Join me for the audiobook review of Book 1 in the series of these unique historical fiction sagas.
Join Us for this Audiobook Series Tour from Aug 31 to Oct 2, 2020!SERIES DETAILS:
Series Title: Henrietta and Inspector Howard by Michelle Cox
Category: Adult Fiction (18+)
Genre: Historical Mystery
Publisher: Michelle Cox
Release dates: November 2017; April 2017; April 2018; April 2019; April 2020
Content Rating: R: Books 1-2 do not have any sex scenes,
though there is sexual reference, Books 3-5 do have explicit sex scenes
(tasteful). There is periodic swearing and violence, but not a lot.
There are some dark themes (though not graphic examples) of suicide,
prostitution, mob involvement, rape, drinking, homosexuality.
Book Details:Book Title: A Girl Like You (The Henrietta and Inspector Howard Series) by Michelle Cox
Narrated by: Jayne A Entwistle
Length: 10 hrs and 21 mins
Category: Adult Fiction (18+)
Genre: Historical Mystery
Publisher: Michelle Cox
Audiobook Release date: November, 2017
Content Rating: R: Books 1-2 do not have any sex scenes, though
there is sexual reference, Books 3-5 do have explicit sex scenes
(tasteful). There is periodic swearing and violence, but not a lot.
There are some dark themes (though not graphic examples) of suicide,
prostitution, mob involvement, rape, drinking, homosexuality.
Book Description:
Henrietta Von Harmon works as a 26 girl at a corner bar on Chicago’s
northwest side. It’s 1935, but things still aren’t looking up since the
big crash and her father’s subsequent suicide, leaving Henrietta to care
for her antagonistic mother and younger siblings. Henrietta is
eventually persuaded to take a job as a taxi dancer at a local dance
hall—and just when she’s beginning to enjoy herself, the floor matron
turns up dead. When aloof Inspector Clive Howard appears on the scene,
Henrietta agrees to go undercover for him—and is plunged into Chicago’s
grittier underworld. Meanwhile, she’s still busy playing mother hen to
her younger siblings, as well as to pesky neighborhood boy Stanley, who
believes himself in love with her and keeps popping up in the most
unlikely places, determined to keep Henrietta safe—even from the
Inspector, if need be. Despite his efforts, however, and his penchant
for messing up the Inspector’s investigation, the lovely Henrietta and
the impenetrable Inspector find themselves drawn to each other in most
unsuitable ways.
My Review:
Prohibition may have ended, but the lasting effects of the Great Depression just keeps a lot of folks down. Henrietta is the oldest of eight of a widowed mother with very strict Victorian attitudes. She secured a job, the only one she could get at her age, cleaning at Poor Petes, the owner Hennessy becoming almost a father figure. She goes from cleaning to a 26 Girl, and finally needs ever more money to feed her family.
Difficult to continue the game 26, she discovers a job working as a taxi dancer. More money for home! The manager unfortunately turns up dead and the cold, aloof inspector turns out to be one of the men she danced with the evening before.
Still very young and inexperienced even having worked around men; men drinking, and not on their best behavior, she is later talked into taking an “usherette” position at the Marlowe working undercover for the inspector. She is to glean what info she can and report back. Of course, all this while trying to keep her activities secret from her family.
Working at the scandalous burlesque club turns out to be a great deal more risqué that she’d imagined or signed up for. Still, there is an attraction for the inspector and a quest to discover what happened to a couple girls who went missing there, including the sister of one of her former taxi-club co-workers. But she continues to get deeper and deeper into a very perilous situation.
I enjoyed the campy style the narrator adopted, mimicking the manner that some of those old shows might have used. For an extremely attractive, almost beautiful woman working in the circumstances though, she seemed at times dangerously open-mouthed and naïve and certainly produced a few gasping moments. There is romance afoot but with quite an age spread. Still, the times and the characters spin a dodgy, smoke-filled, booze riddled atmosphere that becomes quite entertaining.
Additional Books in the Series:
Book Details:Book Title: A Ring of Truth (The Henrietta and Inspector Howard Series) by Michelle Cox
Narrated by: Jayne A Entwistle
Length: 12 hrs and 5 mins
Category: Adult Fiction (18+)
Genre: Historical Mystery
Publisher: Michelle Cox
Audiobook Release date: May, 2020
Content Rating: R: Books 1-2 do not have any sex scenes, though
there is sexual reference, Books 3-5 do have explicit sex scenes
(tasteful). There is periodic swearing and violence, but not a lot.
There are some dark themes (though not graphic examples) of suicide,
prostitution, mob involvement, rape, drinking, homosexuality.
Book Description:
In this second book of the series, Henrietta and Clive delightfully
rewrite Pride and Prejudice―with a hint of mystery! Newly engaged, Clive
and Henrietta now begin the difficult task of meeting each other’s
family. “Difficult” because Clive has neglected to tell Henrietta that
he is in fact the heir to the Howard estate and fortune, and Henrietta
has just discovered that her mother has been hiding secrets about her
past as well. When Clive brings Henrietta to the family estate to meet
his parents, they are less than enthused about his impoverished
intended. Left alone in this extravagant new world when Clive returns to
the city, Henrietta finds herself more at home with the servants than
his family, much to the disapproval of Mrs. Howard―and soon gets caught
up in the disappearance of an elderly servant’s ring, not realizing that
in doing so she has become part of a bigger, darker plot. As Clive and
Henrietta attempt to discover the truth in the two very different worlds
unraveling around them, they both begin to wonder: Are they meant for
each other after all?
Book Details:Book Title: A Promise Given (The Henrietta and Inspector Howard Series) by Michelle Cox
Narrated by: Jayne A Entwistle
Length: 14 hrs and 21 mins
Category: Adult Fiction (18+)
Genre: Historical Mystery
Publisher: Michelle Cox
Audiobook Release date: February, 2020
Content Rating: R: Books 1-2 do not have any sex scenes, though
there is sexual reference, Books 3-5 do have explicit sex scenes
(tasteful). There is periodic swearing and violence, but not a lot.
There are some dark themes (though not graphic examples) of suicide,
prostitution, mob involvement, rape, drinking, homosexuality.
Book Description:
This third book in the Henrietta and Inspector Howard series provides a
delightful romp through the English countryside and back. Anxious to be
married, Henrietta and Clive push forward with their wedding plans
despite their family differences, made worse now by Oldrich Exley’s
attempts to control the Von Harmons. When the long-awaited wedding day
arrives, there is more unfolding than just Clive and Henrietta’s vows of
love. Stanley and Elsie’s relationship is sorely tested by the presence
of the dashing Lieutenant Harrison Barnes-Smith and by Henrietta’s
friend Rose―a situation that grows increasingly dark and confused as
time goes on. As Clive and Henrietta begin their honeymoon at Castle
Linley, the Howards’ ancestral estate in England, they encounter a whole
new host of characters, including the eccentric Lord and Lady Linley
and Clive’s mysterious cousin, Wallace. When a man is murdered in the
village on the night of a house party at the Castle, Wallace comes under
suspicion―and Clive and Henrietta are reluctantly drawn into the case,
despite Clive’s anxiety at involving his new bride and Henrietta’s
distracting news from home. Delicately attempting to work together for
the first time, Clive and Henrietta set out to prove Wallace’s
innocence, uncovering as they do so some rather shocking truths that
will shake the Linley name and estate forever.
Book Details:Book Title: A Veil Removed (The Henrietta and Inspector Howard Series) by Michelle Cox
Narrated by: Jayne A Entwistle
Length: 15 hrs and 11 mins
Category: Adult Fiction (18+)
Genre: Historical Mystery
Publisher: Michelle Cox
Audiobook Release date: April, 2020
Content Rating: R: Books 1-2 do not have any sex scenes, though
there is sexual reference, Books 3-5 do have explicit sex scenes
(tasteful). There is periodic swearing and violence, but not a lot.
There are some dark themes (though not graphic examples) of suicide,
prostitution, mob involvement, rape, drinking, homosexuality.
Book Description:
Murder is never far from this sexy couple . . . even during the
holidays! Their honeymoon abruptly ended by the untimely death of Alcott
Howard, Clive and Henrietta return to Highbury, where Clive discovers
all is not as it should be. Increasingly convinced that his father’s
death was not an accident, Clive launches his own investigation, despite
his mother’s belief that he has become “mentally disturbed” with grief.
Henrietta eventually joins forces with Clive on their first real case,
which becomes darker―and deadlier―than they imagined as they get closer
to the truth behind Alcott’s troubled affairs. Meanwhile, Henrietta’s
sister, Elsie, begins, at Henrietta’s orchestration, to take classes at a
women’s college―an attempt to evade her troubles and prevent any
further romantic temptations. When she meets a bookish German custodian
at the school, however, he challenges her to think for herself . . .
even as she discovers some shocking secrets about his past life.
Book Details:Book Title: A Child Lost (The Henrietta and Inspector Howard Series) by Michelle Cox
Narrated by: Jayne A Entwistle
Length: 14 hrs and 53 mins
Category: Adult Fiction (18+)
Genre: Historical Mystery
Publisher: Michelle Cox
Audiobook Release date: June, 2020
Content Rating: R: Books 1-2 do not have any sex scenes, though
there is sexual reference, Books 3-5 do have explicit sex scenes
(tasteful). There is periodic swearing and violence, but not a lot.
There are some dark themes (though not graphic examples) of suicide,
prostitution, mob involvement, rape, drinking, homosexuality.
Book Description:
A spiritualist, an insane asylum, a lost little girl . . . When
Clive, anxious to distract a depressed Henrietta, begs Sergeant Frank
Davis for a case, he is assigned to investigating a seemingly boring
affair: a spiritualist woman operating in an abandoned schoolhouse on
the edge of town who is suspected of robbing people of their valuables.
What begins as an open and shut case becomes more complicated, however,
when Henrietta―much to Clive’s dismay―begins to believe the
spiritualist’s strange ramblings. Meanwhile, Elsie implores Clive and
Henrietta to help her and the object of her budding love, Gunther,
locate the whereabouts of one Liesel Klinkhammer, the German woman
Gunther has traveled to America to find and the mother of the little
girl, Anna, whom he has brought along with him. The search leads them to
Dunning Asylum, where they discover some terrible truths about Liesel.
When the child, Anna, is herself mistakenly admitted to the asylum after
an epileptic fit, Clive and Henrietta return to Dunning to retrieve
her. This time, however, Henrietta begins to suspect that something
darker may be happening. When Clive doesn’t believe her, she decides to
take matters into her own hands . . . with horrifying results.
Meet the Narrator:Jayne Entwistle was born in the North of England and lived in a myriad
of places (Vancouver, San Francisco, Tucson, Sequim, Seattle) before
landing in Los Angeles. She is an avid improviser who hitched her
space-work wagon to Patrick Bristow’s company, Improvatorium, where she
studied, taught, directed and performed improv. She is an award-winning
audiobook narrator best known for her narration of the Flavia de Luce
series by Alan Bradley. She also received the 2015 Odyssey Honour Award
for The Scandalous Sisterhood of Prickwillow Place by Julie Berry and
the 2016 Odyssey Award for, The War that Saved My Life by Kimberly
Brubaker Bradley. When not inhaling books for work or pleasure, Jayne
works in film, television and commercials. The biggest star she has ever
worked with is Shaquille O’Neal. He is quite literally THE biggest star
she has ever worked with. Ever. He’s really big!
Meet the Author:Michelle Cox is the author of the multiple award-winning Henrietta and
Inspector Howard series as well as “Novel Notes of Local Lore,” a weekly
blog dedicated to Chicago’s forgotten residents. She suspects she may
have once lived in the 1930s and, having yet to discover a handy time
machine lying around, has resorted to writing about the era as a way of
getting herself back there. Coincidentally, her books have been praised
by
Kirkus,
Library Journal,
Publishers Weekly,
Booklist,
and many others, so she might be on to something. Unbeknownst to most,
Michelle hoards board games she doesn’t have time to play and is, not
surprisingly, addicted to period dramas and big band music. Also
marmalade.
Connect with the Author: website ~ facebook ~twitter ~ instagram ~ goodreads
When Misty Dawn, the former “Hollywood Psychic to the Stars,” receives a phone call in the middle of the night, she knows it can’t be good news. Dorine Witherspoon, an actress and former client is in town for the opening of her touring musical and tells Misty the show’s leading lady, Cassie Marx, has disappeared, and the understudy had to go on for her on Opening Night! Misty immediately suspects foul play and when she and Wilson, Misty’s psychic shade, arrive at the theater the next morning, they discover LAPD’s Detective Cesar Romero meeting with the cast and crew. Events on both sides of the veil take a dark turn when Romero asks Misty off the case, and Wilson appears out of his depth with ghosts who want nothing to do with him. Death, close calls, and forces on both sides of the veil threaten to undo Misty and destroy her relationship with Wilson unless she can find Cassie and restore order to the show.
My first experience with the author and the series and I’m still getting used to some of the terminology used for ghosty or psychic stories. I think this is the first time I’ve ran across the term “shade” as it is used for a ghost who is caught behind the veil but not allowed to cross over. In this instance, that’s Wilson. Wilson is just a little TOO over-the-top handy on this side of the veil if he is capable of driving a car. Uh huh…
The only quibble I had was the continuous use of places existing during WWII with no map or way to identify the locality. I suggest that anyone with a desire to learn history and feel the pain of war on the civilian population read this book. It is emotive and you will not be disappointed. Thanks to Chiara from Kazabo Publishing for my complementary copy. These are my honest and unbiased opinions. 4.5 stars – CE Williams
The juxtaposition of the two celloists is not lost but is the spice that pulls the story together. Remember this is a “Prequal” and is only an appetizer to the complete novel. Yes, I admit to being hooked. I would like to read the whole story and see how the connection is completed between the two family members!
I loved this series of the modern Western crime scene. The TV drama series began on A&E but was picked up by Netflix and developed by John Coveny and Hunt Baldwin somewhere around the fourth season. It ran for six seasons and is still streaming on Netflix after the sixth season ended in 2017. Popular? Oh, yes…what is not to love?
Rosepoint Publishing 