Penny for Your Secrets (Verity Kent Mystery #3)

by Anna Lee Huber

Overview

England, 1919. In Anna Lee Huber’s latest mystery, former Secret Service agent Verity Kent is finding that life after wartime offers its own share of danger . . .
 
The Great War may be over, but for many, there are still obstacles on the home front. Reconciling with her estranged husband makes Verity sympathetic to her friend Ada’s marital difficulties. Bourgeois-bred Ada, recently married to the Marquess of Rockham, is overwhelmed trying to navigate the ways of the aristocracy. And when Lord Rockham is discovered shot through the heart with a bullet from Ada’s revolver, Verity fears her friend has made a fatal blunder.
 
While striving to prove Ada’s innocence, Verity is called upon for another favor. The sister of a former Secret Service colleague has been killed in what authorities believe was a home invasion gone wrong. The victim’s war work—censoring letters sent by soldiers from the front—exposed her to sensitive, disturbing material. Verity begins to suspect these two unlikely cases may be linked. But as the connections deepen, the consequences—not just for Verity, but for Britain—grow more menacing than she could have imagined.
 
Praise for Anna Lee Huber’s Treacherous Is the Night
 
“A thrilling mystery that supplies its gutsy heroine with plenty of angst-ridden romance.”
—Kirkus Reviews
 
“A splendid sequel. . . . Huber combines intricate puzzles with affecting human drama.”
—Publishers Weekly
 
“Masterful. . . . Just when you think the plot will zig, it zags. . . . Deeply enjoyable.”
—Criminal Element

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781496713193
Publisher:	Kensington
Publication date:	10/29/2019
Series:	Verity Kent Series , #3
Pages:	336
Sales rank:	125,906
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 8.30(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Anna Lee Huber is the Daphne award-winning author of the national bestselling Lady Darby Mysteries and the Verity Kent Mysteries. She is a summa cum laude graduate of Lipscomb University in Nashville, Tennessee, where she majored in music and minored in psychology. She currently resides in Indiana with her family and is hard at work on her next novel. Visit her online at www.annaleehuber.com.

Editorial Reviews

09/02/2019

In Huber’s action-filled third Verity Kent mystery (after 2018’s Treacherous Is the Night), former British Secret Service agent Verity is still adjusting to her post-WWI life and trying to rebuild her marriage to Sidney after a three-year separation. At a London dinner party, the Kents are shocked by the reckless behavior of Verity’s friend Ada, Lady Rockham, who finds a pistol on her chair and jokes that she might as well shoot her husband with it. Her joke backfires when Lord Rockham is shot to death that very night. Meanwhile, an ex-MI5 colleague of Verity’s, Irene Shaw, asks Verity to look into the death of her half-sister, Esther. The police say Esther’s murder was a robbery gone wrong, but the only things missing are letters from French cousins. Verity comes upon a clue in Esther’s journal that links the two unrelated deaths together by the most unlikely event—a wartime shipwreck in which the entire crew disappeared without a trace. Huber offers a well-researched historical and a fascinating look at the lingering aftermath of war. Agent: Kevan Lyon, Marsal Lyon Literary. (Nov.)

Publishers Weekly

Praise for Penny For Your Secrets:

"Readers looking for atmospheric mystery set in the period following the Great War will savor the intricate plotting and captivating details of the era."
—Library Journal (Starred Review)

“Action-filled…Huber offers a well-researched historical and a fascinating look at the lingering aftermath of war.”
—Publishers Weekly

“No sooner are Verity Kent and her dashing but troubled husband, Sidney, back from solving a mystery in Belgium (Treacherous Is the Night, 2018) than they are confronted with one at home in London…Touching details of the Kents’ struggle to overcome Sidney’s anguish add to the stellar mystery here, making this a great read for fans of the series and for all who enjoy Downton Abbey–era fiction.”
—Booklist

“The moment I read Huber’s first novel in her Lady Darby series... I knew I’d discovered an author worth following. The Verity Kent series proves she can bring both the 1920s and 1830s back to life with panache. With a perfect blend of murder, mystery, history, romance, and powerful heroines, Huber has yet to disappoint. If you’re a fan of historical fiction and you haven’t put her on your permanent pre-order list, you’ve made a grave mistake that should be remedied immediately.” —Criminal Element 

“This is a fine historical mystery series that will not disappoint.”
—Historical Novel Society

“A cool mix of historical and mystery that will satisfy...fans of the genre.” —Parkersburg News & Sentinel

Praise for Anna Lee Huber's previous Verity Kent mysteries:

Treacherous is the Night:

"A thrilling mystery that supplies its gutsy heroine with plenty of angst-ridden romance."
—Kirkus Reviews

“[A] splendid sequel....Huber combines intricate puzzles with affecting human drama.” 

—Publishers Weekly

“Masterful….Just when you think the plot will zig, it zags. Regardless of how well-versed you may be in the genre, you’ll be hard-pressed to predict this climax….Deeply enjoyable…just the thing if you’re looking for relatable heroines, meatier drama, and smart characters with rich inner lives.” 
—Criminal Element

"Huber is an excellent historical mystery writer, and Verity is her best heroine. Sidney and Verity are a formidable couple when they work together, but they are also very real. They don’t leap straight back into life before the war but instead face many obstacles and struggles as they readjust to married life and post-war life. Nonetheless, the love between Sidney and Verity is real and true, and the way that Huber creates their re-blossoming love is genuine. Topped off with a gripping mystery, this will not disappoint." 
—Historical Novel Society

This Side of Murder

“Engrossing...Evocative historical details complement the well-drawn characters. The intricate plot builds to a surprising conclusion.”
—Publishers Weekly 

“A richly detailed period mystery, This Side of Murder is sure to turn you into a true Verity Kent fan (if you aren't one already.)” 
—Bustle.com  

“Huber paints a compelling portrait of the aftermath of World War I, and show the readers how devastating the war was for everyone in England…I am looking forward to reading many more of Verity Kent’s adventures.”
—Historical Novel Society
 
"I loved This Side of Murder, a richly textured mystery filled with period detail and social mores, whose plot twists and character revelations kept me up way past my bedtime. Can’t wait for the next Verity Kent adventure!"
—Shelley Noble, New York Times bestselling author of The Beach at Painters’ Cove and Ask Me No Questions. 

 “A smashing and engrossing tale of deceit, murder and betrayal set just after World War I. . . . Anna Lee Huber has crafted a truly captivating mystery here.”
—All About Romance

“The new Verity Kent Mystery series is rich in detail without being overwhelming and is abundant with murder, mystery, and a bit of romance. The plot is fast-moving with twists and turns aplenty. Huber knows what it takes to write a great mystery.” 
—RT Book Reviews 

“A captivating murder mystery told with flair and panache!”
—Fresh Fiction

“Suspenseful, atmospheric, and beautifully written.” 
—Ashley Weaver, author of the Amory Ames Mysteries
 
“My favorite new mystery series!” 
—Alyssa Maxwell, USA Today bestselling author
 
“Sure to please fans of classic whodunits and lovers of historical fiction alike.” 
—Jessica Estevao, author of Whispers Beyond the Veil

From the Publisher

★ 11/01/2019

By September 1919, Verity Kent is no longer an agent for the Special Service, and her husband, Sydney, has been demobilized. The young couple is still trying to find their footing after five years apart. Parties, jazz, dancing, and drinking help people in their social class forget their memories of war, but Verity is bored after her service years of adventure. When Lord Rockham is found dead after his wife, Ada, threatened him with a gun at a dinner party, Verity investigates. The Kents are heroes after capturing spies, so Scotland Yard works with them. They're on their own when a friend asks them to look into the suicide of her sister. Soon, Verity suspects the two deaths might be related in a larger scheme involving British politics. VERDICT In the follow-up to Treacherous Is the Night, Huber focuses on characters who are struggling with postwar memories, depicting the upper-class life more typical of Downton Abbey than books by Charles Todd or Jacqueline Winspear. Readers looking for atmospheric mystery set in the period following the Great War will savor the intricate plotting and captivating details of the era.—Lesa Holstine, Evansville Vanderburgh P.L., IN

Library Journal