When I started reading this book, I wasn't sure if I would like it. The first half was a tad slow-paced. I also had a bit of trouble following the storyline and the characters. But, as the story proceeded, things started getting better and exciting - edge-of-your-seat kind.

I enjoyed reading this book - more than I expected it to be. I loved the shocking twist in the second half of the book. Reggie does whatever it takes to get to the bottom of the case - even if it means coming face-to-face with the merciless killer, with the only intent of catching them red-handed in the act.

This is the first Australian setting book that I have read. A few issues are highlighted, like racism and hatred towards Germans. The war might be over but Germans (soldiers or civilians) aren't welcome.

Overall, Deadly Intent by Laraine Stephens was an entertaining and enjoyable read.

A welcome different setting than most of the many upon many mysteries set in the 1920s and 1930s of either the United States or Great Britain. Instead this is set in Melbourne with a flamboyant news reporter as the lead who finds some help from a straight-laced socialite to solve a murder of a man found stuffed in a trunk in a flooded basement. The twist and turns are many and the unexpected depths of the characters is a welcome discovery. I would be interested in reading more of this series.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Reggie is a flamboyant, confident crime report that mixes with Australia’s underground mobs. He stumbles on a murder victim while reporting on a flood. As he investigates he is approached by the victims daughter who wants him to uncover the murderer. A complex web of lies, deceit and murder unfolds. But is everything as simple as it seems? The book kind of gives you the answer to the early on, but it’s really refreshing to read as Reggie scrambles to get evidence and confront the murderer. There a a few twists and I found these very exciting. There was also lots of little extras lines to the plot which I really enjoyed. I found this a very enjoyable, easy read and will definitely be checking out the authors other book. I loved the Australian setting and just found this book a great vintage mystery with twists. I definitely recommend you take a look at this book.

The second in the Reggie da Costa series, this mystery is a fascinating look at Melbourne in the 1920s with the central question of who is killing elderly, wealthy, lonely widowers. I have not read the first book in the series but had no problem getting into this one. The side characters are well drawn (although one possible character seems almost caricatured in her extremeness) and the detecting journalist, Reggie, is real in his flawed nature rather than heroic. Highly recommend and look forward to the next in the series. I read an ARC provided by #NetGalley.

Another standalone mystery featuring the news reporter Reggie, foppish and conceited to the extent that his bloated self-image severely impairs his judgment. Were it not for the no-nonsense, bright and logical Dotty, Reggie might have been lost and horrid crimes remained unsolved. Deadly Intent features another great mystery plot full of twists, red herrings and well-described scenes, although some of the characters appeared rather flat and stereotyped to me. What really appealed to me was the thorough research of political and social conditions in the Melbourne of 1923, which were adroitly woven into the plot, lending it atmosphere and authenticity.
Muchly recommended for historical mystery buffs!
Thank you to NetGalley, publisher and author for this entertaining ARC, which permitted me to write this unbiased review.

This is an interesting mystery book.
Reggie and Dotty are best friends in this mysterious story that includes a two year old murder.
It is October 1923. What looks like a routine report, on the heavy rains battering Melbourne, becomes another case of murder for The Argus’s celebrated crime reporter, Reggie da Costa, devotee of fashionable suits and flamboyant automobiles. A flooded basement hides a ghastly secret: the decomposing remains of Cornelius Stout, a wealthy widower, who has been missing for over two years. With an unlikely partner in straitlaced Dotty Wright, Reggie pursues a cold-blooded, manipulative killer with deadly intentions.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley.
This in no way affects my opinion of this book which I read and reviewed voluntarily.

Highly recommend this one! This was my first book to read by this author but definitely won't be my last. The characters will stay with you long after you finish the book and you will find yourself wishing the story would never end.

Murder Most Foul..
The second in the Reggie da Costa mystery series, Melbourne set 1923. Our enigmatic and somewhat dapper yet eccentric crime reporter is on the case of murder most foul. With a flooded basement and a body can Reggie get to the bottom of what may well be a dastardly plot? With a wonderful setting, a firm sense of time and place and an extremely likeable protagonist, this is another enjoyable and satisfying tale of murder and mayhem.

I received an email from the author letting me know that her new book was available if I wanted to check it out. Having really enjoyed her first book The Death Mask Murders, I jumped at the opportunity.

Reggie de Costa works on the crime beat for a local Melbourne, Australia newspaper in the early 1920's. As an investigative reporter he always has his nose where it typically doesn't belong. He is 40-ish and considers himself to be quite dapper, in his nice suits and bright yellow car. He lives with his mother and his job is his life. His mother, despite her sordid past (a philandering husband that left her destitute) she still keeps within a wealthier circle of friends. One of her friends asks Reggie to investigate a suicide, seeing as he had success solving the Death Mask Murders, and while he is doing so, he discovers a body, hidden in an old trunk, in a dank old basement. Turns out to be the body of a wealthy missing man.

They story is full of twists and turns as Reggie starts to see that this wealthy missing man is but one of many. Almost all of whom had been poisoned with rat poison. He starts digging into the backgrounds of each man and starts to find a common denominator to all the men, a tawdry woman named, Rita Savage. Reggie often works with the police, sort of a tit for tat when it comes to information, but the new detective isn't very fond of outsider help. He decides to go it alone and ends up almost becoming a victim himself. Can Reggie find out who the killer of all these men is before it's too late?

I really liked this story overall. There were a couple of chapters that were a little long due to deep descriptions of scenes that I felt weren't necessary, but the majority of the book is so fantastic that I can overlook that. I love the world building this author brings to the table and I always love a good period piece. Being that its set in the 1920's, we get a glimpse into a different time for everyone, a time when wearing something as innocent seeming like red lipstick was scandalous. My only hope is that Reggie will find someone that will make him happy and perhaps help him grow up a bit. I received this book free from NetGalley for an honest review.

So I have deviated from my usual genres, and tried out a mystery novel! It took a bit for my brain to adapt to the style of this historical mystery. However when I got into the story and the characters I thoroughly enjoyed it! I felt like I had the killer and plot all figured out, and was smugly yelling my predictions to my indifferent Boyfriend. But alas my predictions were not exactly correct, but that just made the story better for me! I really loved the characters and felt like I was watching a retro murder mystery! I will definitely be reading more mystery books after this!
Thank you to Level best books and Netgalley for this ARC!

Wow. What a great book. I just couldn't put it down! It is a crime, mystery, has historical aspects and is just so thrilling. I loved it.

A flood, a body and a crime reporter. This story takes us on a journey of multiple murders, a great cast of characters and I love that it is based in Melbourne which really brought it to life for me. Reggie, the main character, was at times shallow and annoying but that is what made his character interesting.

The story flowed well and was well written, it kept me interested throughout and had enough mystery and intrigue so that I would not get bored with it. A great read, a great book and I do recommend!

I think it's a light and entertaining mystery that kept me hooked and guessing. I liked the characters and the vivid background.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine