A PRETTY DECEIT (Verity Kent #4) by Anna Lee Huber will be published on September 29th, 2020 by Kensington.
Ex-British intelligence agent Verity Kent is back in A PRETTY DECEIT. While she, her husband Sidney, and their friends continue to track down the nefarious Lord Ardmore and his cronies, Verity finds herself caught up in aunt’s drama concerning the strange happenings around her country estate. During the Great War, Aunt Ernestine’s manor house was commandeered by the Royal Air Force and used to house airmen from the nearby base. Not only did the airmen cause considerable damage to the house, there are now reports of a ghost, minor thefts and forgeries of family heirlooms, and a missing housemaid. Verity and Sidney do not take Aunt Ernestine’s problems too seriously until the man-of-all-work is found murdered and the missing housemaid dead body is discovered. While they remain indirectly involved in the murder investigation, Verity and Sidney leave the responsibility of finding the murderer up to the police while they resume chasing their enemy/traitor to the crown, Lord Ardmore. Following the clues and coded messages that the former Earl of Ryde left before his untimely death, Verity and Sidney find themselves back in Wiltshire as they two cases become intertwined.
I am a big fan of the Verity Kent series, and I really enjoyed how A PRETTY DECEIT carried on with storylines that were introduced in the earlier novels. Verity and Sidney are still repairing their relationship and getting used to married life now that the war is over. And they are both battling with painful memories from the war—Sidney fought in the trenches and Verity worked for the secret service and took on dangerous missions. One of Verity’s missions continues to haunt her, and sorting through what really happened becomes crucial to the hunt for Lord Ardmore. Verity and Sidney both have a very solid character development that has built up over the four novels. They are not perfect, and they are struggling to repair their marriage and overcome past nightmares. Their personal issues make they more real and relatable to the reader. The supporting characters are also well fleshed out and add to the story.
By the end of the novel, Verity and Sidney help bring about a resolution to the various problems at Aunt Ernestine’s estate, but Lord Ardmore remains one step ahead of them—setting up for the next novel. Overall, an enjoyable read and a great addition to the series. While it can be read as a standalone, I suggest reading the first three novels to better understanding the continuing storylines.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.