Not my absolute fave in the series, but still a solid entry -- and not many authors can still deliver solid whodunits 7 books into a series. Huber's extensive historical research and detail, and the evocative settings she paints, shine as ever, and heroine Verity remains a complex and juicy main lead.

In this brilliant continuation of the Verity Kent mystery series, readers travel to Dublin in 1920 as the Irish Republican Army and the British authorities are constantly fighting with each other in the streets patrolled by assassination squads who could quite easily kill Verity and her husband Sidney. Sent to Dublin to recover Captain Alec Xavier after he infiltrated the IRA, Verity and Sidney must avoid both the IRA and the British on this particular case by playing undercover agent by day and socialite by night. When Alec Xavier is revealed to be alive and on the side of the IRA, the discovery of the Dublin Castle conspiracy and a familiar adversary bringing a new threat to light send this investigation over the edge into dangerous territory. With brilliant characters, a fascinatingly complex series of investigations replete with tangled alliances and secrets of all kinds, and a vibrantly detailed historical setting, Anna Lee Huber has continued to uphold the high standards of the Verity Kent mysteries in this latest instalment in the series. This book is so detailed and complex in its construction that readers will be fully immersed into 1920s Dublin and this new case so that they will be totally unable to put this book down.

The Cold Light of Day has put itself in contention for my favourite book of the Verity Kent series. with this tale set in Dublin, Huber gives an excellent window into the aftermath of the Easter Rising and the conflict leading up to Partition. The mysteries and intrigues that she weaves into that tense and somewhat chaotic time are fascinating and the climactic scenes pack a real emotional punch. I continue to look forward to the next instalment of the series.

Another good entry in this series that i hope provides room for growth later. Good characters who still have demons to resolve keep it interesting.

Verity Kent and husband Sidney venture to Ireland on a secret mission in “The Cold Light of Day.” Anna Lee Huber’s research into Ireland’s fight for independence frames the search for a killer and Verity’s missing friend and fellow spy, Alec. It is a tense story with many twists and turns that leave Verity and Sidney questioning everything they believe to be true.

I love it when an author takes the time to establish background in a way that makes the reader curious about a specific period of time. Huber has done that by painting a vivid picture of what was happening in Ireland during 1920. Even better, the background was so good that I want to learn more about that period in history!

I also love how Verity and Sidney struggle to maintain their own moral compasses when faced with the reality of British policy in 1920. This makes the characters more complex and likeable.

This book is great for readers who enjoy historical mysteries and those who enjoy settings in the 1920s.

I received an advance review copy for free from NetGalley and Kensington Publishing, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Bravo! Anna Lee Huber skillfully transports her readers to the life-altering crucible of the Irish revolution. It was a period of turbulence, where the line between right and wrong was hazy causing many to face the moral dilemma of disillusionment, questioning which side they will choose to support. Ms. Huber's meticulous research shines, bringing to light many details of the revolution that were interconnected with their mission to Ireland.

As expected, this story is a multi-layered intricate plot that will hold the reader's attention. Don't let the historical details bog you down, they are part of the much larger picture.

Verity and Sydney were sent to track down a friend who has disappeared. They are also to discover the location of missing phosgene cylinders, a weapon of war that can cause widespread damage to innocent bystanders as well. Once they have arrived in Ireland, Verity is also tasked with discovering who was responsible for the attack and death of a young woman. As always, their investigations lead them into an atmospheric environment filled with tension and danger, finding a web of deceit that may be to0 difficult to untangle.

I love how the author brings the blurred lines of this conflict to a personal level for Verity and Sydney. They each start questioning the bonds of friendship and loyalties, finding wide-spread corruption that furthers their disillusionment. The book ends with some foreshadowing for the next book, making me wonder upon which side of the conflict Verity and Sydney would end. Well done!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author/publisher through Netgalley and was not required to write a review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an electronic copy to read in exchange for an honest review.

This was a great installment in the Verity Kent series. Travelling to Ireland to foil Ardmore's plans and find Alec, Verity and Sidney have a lot to juggle. It was very well written and highlights enough of the IRA for me to fall down many rabbit holes.

I'm always excited for a new Anna Lee Huber mystery and Verity and Sydney are one of my favorite historical mystery couples! Another great entry!

Verity and Sidney are both veterans of the war, and both have secrets they are sworn to protect. That makes being married partners on a hunt for spies in revolutionary Ireland more challenging. Author Anna Lee Huber presents a thoughtful, even-handed novel that casts both sides, English and Irish, in a sympathetic, yet critical light.

Plan to be invested in this series for the long haul. This novel refers to previous series books, and leaves several plot threads hanging for future episodes.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

After a long wait since the last Verity Kent novel came out, The Cold Light of Day brings Verity and Sidney to Ireland. While I am aware of Ireland's history, I have read very few books set in Ireland in the 1920s. so the backdrop was fascinating to me. Nothing is quite as stable in Ireland as in England at this time, and it is interesting seeing Verity and Sidney navigate a tumultuous environment as they attempt to uncover several matters. I am looking forward to hearing how their journeys continue in the next book!

Thank you Kensington for my advance electronic copy via NetGalley. My opinions are my own.

Verity Kent and her husband Sydney have been sent to Dublin by her former bosses at British Intelligence. Her colleague Alec Xavier--with whom she has a complicated past--has gone missing after infiltrating the highest levels of the Irish Republican Army, and the Kents hope to find him before it's too late. Since they are there off the books, Verity and Sydney have to evade both the various Irish factions as well as the various British forces, all while keeping up the facade of living the breezy life of a war hero and socialite at the height of society. As things get more and more complicated, both in their investigations as well as in Ireland, Verity finds herself walking the razor blade of danger as she tries to gauge right from wrong in a sea of gray morality.

First off, it's been two years since the last Verity Kent book so I really appreciated the recaps! But in Verity's world it's only been a short few weeks since she and Sydney found out that Alec has gone black and they are desperately trying to repair their relationship even as Verity struggles to untangle her feelings about her and Alec's complex relationship. Plus, Sydney waged a very different kind of war than she did in the Great War and it's becoming more and more obvious that he didn't receive the same clandestine training as she did, no matter how good his instincts may be. I found the historical context fascinating--the connections between the Great War and its actors and the Irish War of Independence had never clicked in my mind before (despite their obvious adjacency in terms of time). Likewise, while I hated what Great Britain did to Ireland during and before that time, I had never drawn the same parallels between their behavior and that of Germany's as an occupying force during the Great War. Anna Lee Huber does an admirable job of presenting the complexity of "right" and "wrong" of both individuals and nation-states. I also struggled to cheer on Verity and Sydney choices in this book, as for the vast majority of the time it seemed they were trying to sort out mysteries that absolutely no one but they wanted sorted out, both in their search for Alex and their search for whoever made the horrific attack on a young Irish woman. I found it weird that they couldn't let it go, but I suppose that was part of the point--Verity and Sydney (and others) were a bit adrift after their purpose from during the war was gone, and they desperately wanted something to fight for. I found this installment to be very well done, and I look forward to hopefully getting more resolution in some key plot threads in the next one.

* I should have reread book 6 in prep for this book. Two full years between books [with the reader {me, I am the reader} reading SO. MANY. MYSTERIES. in that time] is difficult in any circumstances, but when you have an extremely detailed-orientated mystery, it helps to remember the thread of the story. I struggled because of this [which is totally on me].

* There is A LOT of information here and while I appreciate the background into the Irish Rebellion [and it made me want to find a good book on Michael Collins], there were moments where it felt more like an overwhelming info dump [and as someone who's favorite genre is nonfiction, with history being one of my most favorite things to read within that genre, saying it felt like it an overwhelming info dump means that it is VERY overwhelming]. I love that the author does her [amazing] research, but I think that with so much information available, it must have been difficult to pick and choose and in this case, less might have been better, and not so overwhelming [I found myself tuning out and having to go back and re-listen and I don't think I truly got the full impact of the whole story because I kept having to go back and I kept stopping].

* While you do get to "see" Verity in disguise, we don't really get to see her in full spy-mode and I found I really missed that.

* Along with the overwhelming history lesson, there were too many storylines [even though they merged eventually] and I did spend some time [*AHEM*, most of the book. I should have kept a running list of each storyline and all the characters within it] trying to remember just who was who and why they were in the story.

* SO. MUCH. FASHION. TALK. [Which seemed so out-of-place with the turmoil going on around them and seemed pretty elitist, but maybe that was the point??]

* That ending. We had better NOT be going down the road it feels like we are going down!! I will be deeply disappointed if that is how this all end up [Yes, I know that is vague. No, I do not care. I am 100% NOT into spoilers].

* One of the reveals [from one of the mysteries; this of the young girl - Miss Cunningham] was absolutely FANTASTIC!! I never ever saw that coming nd was sure it was someone completely different and BOY-HOWDY was I wrong. I loved that part of the story, even though it was sad and evoked some crazy emotions. I think I will forever be surprised by some of the reasons people commit crimes, both in books and real life.

* Oh Alec. Sigh. Why am I not surprised?

* Can we PLEASE take care of the slimy Ardmore and those canisters? P L E A S E?? He was hardly in this book [even though they were chasing him whilst also looking for Alec] and yet when he is, all I can wish is that he was gone for good. This storyline and chase has gone on for what feels like forever and I'd love to read a book where the focus is him [even when its not completely him if that makes sense].

This was the first book in the series that I was left vaguely dissatisfied with [even while there were parts that WERE very good], and I am pretty sad about that; I have loved this series from book one and was waiting with baited breath for this one to be released [for TWO years], so to finish a highly anticipated book and go "meh" is such a disappointment.
I will say, that even with all that, I am hopeful and looking forward to book 8 [let this be the one where Ardmore gets his just desserts. ;-) ].

Thank you to NetGalley, Anna Lee Huber, and Kensington Publishing/Kensington for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Verity Kent and her husband Sidney are in Dublin looking for their friend and fellow agent Alec, who has disappeared while undercover. Verity takes on a second task - trying to learn what drove a young woman to kill herself after an assault. And there is an overarching plot of trying to learn what villainous Lord Ardmore plans to do with deadly phosgene. The Lord Ardmore plot line has dragged on through several books in this series, and I think a new reader may have trouble following all of the recurring characters' relationships and the Ardmore references. The historical details of Ireland's struggle for independence rather overwhelmed the plot and slowed the story for me. Verity and Sidney continue to be an interesting and sympathetic couple as they rebuild their lives post-WW1. Thanks to NetGalley and publisher Kensington for the eARC.

Verity and Sidney are in Dublin, Ireland at the request of Verity’s British Secret Service handler, “C”, to locate fellow spy, Alec Xavier since he’s dropped out of communication after being sent to infiltrate the IRA. With the situation so volatile and dangerous, they’re understandably very concerned. By day, Verity and Sidney go undercover, Verity to track down Alec and Sidney to see if he can locate the phosgene canisters, stolen by their nemesis, Lord Ardmore. At night, they keep up the ruse of only being in Ireland for pleasure by attending dinner parties and rubbing elbows with the elite in society and government.

Along with her assignment Verity is tasked by a Lord French, to investigate an attack on a woman, demoralizing her to the point that she took her own life soon after. He wants Verity to find out what happened and get justice for her and her grieving family. I was outraged for this young woman and so was Verity, which made her more determined to find the culprits responsible.

Love Verity and her pluck! She’s quick and clever, even when faced with frightening situations.

The Verity Kent series is one of my favorites and best read in order. It’s a captivating combination of mystery, political intrigue, crime procedural, danger and a splash of romance! Verity and Sidney have had to contend with personal struggles stemming from their experiences in World War I. Even several years later (this story being set in 1920) the aftermath is still playing out. While some of the mysteries presented are solved in this installment, some are not, and it ended on an unsettling note. I eagerly await the next book!

The Cold Light of Day by Anna Lee Huber takes Verity and Sidney to Ireland, during the “troubles,” in search of another agent, Alec Xavier. What they find there surprises and dismays them. They appear to be nothing more than idle socialites, looking for the next party, but Sidney spends his days with the elite, biting his tongue as they rage one about he Irish, while he sees the tragedy and unfairness of it all. Verity focuses on finding Alec, mostly by donning a disguise and frequenting the places he’s mentioned in his missives. People try mis-direction on her, but she’s too clever for that, or is she? In addition the lieutenant governor has requested her help in solving the death of the daughter of an upper-class Irish Protestant family who had been seeing a member of his extended staff. The family wouldn’t talk to her, but that didn’t let it stop her from seeking others and putting herself in danger.

This is an interesting couple, working covertly for the English government, may of whom they do not trust. Earlier she had thought him dead and had a brief relationship with the missing Alec. Then he reappeared and explained. The were living a happy life, now. Verity was nothing if not tenacious. She kept at things and was normally rewarded. She discovered things she did not want to know, but many things that she did want to know. It was an interesting book, especially if one is interested in Irish history. The daily troubles were reported with accuracy and fairly, with out too much comment. It is an enticing story, wonderful book, written by mast author, Anna Lee Huber.

I was invited to read The Cold Light of Day by Kensington Publishing. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #KensingtonPublishing #AnnaLeeHuber #TheColdLightOfDay

This was a frustrating story on several levels. After waiting two years to pick up on the cliffhanger ending of Verity learning that her former partner/fellow agent Alec was in danger and in need of rescuing during his undercover operation in Ireland, very little of the story ended up being about Alec at all. Instead, a substantial portion was devoted to recounting the historical events leading up to Ireland gaining its independence from Britain. While interesting and useful context--especially the parallels drawn to Verity's experiences in occupied regions during WWI--it overwhelmed everything else and read more like a history lesson. We also got no movement at all on the never-ending storyline about Ardmore and the still missing phosgene cannisters, despite that being the primary reason for sending Verity into Ireland to begin with. Verity also investigates the apparent suicide of a young woman who allegedly was attacked by the IRA, but even that felt like an afterthought to exploring the social and political tensions and the atrocities committed by both sides during that period.

I still like Verity as a protagonist, and Sidney has grown on me over the course of the series, but the strength of these books has always been when Verity gets to show off her spy skills and goes into action. Here, there is very little opportunity for her to do so, other than spinning her wheels trying to find out where Alec is. I am not a fan of where this book left both Verity and Alec, and have concerns about where this is headed in the next book (which will still be set in Ireland apparently). I'll still keep reading in this series, but I really hope that we get some closure in the next book and these consistently dangling threads with Ardmore are finally wrapped up.

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

In a country roiled by rebellion trust and truth are in short supply

With the Great War over and her official career in intelligence at an end Verity Kent, known to most as a fashionable member of society, has been involved in some general inquiries but has mostly been happy to enjoy life with her husband. Sidney Kent is a war hero, and during a period of the war Verity had thought him to be dead. Their relationship has been repaired but still has a few cracks in it, one of which is Verity’s relationship with Captain Alec Xavier, a friend, fellow spy and (briefly) a lover. Alec has been sent to Ireland, where there is great unrest between the Irish people and the British government which controls the country still despite promises of Home Rule made before the war. Alec has not been heard from in weeks, not by his handler nor via any back-up methods of communication, and the head of SIS asks Verity and Sidney to travel to Ireland to determine whether Alec has gone quiet on purpose or if he was discovered in his efforts to infiltrate Sinn Féin and get close to its leader Michael Collins. If it proves to have been the latter, Alec is likely dead. There are also canisters of a toxic gas which seem to have made their way to Ireland, and the couple is asked to try to determine their location before they can be used in the escalating conflict. Using their social connections and their glamorous reputations, the pair insert themselves into the circles of British loyalists as cover while they separately work on their two missions. They soon discover that it is far from certain whom they can trust nor to determine who is in fact loyal to the British government. Members of the Irish police, the British military, even the servants in their rented house could hold people feeding information back to Collins and the IRA. When the lead representative of the Crown asks Verity to look into the circumstances surrounding the death of a friend’s daughter that may be to tied to an assault upon her by the rebels, her quest for justice there is as difficult as it is with the other tasks before her…yet may turn out to be related to them as well. The more Verity and Sidney investigate, the more troubling the situation in Ireland appears and the harder it is to decide which side of the conflict is right and which is wrong. The country is a tinder keg ready to explode….can they find the answers they seek before they too become casualties to the escalating tensions?
In this, the seventh installment of the Verity Kent series, the reader is transported to Ireland in the year 1920, when many native Irish view the British government as an occupying force whose departure is long overdue. Verity is a loyal Englishwoman who gave much to her country during the Great War as did her husband Sidney, yet they are forced to see those representing their government acting in ways that remind them more than is comfortable of the German occupying forces in places like Belgium. Verity is determined to find her friend and also to find justice for the late Miss Kavanaugh, but gets precious little assistance or respect from those in positions of authority who have been tasked with helping her. Even the deceased’s parents don’t seem to want to help. It will take all of Verity’s varied skills to gain the trust or at least the ear of people who are likely to have information she seeks, and it is when she is in these less exalted locations that she observes for herself the tensions that are growing on the ground. I have read earlier novels in the series, so had a grounding of the relationships between Verity, Sidney and Alec as well as other players on the fringe of the story, but author Anna Lee Huber does a good job of explaining backstories for those who may not have done so. Interesting characters and a fascinating period of time combine with the different quests which Verity and Sidney undertake, with plenty of potential villains and a clear eyed view of the complicated state of affairs in Ireland in those days. An intriguing story that held my attention throughout, and one that readers of the series will greatly enjoy. Fans of authors like Susan Elia MacNeal, Jacqueline Winspear and Charles Todd should also be sure to read this novel/series. Many thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for allowing me early access to a copy of The Cold Light of Day.

The latest from Anna Lee Huber was highly anticipated and a bold surprise all in one. The Verity Kent series, featuring a former British spy and her war hero husband, has been tripping the light fantastic since book one, but with The Cold Light of Day, Anna Lee Huber has raised her own bar to greater heights.



The seventh in this strongly connected post-WWI era historical mystery series, The Cold Light of Day, has Verity and Sidney in Dublin, Ireland during an outbreak of violence as the promised Home Rule doesn’t transpire and many Irish are not settling for Home Rule and want it all even if it means bloody civil war. Verity is determined to find her friend, whose latest assignment was to infiltrate the IRA and who has been missing for six weeks. Sidney insists on partnering with her, though they both struggle with this particular rescue since her friend was once her lover when she thought Sidney was dead.



Anna Lee Huber did her homework. Post-WWI era Ireland and its powder keg of politics and religion were painted so well that I felt I was right there on the roiling, dangerous streets of Dublin and getting the complicated situations from all sides of the equation in person. Verity and Sidney have never faced such a challenge, and that’s saying something because Verity worked behind enemy lines in occupied territory, and Sidney was out on the front lines for the fighting.



As in previous books, Verity and Sidney are presented with more than one case. This time around, they try to track down the deadly phosgene gas that their arch-enemy stole from the army, investigate a young woman’s brutal assault and suicide, and track down Verity’s former spy compatriot. This was a taut and emotional book from start to finish. There were good twists, superb nail-biting suspense, and a fab climax.



All in all, a winner and left me in that state of desperate need for the next installment. I couldn’t put this one down after it reached a third of the way. Historical mystery fans: get this series onto the top of your TBR pile!

It was wonderful to revisit Verity Kent again in the engrossing mystery set in 1920 Dublin. Each volume in this series gets better and better, and Verity is filling the void in my reading life left by the “retirement” of Jacqueline Winspear’s Maisie Dobbs. Can’t wait for the next one!

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

If you're looking for a well researched historical novel, you can't go wrong with any of the novels of Anna Lee Huber! I've been reading her since her first novel and can't wait when a new novel is expected. This one is no exception. An intriguing continuing story, as well as other 'need to solve' mysteries that come together as the story moves forward.

Heading to Dublin to try to find an agent that was tasked to infiltrate the IRA, and is now incommunicado, of course looking for their enemy and the gas canisters that went missing.. Then a third mystery also lands in their lap, they're asked to find the person who assaulted the daughter of a government official.

This is such a great read. I'm a fan of Verity and Sydney and their adventures!

This can be read as a standalone, but the background in the earlier works just add to the enjoyment of this newest book in this series.