3.25/5 stars! This is the second installation in the Jack and Ivy series by author J'nell Ciesielski. I think this is one of those books where you really had to read the first book to get the storyline. It doesn't distract from the story, but it did leave me confused at several points. Additionally, I think my expectation was that this would be more assassin/spy thriller than a fictional one. The story was good and Ivy's character was beautifully written. It just wasn't quite what I was expecting.

I received an advance review copy for free through NetGalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily

This book starts ten years after the first one, The Brilliance of Stars. It is now the 1920s and Ivy is still mourning the loss of her childhood friend and husband, John, who she witnesses fall off the edge of a cliff ten years earlier. She and Philip, another childhood friend, who Ivy considers the closest thing she has to a brother, despite missing John, are still battling good against the evil in the world. The battle has intensified; however, they are determined to see justice done.

This is a fast-paced story of adventure, betrayal, treachery, and espionage. There are many twists and turns and, unexpected events and unforeseen surprises.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions and comments are my own.

If you love the Marvel movies, particularly Captain America, you'll love this book. It picks up ten years after the first, and is a race to finding what's been lost, redemption, justice v. mercy, grace v. reality. It's a story that pounds and waits. Races and whispers. Set in the 1920s, it was an enjoyable read with international intrigue and a trace of the fantastical.