4 1/2* STARS*
There's another murder and it involves a woman from Niall's past and an organization on the brink of causing a revolution. Niall's secrets are the key to start the movement, but his friends, with Kara in the lead, are determined to save him.
More complicated and involved than the previous book and even more romantic.
Kisses only.
I recommend reading these books in order.
I voluntarily read and reviewed a copy of this book from NetGalley.

Murder on the Mirrored Lake
Book # 3
The Kier and Levett Mystery Series
by Deb Marlowe



This series The Kier and Levett Mystery has lots of action, suspense and mystery and it has been a pleasure to read.. the cast and characters come together wonderfully. Easy read, and a fast read. You'll love it.

I was given a free copy thanks to NetGalley for an honest review.

I;m going to sound like a stuck record but I truly can't get enough of this series, I enjoyed books 1 and 2 and this one is a goodie too!!

Kara and Niall's relationship continues to evolve and we learn a lot more about his past. The many threads come together in the end, A great story. Well done to the author!!


Its five out of five for me. and I look forward to the next one

My thanks to Netgalley and Dragonblade Publishing for my advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Ehhh, I'm still not sure how I feel about this. The story was ok but I found myself not wanting to sit and read. Just not entirely my cup of tea.

This is the third book in the series. I decided to read the first two before reading this one. I am so glad that I did. Even though this can be read as a standalone, having an understanding of the first 2 books made it all the better. I loved the storyline that kept you turning the page. There were twists and turns that kept you guessing. The characters were well written and they all blended well together. Although this is the end of the mystery, I am hoping there will be more adventures to come. I read all three books in a week I loved them so much. I received an ARC from Netgalley and freely give my review.

I'm loving this series! I picked up book 1 on a recommendation for historical mystery romance, and I'm glad I did. Definitely recommend that the series be read in order.

Niall and Kara are great characters with interesting backgrounds and professions/abilities, and their intelligence and aptitudes are put to good use in this new mystery with someone that seeks to expose secrets. Of course, the more time they spend together solving the problems, the more their friendship deepens.

The political intrigue and the twisty mystery keep the pace going and make for a fast reading.

Can't wait for the next book in the series!

I received a copy from the publisher via NetGalley and this is my honest opinion.

Scandal, Secrets, and Murder

Niall had a secret, and it was a big one. It was also quite deadly. Should it come into the light, it would be a disaster, not only for Niall, but for many people. Some would kill to expose it, and others would do anything to keep it hidden. Just exactly, what was this deadly secret? For the answer, you must turn the pages of this Victorian mystery. It is sure to keep you turning pages with its plot twists and. This book is the best in this series. I enjoyed it and would recommend it to lovers of historical mysteries with deadly secrets.

With this being my first foray into the Kier and Levett mystery series, I was not prepared for the thrilling and wonderful story which was laid out before me. The writing was exquisite, the mise en scène spectacularly described and the historical references spot on!

The reader is swiftly transported to Victorian England where the murder occurs early on in the story. But there is so much more adventure, thrill and intrigue than the usual mystery affords. There is also a strong element of science incorporated into the story as well as strong women of character. The protagonist, Kara Levett, is clever, resourceful, plucky as well as elegant. She floats among the ton with relative ease as she is a much admired creator of automatons and case clockworks - a well respected artist. Niall Kier, Kara's main squeeze has secrets of his own which he has so carefully guarded his entire life. Ah, but will he be able to protect them from prying eyes and ears? He is a hunted man, after all.

If historical fiction with a twist of mystery, adventure and action appeal, then I highly commend this book and its series to you.

I am grateful to Dragonblade Publishing, Inc. for having provided a complimentary copy of this book through Netgalley. Their generosity, however, has not influenced this review.

Publication Date: 08/24/2023
Publisher: Dragonblade Publishing
ISBN: 978-8858906353
No. of pages: 260

This is the 3rd Book in the Kier and Levett Mystery series. This book grabs you and pulls you into a great story! Neil and Kara's romance brings you right with them and experience their feelings for each other. Neil's long time secret is about to come to light and he finds he needs to share all of himself to Kara and free his heart. The mystery is amazing and the love shared is heartwarming.

I have always loved mysteries and thrillers, and of late, I have been reading quite a bit of suspense stories set in the regency/Victorian Era. So this kept popping up in GR suggestions and the blurb of this book quite enticed me. Since this was the third book in the series, I decided to read the previous ones first, and I am glad that I did so. Though this could probably be read as a standalone, having the backstory of the characters helps connect with the characters and the story much better.

In the first book, I had found the writing a bit immature at places. But that has improved much over the course of the series. Or if not, the pace and the tension of the plot kept me from noticing it. Niall is a wonderful hero - attractive, kind, loyal and having a troubled past - just the kind that makes up for the best ones in the genre. The heroine Kara is a bit of overload of good things - extremely beautiful, rich, intelligent, brave. I am all for intellectual and courageous women, but such superlatives become incongruous. Her wealth is integral to the story, but the ethereal beauty could have been avoided without any loss to the story. The development of their relationship is quite well done, and thankfully no misunderstanding or reluctance in expressing their feelings.

There are some wonderful secondary characters in the series, most notably Turner and Gyda. Some new ones are introduced in this one, and I loved Rob and Josie. It is great to see more of Viscount Stayme and discover his role in Niall's life. I liked the idea of the women's club introduced in the previous book, and it was heartwarming to see Kara find some friends, specially within this society.

The plot was tightly woven, with a great amount of intrigue, and kept me hooked, though I had guessed the secret of Niall's identity in the previous book. I was pulled into it from start to end, but it did seem a over-the-top, and what I wonder most is where the villains acquired the immense amount of funds required for such an operation. One thing that frustrated me was Kara's walking into obvious traps or dangerous situations without thinking things through, for all her intelligence.

Overall, a very enjoyable suspense-thriller-romance, and I am looking forward to the next one in the series. I received and ARC from Dragonblade through Netgalley, and thank them for this copy. The opinions expressed here are my own.

The third in this series (and it's better to read the books in order, as the characters' relationships and backgrounds are important and may be difficult to understand) includes a secret league with mysterious goals and a few murders to solve. The lead characters of Kara and Niall have a lovely, supportive relationship and rely on a cohort of friends (many recurring from previous books) to assist them in solving the murders. Kara and Niall are generally a step ahead of the villains but generally seemed to be a step behind in this book. The author does a good job of tying a complex plot together at the end. With thanks to Dragonblade Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC.

This Victorian historical romance is part of a series that is much better read in order. You could read this on it's own, but you would have to wait until the characters tell you the background between them instead of remembering it from the previous books. You also will not find out what our clever heroine works so hard at.

Our characters are very special and have made a successful life for themselves. Unfortunately they are also targets for quite a few "bad guys". Because of the lifestyle they have lived independently before, they know how to take care of themselves and others.

There is a lot of adventure, and a murder/ mystery to solve. All while trying to stay alive themselves.

Great fun.

Thanks to Dragonblade Publishing and Net Galley for this ARC. The third book in the series and still going strong, lots of action, suspense and mystery.

I am loving this series so far! Each mystery holds my attention and keeps me guessing until the end. The mystery here builds on events that occurred in the previous book and resolves some smaller mysteries mentioned before. I love Kara and Niall as a team, but it was also really interesting following them separately as they carried out the investigation. And it was great to see the characters from the previous books reappear and really get more involved in solving the mystery. I love the relationship between Kara and Turner - I, much like Kara, would be crushed if something bad were to happen to Turner. I missed Wooten in this one, but I'm looking forward to him being back for the next story. It was also nice to see a little more of Beth (who we met in book 2) and the hint of romance between her and Rob was really sweet. The villains here are really interesting and complicated characters. I don't want to spoil anything for readers about the two of the villains, but since we already know Malina is up to no go I can say that I wished there had been an actual confrontation between her and Kara - I really wanted more of an explanation from her as to what her part in the bigger plot had been (and I will admit after how awful she was to Kara I would have liked to have seen her in the moment of her defeat). And despite not liking her, she was kind of a fascinating character. I thought the ending here did a pretty good job of wrapping up events and also leaving us with the knowledge that perhaps it wasn't all finished quite yet. One of the villains is definitely the type not to be stopped quite so easily. Another aspect of this series that I have really enjoyed is how the romance between Kara and Niall has been allowed to develop over time and the mystery has been given center stage. Now that Niall's past as been revealed to the group of friends it will be interesting to see how their relationship continues to grow. I love that there wasn't a proposal at the end of this because it will be fun to watch them go through the courting rituals (which we know for these two will probably be wrapped around a mystery).

Someone wants Niall Kier's secrets exposed-even if they lead to scandal, unrest and murder. Niall needs to find who is digging so furiously into his past-and why they are so eager to unleash the scandal that could follow. When a woman is murdered at the lake that Kara Levett has dedicated to her women's club, it is discovered that the victim was connected to a woman from Niall's past-and Kara dives into the enquires. After all, she's made no promises in that direction. It soon becomes clear that the tangle of clues and conspiracies are related, and when their friend is abducted and held for the ransom that can prove Niall's past, they must work together-to save their friend, to protect Niall's secrets . . . and perhaps, even the nation.
The third book in the series & to fully appreciate it I’d recommend reading in order. I love Niall & Kara, the chemistry between them is palpable but this is one very slow burn romance. The series is more mystery than romance. A very well written book that kept me on the edge of my seat & also kept the pages whizzing past, the book centres around Niall’s secret & the lengths some will go to to find proof of it. The characters are wonderful, the pace is fast & this series is one of the best I’ve recently read & highly recommend it.
My review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

Well this book is packed full of action, mystery and secrets. I haven't read the beginning of the series and while I could understand what was going on there is a lot of carry over from previous books and reading those first, I'm sure, would add a lot to this story, particularly to see how the relationship between Kara and Niall began and grows.

Murder happens on a property that Kara owns. Kara is of course interesting in investigating but she has to start it without Niall who is in hiding because someone is digging into his past and threatens to expose his secrets. Things get more complicated when it turns out that the woman murdered has ties to Niall, she was employed by the woman Niall was hand-fasted to at one time. Talk about complications. But they will have to work together if they want to save a friend and bring a murderer to justice. Oh, and maybe save the empire too.

I enjoyed this book. It did introduce "The League" a large organization that seems set on some chaos and is seeking to use Niall to do it. I'm always a little weary of books that have a secret organization that seeks political dominion/has the master criminal, etc. It can take it a little too much the overtop and into the completely unbelievable category. I'm not invested enough in this series yet--it might change when I read the first two books--to really judge the whole idea of The League and how it makes me feel about future books.

But I did enjoy this one. The characters are well developed, there is good chemistry, plenty of action in addition to a solid mystery. It is definitely worth a look at.

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

Secrets and a murder...

Kara is a sleuth.
Niall had a big secret.
There's a lot of secrets, a murder to solve and sparks between Kara and Niall.
Recommend.

Anticipation was high prior to reading this book #3 in this series since the previous two left the reader with many questions. Will the mystery of Niall Kier finally be revealed? Who is after Niall and why are they making his life so difficult? Just what does his miniatures have to do with it all? Will Kara and Niall be able to take their relationship up a notch or two? All of these are answered at last! And in a most wonderful intriguing way as investigating a murder on Kara's property leads to more mysteries and finally answers and resolutions. What are they? Well! Sorry you will have to read the book to find out! New characters are introduced, hopefully to appear in future books. I especially want to see more of Rob. Although Niall's secret is now know, this is only the beginning for Kara and Niall and their troupe of friends.

Murder on the Mirror Lake (A Keir and Lecett Mystery #3)
This book pulled me in from the very beginning. I loved it I love the characters the world Ms Marlowe has built.

The chemistry between Neil and Kara jumps off the page. From the beginning they’re wonderful they’re loyalty to each other their love for each other. And their love for their friends and their friends love for them the family they have created.

Neil Kier has secrets that he’s kept close his whole life but now he finds he wants to share them especially as they’re coming back to haunt him. He’s accused of the death of his first wife and he has to try to clear his name. Kara has been looking out for herself and developing the most unusual skills her whole life since she was kidnapped at age 11.

It takes all their combined intelligence and talents to solve the murder of a young maid. That turns into a deadly hunt for Neil by the perpetrators to announce this closely kept secret to the word.

This book kept me turning the pages long after I should have been in bed. All our old friends return in this book and some new ones come in. Always a delightful time. Was so happy to have gotten an ARC for this book by the talented Deb Marlowe.

If you are a mystery fan and love Victorian historical you must pick this up. There is a wonderful natural flowing love story woven through out all three books. Five stars all the way.

The third Kier and Levett mystery starts off with a meeting of a secret society, of sorts. The use of these groups in the series adds to the Victorian atmosphere and it also allows us to see Kiera expanding her social circle to include more women. When we met her at the beginning of the series, she was a little bit of a recluse.

The murder happens almost immediately, something I've liked about this series from the beginning. There's no wondering when the murder will happen. Kara is compelled to investigate., but without Niall, who is dealing with some personal issues, as promised in the last book. We do get some sweet, stolen moments between them. Eventually, both Kara and Niall's paths merge and we once again see both thwart the villains.

The list of villains is long in this one. There's a massive group called "The League" that seems intent on anarchy and Niall is part of their plan. I love a good twist and the one we get about Niall is right up my alley.

I usually say a book in a series can be read alone and that is the case here, but I think circling back to read the first two books in the series would make this story so much more fun. These beloved characters have developed so much over the three books and it's delightful to see how this book leaves them.