Sorry but I found this predictable and a slow read. It is fine for a quick easy read but not an author I will follow

Verity and Sidney are back for the sixth book in this fantastic series. This all starts with a murder, and individual cases for Verity and Sidney come together and make this an excellent post-WWI era espionage book with a bit of romance.

This is definitely a series that you need to read the previous books to understand not only does this make the character growth and overall story more enjoyable, there’s references to past events and there’s one story with Ardmore, the big bad villain of the series, which starts coming together more in this book, but it probably wouldn’t make much sense without reading past books. One of the overall themes from the series continues in this book too, which is was past work/espionage worth it in the long run.

I’m absolutely looking forward to reading more books in the series!

I have a deep love for this series. The intelligence that Anna Lee Huber brings to the Verity Kent series keeps it far above the others in this genre. This series weaves the spy story with a historical setting of the period between the wars with a good mystery. There is always a lot going on in these books, and she does a tremendous job of keeping previous storylines connected and expanding.

In this book, we see Verity and Sidney being called to France because a former connection of Sidney's has been arrested and will only speak with him. The French police want this assistance, but that creates a tricky situation for him and his relationship with Verity as this woman posed as his wife during a time when Verity thought he had died. He wisely brings Verity along, as her spy training has given her an advantage he doesn't have. They are soon pulled into a deep and complex web of problems they need to solve that makes them question their commitment to their jobs and the sacrifices they have already made.

As usual, this series is a must-read for me. I love the characters, the intrigue, and the way she paces the story, and I am always left wanting the next one. I did find the big reveal a bit over the top and slipping into conspiracy theory territories with real-world historical events, but I liked how she used that to allow us deeper into the character's psyches and their relationship.

Anna Lee Huber's sixth instalment in the Verity Kent series, A Certain Darkness, is another wonderful read. We are back into the deep mystery that has been underpinning the previous books and intertwined with the basic mystery of this book. A Certain Darkness spends quite a bit of time helping readers understand World War I and the repercussions that reverberated through the world, especially Britain, Belgium, Netherlands, and France at its conclusion. The history and characters drive this story. I love Verity and her humanity, smarts, and strength. I have to be honest that I haven't really like Sidney Kent, Verity's husband. In the earlier books, he had my grudging respect, but in A Certain Darkness, Huber manages to move Sidney to a favoured character status along with his lovely and intelligent wife, Verity. Their working relationship and marriage seem stronger and better in this story. I highly recommend this novel. I know some may not like the historical explanations, but they made the book even better for me. Go read Verity Kent and A Certain Darkness now.

This was a nice return to form after a few lackluster entries. Really nice echoes of classic spy movies like Notorious or Night Train to Munich. Some pat dialogue persists in this series, and I’m tired of Ardmore, but this was a fun adventure. I lost track of how the villain was found out, but on the whole it was a good read.

Verity and Sidney Kent are the darlings of post-World War 1 London society. They are also spies.

While Sidney fought in the trenches, Verity worked undercover. Although the war is over, the two are summoned frequently to help the secret service with a case.

In the sixth book of Anna Lee Huber's series, the two spend hours on trains in France, Belgium and Amsterdam searching for papers that would destroy Britain's reputation if they fell into the wrong hands.

At the center of this book, as with the last few, is Lord Ardmore, a manipulative villain who killed the father of their close friend Max. Ardmore is the key to a shipment of poisonous gas headed to Ireland for use by the Republican army.

Book six is fast-paced and entertaining, laced with chaste romance and the latest fashions.

https://www.gooIt is my own fault. I should have realized that because this is the 6th book in a series, I might have problems knowing what was happening.
Boy, I should have realized it.
There are many references to past events, past characters and not always any explanation. And situations are complicated and appear even more complicated, because I did not know the history.
The time is the period shortly after WWI. Verity worked as an agent during the war. Her husband, Sidney was a hero and received the Victoria Cross. They are now involved in events in France, Belgium and the Netherlands. A woman who is in a French prison has requested that Sidney come to help her. She says she has information that will be valuable to the British.
We have murders, bombs going off, people who may or may not be good guys coming in and out of the story.
Ms Huber is a very talented author. She is a master of description. But, at times the descriptions are about unimportant things. Ms Huber is a talented author who creates plots which are quite involved.
I know that if I had a better grasp of what was happening I would have enjoyed the book much more. I am certain if I had read even one of the earlier books, I would have been able to grasp things more completely.
I would suggest that this talented author not have so many complications in a story unless things are explained more fully.
I liked the writing, but had a difficult time figuring out what was what. I believe that I have been doing a disservice to this book because I was not familiar with the past.
I received this book from the publisher through NetGalley. I am voluntarily writing this review and all opinions are completely my own.

dreads.com/review/show/4836422226

I enjoyed this latest addition to the Verity Kent series, which felt reminiscent of earlier books with Verity and Sidney hunting for clues throughout France, Belgium and the Netherlands. I say this every time, but this series is always at its best when Verity gets to show off her spy skills, and this is no exception. The dual mysteries here involve Sidney's quest to find evidence hidden by a former informant who assisted him in his treason investigation, which dovetails into Verity's questionable assignment from her former superiors to track down a missing report that was stolen from a murdered English spy. Both Verity and Sidney start to question their roles and whether they are being purposefully misled by the ones they thought they could trust. The developments here are sure to have major repercussions for the characters going forward.

As with most of the recent stories in the series, all of this ties into Ardmore's ongoing shadow campaign to take over the government and threaten Verity in the process. As much as I find the Ardmore as a villain storyline compelling, I really hope it wraps up soon (this one seems to be hinting that it's building to the big showdown in the next book). After several books, it's getting harder to keep track of names and the threads of his vast conspiracy, and a bit frustrating when every move Verity makes Ardmore seems to be one step ahead. I can't imagine any new readers jumping in on this one and not being completely lost.

I did like that Sidney starts to open up more to Verity here. Even if he'll never be as good as Max (who is once again sadly absent from the story aside from a brief appearance), his character continues to steadily improve. He makes a good partner to Verity in these investigations and knows when to stand back so she can take the lead.

Thank you to a Kensington and Netgalley for providing an ARC for review!

I've been a fan of Huber since her Lady Darby series There were some ups and downs with that series where it didn't grab my attention as much as other books in the series. However, the entire Verity Kent series is a knockout. We're now 6 books into this series and each one is a gem. Verity and her husband, Sydney, are forced to return to the content to help solve the mysterious death of a woman who was in French custody. The mystery is well thought out and the loose threads of overarching series mystery concerning Ardmore are starting to come together. What was more impactful than the mystery, though, was exploration of Sydney's mental state and his PTSD from the war. It was thoughtfully done and emotionally moving. It make the reader even more connected to Sydney.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the review copy.

Firstly I need to say that this book is not a standalone. Not only do the characters carry over from previous novels in the series but also there is a huge amount of back story and an on-going plot line of trying to bring down the big bad villian of the series. I would not recommend reading this book without starting the series at the beginning and reading all in publishing order.

This series is post World War One espionage mystery with a bit of romance. Told from the point of view of Verity Kent former War time spy for the British.

This book seems very well researched. I learned a fair bit about the involvement of Belgium and Holland both during and immediately after World War One.

It kept me guessing until right near the end and then finished with a hint of what Verity's next adventure will be.

I'm a Verity/Sydney stan. I love them together, and I love how real their relationship feels. They go through ups and downs, and the stories really reflect that. The mystery was a little confusing, as it fused both Verity and Sidney's past into one mystery. I am intrigued to see how it plays into the overall arc of their story in their larger investigation. I can't wait for their next adventure.

The story was exciting from beginning to end and I had a hard time putting it down. Verity and Sidney are still trying to get evidence against their nemesis Lord Ardmore but have been stymied by his government connections. They have been called to Belgium to question a suspected spy who says she will only speak to Sidney. Verity comes along as the expert in espionage and they are drawn into the murder of a courier carrying mysterious papers of crucial importance to Britain's security. Ardmore's men Smith and Willoughby are again involved and Verity and Sidney find themselves questioning their own alliances while trying to prevent more deaths. While I enjoyed the thrill ride, I was somewhat confused about the motives of Smith and Willoughby in their loyalty to Ardmore and their questionable foreign connections. I also found it hard to understand how they could get away with the things that they were doing, supposedly at Ardmore's command. But the story was good enough for me to suspend belief and hopefully things will eventually become clearer as I continue the series - which I will definitely do.

The first world war is something of a black hole for most Americans. There's a lot of moving parts and minimal emotional connection. The Somme, Passchendaele, Ypres? Nah, couldn't tell you.

Historical fiction like the Verity Kent series bridges the gap between ignorance and "The Guns of August." The reader invests in Verity the former British Intelligence spy and her husband Sidney, decorated war hero. The duo ferrets out dangerous secrets and military cover-ups in a very fragile post-war world.

Verity, Sidney and their friends are fragile, too. One of the author's real strengths lies in capturing the trauma that four years of global warfare has caused. Bodies physically shattered; psyches mentally shattered. Verity and Sidney travel to France, Belgium and Holland where the landscape is nothing but rubble and rusted barbed wire. What could have been worth such total annihilation?

The pacing can be a little slow with some impressive info dumps for the Americans in the back of the history classroom. I do like a book that makes me google for maps and historical personages. I love that Spymaster C is Mansfield Smith-Cumming, the real British naval officer who served as the first chief of the Secret Intelligence Service.

The book ends on a cliff hanger as Verity and Sidney prepare to go to Ireland, a forthcoming lesson in the very real 1920's Irish Problem. History will come alive again, I'm sure.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

I stayed up way too late finishing this book. In their current investigations Sidney and Verity find they can trust no one but each other. Their separate cases overlap and their lives are at risk. Who are their allies and who are their enemies? Sidney has new appreciation for his wife's skills acquired during the Great War. Verity learns more about her husband's war and how it has affected him. These bits and pieces push them towards a new intimacy that will be stronger than before. I love how their characters are evolving and adjusting, even as events keep pulling them back into the Great War post-Armistice.

Verity and her husband get embroiled again in a mystery that they must unravel by traveling around the world and encountering misleading individuals.

This was a great addition to the series. Getting Verity out of London, the murder, the twisting turns of the larger mystery were all handled well. It was deliciously hard to tell who to trust. Huber continues to deliver solid, entertaining books that are the gold standard for historical mystery romance.

I like the stories featuring Verity and her husband Sydney. Her exploits during WWI are brave, courageous and
stuff that other women did not do. Sydney was himself a brave soldier and one who thankfully came out of the war
alive. That they are able to make a life together after the harrowing preceeding years is a miracle.

Now they are called upon to go back to espionage and find out secrets that are hazardous and will set the world
alight. Verity finds the civilian life rather too quiet for her taste and she is longing to get the bit between
her teeth but Sydney is the ideal partner - putting on the brakes and making sure she does not risk it all for
the sake of her work. He makes her realize that in the end her life and his matters, and that they came out of
the War not to destroy themselves but to make a life together.

The story going back to Belgium, Netherlands and past characters in their lives all trying to get this report which
will rock Europe.

Very high on espionage, thrills, this is a page turner

Sidney is asked to come to Paris because a woman who was part of the spy network that he exposed after they nearly killed him in the Great War has been captured and will only talk to him. Verity goes with him and they are annoyed with her cryptic conversation, but think they will possibly make progress the next day. Sadly, she is found hanged in her cell, supposedly a suicide. Verity quickly examines the body and realizes she has been murdered. SOMEBODY didn't want her to talk, but who?
Verity is asked to leave Paris and the investigation to look into the murder of a courier and to find the papers he was carrying as a matter of national security. As Verity and Sydney get deeper into the case, they find that the two cases are linked, not only to each other, but to the pasts of both Sydney and Verity in the war years and have massive implications for the future.
This was a very emotional book, as Sydney had to confront his feelings about the war years and how the political big-wigs may have lengthened the war. Verity has to face that her spy boss, C, may have known about things that could have shortened the war, but did nothing. Can she ever trust him totally again?
As usual, Verity and Sydney get the answers, but not always according to her boss, C's directions.

In the latest entry in the Verity Kent mystery series, the Great War has been over for about two years, but it’s impact continues impact the lives of many, including Verity and Sidney Kent. Verity, who was a British agent during the war, and Sidney, a war hero, are reluctantly pulled into situations related to their previous service.

Although presented by separate sources, both cases eventually overlap and converge. In their pursuit of the truth, Verity and Sidney must travel back to some of the most devasted areas of Europe, confront old traumas and question some of their fundamental beliefs about the war. This is an excellent addition to a strong series, which just keeps getting better. While facing enormous "professional" and personal challenges, Sidney and Verity continue to rebuild their trust in each other and strengthen their relationship.

Thanks to #NetGalley and #KensingtonBooks for an advanced copy to review.

An intense edition in the story of Verity and Sydney. I wish I had read it a little closer to the one before - there was an intricacy to the plot that required me to go back to remind myself who we were talking about. Felt a tad convoluted at times and without much of a resolution it's clearly setting up the showdown between the Kents and Ardmore.