Verity Kent #7
For those looking for a historical cozy, The Cold Light of Day will fit the bill. The seventh book in the Verity Kent series by Anna Lee Huber takes readers to Dublin, Ireland. Although Verity is an ex-spy, she finds herself dabbling back in the game when one of her fellow agents, Alec Xavier, suddenly goes missing. Now anyone who knows anything about 1920’s Ireland knows that it was not a time of political stability. Revolution is in the air, and the Irish Republican Army (IRA) is regularly clashing with the British occupying authority. While the British government tries to play down the unrest and instability, Ireland is a powder keg ready to explode — not the ideal time or place to suddenly go missing. Because of their history together performing war work, Verity is unable to sit back and just wait for Alec to resurface.
Alongside her husband and war hero, Sydney, they head to Ireland under the guise of a vacation. As post-war celebrities due to their past work they play up their socialite image during the day, which also gives them access to the homes of those in positions of power and authority about town. At night they skulk around in disguise around town to gather information from the locals. There is far more afoot than just Alec’s disappearance. Verity has taken on the case as a favor, looking into the assault that resulted in the death of the daughter of a high-ranking Irish official, and Sydney is invested in finding missing poison gas weapon canisters. Meanwhile, they must reassure allies and rivals alike that they are not here as political spies for the Crown — not everyone believes them, either, especially when Verity’s wartime network is helping her gather information from back home to try and figure out what could have happened to Alec while he was here. The worst-case scenario isn’t just that he might be dead, Alec might have also switched sides to work alongside the IRA. Obviously, Verity would prefer that he is alive and well, even if he has switched sides. Until she gets answers and evidence one way or another, she is determined to stay in Ireland and use any means necessary to find and help her friend.
Long time readers will appreciate the subterfuge and Verity’s good heart as she tries to complete her task as well as help those that she can along the way. New readers will find themselves curious about Verity’s war work, and what adversity she and Sydney faced before now, and will probably be looking to get their hands on the previous six books. Anna Lee Huber does a wonderful job of painting the historical setting and letting readers really feel immersed in 1920 Ireland, as well as Verity’s uncertainty in the face of such a chaotic political situation. Her pride in being a British citizen, and support for their troops, is put to the test as she sees the more unfortunate and corrupt side of things in Ireland. The Cold Light of Day is a wonderful suspense cozy, and anyone who enjoys some spy-based subterfuge will enjoy it. – Carla Schantz