by Susanna Kearsley, Anna Lee Huber, Christina Trent, CS Harris
Genres: Anthologies, Historical Fiction
Source: Publisher
Purchase*: Amazon | Audible *affiliate
From 1733 Italy to Edinburgh in 1831 to a series of chilling murders in 1870 London, and a lethal game of revenge decades later, the watch touches lives with misfortune, until it comes into the reach of one young woman who might be able to stop it for good.
This outstanding collaboration of authors includes:
Susanna Kearsley – New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of compelling time slip fiction.C.S. Harris – bestselling author of the Sebastian St. Cyr Regency mystery series.
Anna Lee Huber – award-winning author of the national bestselling Lady Darby Mysteries.
Christine Trent – author of the Lady of Ashes Victorian mystery series.
Sophia Rose is back with another anthology. This time it’s The Deadly Hours by Susanna Kearsley, Anna Lee Huber, Christina Trent, and CS Harris. Grab a pumpkin spice latte and check out her review….
Sophia Rose’s Review
What a powerhouse group of historical suspense and mystery authors! I took one look at the author line up and it was a done deal, but then to see that a few of the novellas were for favorite series made it an even more exquisite anticipation.
The Deadly Hours is an anthology of four separate stories down through time that all focus on a legendary cursed watch, Le Sirene. Each author wove a tale around the watch and even referenced the history told in the earlier stories to add to the watch’s lore. Each had their own writing flavor and captivating tale-telling ways. While I think I got more out of the stories because I’d already read a few of the previous books, I think these will work for newcomers just fine.
Susanna Kearsley opens the anthology with her suspenseful ‘Weapon of Choice’ that was set in the early seventeen hundreds and is a follow-up story to A Desperate Fortune’s historical couple who are on a mission to protect a Jacobite duke and war hero from an English assassin when they encounter a pirate and the strange timepiece he carries that was made from cursed pirate gold.
Next, Anna Lee Huber picks up the narrative reins in her Lady Darby series mystery set in the 1830’s that took place in the interlude between Gage and Keira’s wedding and their delayed departure for their honeymoon. ‘In A Fevered Hour’ has the Edinburgh crime king, Bonnie Brock Kincaid, needing the detecting pair to find a cursed watch that has brought a plague to Old Town.
But, the watch isn’t done changing hands and arrives in Victorian London where author, Christina Trent, has it figure into an atmospheric Lady of Ashes story, ‘A Pocketful of Death’ when Violet Harper, funeral director, is fulfilling a commission for a newly minted lord who wants all his deceased relations moved into the freshly build family mausoleum and encounters a cursed watch that seems to be predicting murders on a prestigious London neighborhood street and a mad woman swears she is seeing ghosts.
In a WWII era Kentish village, CS Harris has a museum curator and an MI5 operative on the dark, bloody trail of a German spy and an uncanny golden watch that has a cursed reputation in ‘Siren’s Call’.
I loved how these stories were seamless in how that tied to one another and yet painted a rich tapestry of history in each time and place. Christina Trent was the only new to me author, but I plan to add her works to all three of these other brilliant authors who I seek out each new release. Historical mystery fans, series and author fans, and those who love a good atmospheric tale shouldn’t hesitate to get to this one as soon as you can.
The Deadly Hours is an anthology of four separate stories down through time that all focus on a legendary cursed watch, Le Sirene. #SusannaKearsley, #AnnaLeeHuber, #ChristinaTrent, and #CSHarris #NewRelease Share on X
About Kimberly
Kimberly is a coffee loving book addict who reads and listens to fictional stories in all genres. Whovian, Ravenclaw, Howler and proud Nonna. She owns and manages Caffeinated PR. The coffee is always on and she is ready to chat. BlueSky | Facebook | Instagram
MarthaE
This looks like a good collection that would make a good read in October (when I read my horror, ghostly and witchy tales). Thanks for sharing.
Sophia Rose
Yes, the cursed watch does give these historical mysteries a bit of spooky. 🙂
Ailyn Koay
the watch that seems to like to steal people’s time… kinda wondering what does it intend to do with it?
Sophia Rose
It’s a bad luck charm in their lives. Kinda creepy really, but the stories were all great mysteries 🙂
Ailyn Koay
I do appreciate a good mystery
Katherine
CS Harris and Anna Lee Huber are two of my favorites and I’ve been wanting to read Susanna Kearsley so now I’m curious! I’ll definitely have to pick this one up.
Sophia Rose
For sure, Katherine! 🙂 I love all three of those author’s books so it was a shoo-in for me.
Melliane
Oh it looks like a good mix of stories there
Sophia Rose
Oh yes! We had a neat variety of styles, but with that wretched watch at the center of them all. 🙂
Anne - Books of My Heart
This sounds awesome. Great review! It certainly has most of the historical authors I enjoy or want to read most.
Sophia Rose
Yes, it sure was neat to have them all writing together and telling the story of the cursed watch. 🙂
Felicity Grace Terry
OOH! I’m not a big fan of anthologies but Sophia Rose makes this look really rather good.
Sophia Rose
Happy to tempt you, Felicity! 🙂 Worth the read, for sure.
Nadene
It is neat how all the stories tied in with each other.
Sophia Rose
I thought that was great that they went that extra mile with their mysteries, too. 🙂
Debbie Haupt
Sophia Rose this sounds fantastic thanks! With the author line up I’d be in all the way too!
Sophia Rose
Oh yes, this is a dream team of historical mystery writers. 🙂
Olivia Roach
I don’t tend to read anthologies too much anymore, but it sounds like these stories have a connectedness to them which worked so well for tying them together. And every story sounds like a good read here ^.^
Sophia Rose
Yes, you summed it up well. Not a typical anthology the way they all focused on the watch and referenced back to each other’s stories. 🙂