Chris Karlsen

Summer 1889 in London and Detective Inspector Rudyard Bloodstone with his partner Archie Holbrook are chasing a sexual pervert when they are called to the first mysterious death of an influential business man.
Although we know who, and why the murders occur this doesn't distract from enjoying the story, and wondering how it all will end. As this was my first book in the series I was left unsure how this would be resolved.
I liked the easy to read writing style, also the characters Bloodstone and Holbrook, and others in the police station, and now look forward to reading the first in the series.
A NetGalley Book… (mehr)

First of all, I love history and felt fairy knowledgeable concerning historical events, yet I had never heard of the "ack ack girls" until I read this novel. t was very enlightening and well written.

This novel covers events during World War 11, from a British perspective. After losing all through German bombings, or just witnessing the devastation, leaving innocent people injured and homeless, many young women joined a couple of "pilot programs" of the British service called Air Transport Auxiliary and the Auxiliary Territorial Service.

'The Ack Ack Girls' is a fictional account of a few individuals participating in these programs. It is also a light romance and the courageous actions of the few involved in the war. There was plenty of action and intrigue. This fast-paced novel kept the attention of a reader up until the ending. I did, feel, however, that the ending was weak. It was still an interesting novel, I am glad I read, in spite of some rough language.

I was gifted this novel with no pressure to post a positive review. This is my honest review.… (mehr)

The historical suspense story is set in April 1890, London. The new case for Detective Rudyard Bloodstone (also known as Ruddy) and partner Detective Archie Holbrook begins with the victims coming to the Holborn Station to report a robbery. Two (2) other officers that are sitting at nearby desks come closer to Ruddy, Archie, and the couple as they can’t imagine they have heard correctly that the robber used a most unusual robbery weapon of a snake.

”A Venomous Love” can be read as a stand-alone but those familiar with the series will appreciate the return of landlady Mrs. Goodge, and Ruddy’s brother Will. Without adding a spoiler, I really enjoyed Ruddy’s solution to help Will with temporary employment that also befits the case.

Background to review...
I was asked by the author to read and review this novel as I had read the 2nd novel in The Bloodstone series and gave a tentative reply as I have always been afraid of snakes. This fear was exacerbated by an experience as an elementary school librarian. The 5th grader had no awareness of my fear of snakes nor would I have wanted her to know and she was merely trying to share her delight of the snake she had brought to school that day for a discussion in science. It was merely a harmless garter snake but I didn't know that at the moment of her showing it to me. I was working at a student table (sitting alone at a table for 6) processing new books so I was looking down as I worked and when I looked up as she started speaking to me the snake's tongue was going in and out of its mouth less than an inch from my face. Whew!

When I explained my tentative reply for a “read and review” the author shared that use of a snake as the weapon in this story is based on a real event. A number of years ago Chris and her husband had dinner with a Metropolitan Police officer that they know and told them about her vacation in Morocco. She was checking out of the hotel when a British couple came dashing in claiming they were robbed at snake-point.

My lower star rating is due to errors that could have easily been corrected by a copy editor(s) and are very distracting and frustrating to me as a reader and former copy editor. I was hopeful for improvement as the series continued but am sadly disappointed.… (mehr)