dealing with their own struggles and blessings. I find them relatable, even if I am not an investigator myself, and that is part of the talent of Anna Lee Huber, that she can take someone from another walk of life and another time and help me feel a kinship to the same universal human qualities that I also have. I loved this book, and definitely recommend it to fans of the series! (and, if you haven't read them in order already, what are you waiting for?)

I love Anna lee Huber and I love the Verity Kent series. I have read every book in this series and honestly it just keeps getting better with each new book that comes out.

I loved the character of Great Aunt Ilse and the relationship Verity has with her great aunt. I can appreciate what a trying time it must have been during the aftermath of WWII. Verity's aunt is German. She was not welcomed in a remote British town. Verity must solve who murdered her aunt's maid all the while navigating some very fragile family bonds. The relationship Verity has with her mother is extremely vexing and you can't help but feel for all involved - although I did not like the way her mother treated her through out the book, at the end I was glad to see the maternal instincts kick in.

I devoured this book rather quickly and I want to thank NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this ARC.

As always, Anna Lee Huber is a good and safe bet if you love cozies.

November 1919. A relaxing few weeks by the seaside with her husband, Sidney, could almost convince Verity Kent that life has returned to the pleasant rhythm of pre-war days. Then Verity's beloved Great-Aunt Ilse lands on their doorstep. After years in war-ravaged Germany, Ilse has returned to England to repair her fragile health--and to escape trouble. Someone has been sending her anonymous threats, and Verity's Secret Service contacts can only provide unsettling answers. This is the 5th in the series and I really like the way that Verity has developed over the previous outings. This was a good mystery but the ending was really rather anti-climatic and didn't really seem to fit with the character. The rest of the book however held my interest and the plot was really interesting. Thank you NetGalley for the advanced readers copy for review.

Book 5 in Verity Kent series.
Very interesting mystery series set during and after WWII.
Verity and her husband Sidney are likable characters.
Year 1919, Verity’s German aunt cause problems with the villagers.
Her aunts young maid is killed and Verity and Sidney try to figure out what happened.
Recommend the rest of this series as well as her Lady Darby mysteries.

This was good. A nice entry in this series, though it felt pat at Times. The climax seemed incongruous given Verity’s background, so I found it rather lazy. But, I felt the character didn’t development here was long overdue and made the story more interesting.