The Unknown Beloved by Amy Harmon

Chicago 1923: Tortured by the loss of his two children and estrangement of his wife,  young policeman Michael Malone is ready to end his life.  Just one more case and that'll be that.  But when he meets 10-year-old Dani Flanagan, orphaned on the eve of her birthday in a case ruled a murder/suicide that Michael knows is so much more, he escorts her to live with her aunts and she gives him hope and purpose.  He joins Eliot Ness as one of the Untouchables, taking down Al Capone.

Cleveland 15 years later: Eliot Ness is now the Director of Safety in Cleveland, where the Torso murders are continuing to terrorize the poor neighborhoods.  The community is on edge the longer the case goes on and refuse to talk to the police so they decide to bring in cops from other areas to investigate undercover. Michael is set up in a local boarding house and he's shocked to discover that his innkeeper is none other than Dani. She discovers the real reason he's in Cleveland and is determined to use her gift to help him solve the case. But the closer they get to identifying the Butcher, the more it puts Dani in danger of becoming his next victim.

This book is based on real people and the true crime case of the Torso murders. The author did an excellent job of setting the scene of the city and time period,  I could almost see the story like a black and white movie playing in my head.  Dani's gift helped her with her job in the morgue, giving the indigent dead respect and a proper memorial. I really found her gift and the way she used it for good to be fascinating.  Rough, jaded, and cynical Michael Malone was fascinating to me too,  feeling he didn't deserve happiness,  dedicated to his job.  I'm glad he finally accepted a happy ending. This was definitely a five star read for me. 

I received an advance reader copy of this book. The views and opinions expressed in this review are completely my own and given voluntarily.

Hour of the Witch by Chris Bohjalian

Chris Bohjalian created another winner! I've loved every book of his that I've read so far and this one was no exception. His characters are fascinating and the story is still playing in my head long after I finished it. Mary Deerfield, a young Puritan woman, second wife to a man twice her age, is victim to his alcoholic rages. She seeks a divorce, but due to circumstances surrounding his most violent attack, the court focuses more on the accusations of witchcraft. In a male- dominated society, and with no witnesses to his cruelty, is there any chance to escape him without landing her in the noose?
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

The Poison Keeper by Deborah Swift

Giulia Tofana is the daughter of a skilled apothecary, but her mother refuses to take her as an apprentice. After her mother is arrested and executed for supplying poison for the Duke deVerde's failed murder, Giulia is forced to flee her home and live the life of a courtesan in her aunt's establishment in Naples. Vowing revenge on the Duke for her mother's death, she takes a job as an apothecary assistant to learn the trade while secretly studying her mother's book of poison recipes. Aqua Tofana is undetectable but will cause the victim to sicken and die over time. Now Giulia is helping women all over Naples to free themselves from abusive marriages.
I didn't realize until the author's note at the end that this was based on a true historical figure. Giulia Tofana confessed to killing 600 men with her poisons in Rome. The story was truly fascinating and had me riveted until the end.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

City of Time and Magic by Paula Brackston

In this latest installment in the Found Things series, the story picks up where we left off with Xanthe desperately searching for an item that will return her to Victorian England, where her boyfriend Liam was left behind. Mistress Flyte, who Xanthe trusted as a friend, snatched him away from her in the last book when Xanthe was time spinning them home. Then she finds three items at the same sale... but if she chooses incorrectly, she could waste precious time away from Liam's rescue. She finally arrives in the correct time only to discover that Lydia Flyte was using Liam as bait for the Visionary Society, a group of spinners that use their gifts for evil purposes that could change the course of the future. Xanthe and her friends, both old and new, must fight to stop this ruthless group.
I love this whole series, so I was really excited to get chance to read it now as an ARC through NetGalley! Each book makes me more excited for the next, and this one didn't disappoint. Liam just makes an excellent match for Xanthe, putting his own life in the line to help her. I'm so excited that she brought Elizabeth, her main character from the Witch's Daughter series, into this book. I look forward to even more exciting things to come.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own and given voluntarily.

The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah

5☆

In the past, I've enjoyed Kristin Hannah's books for their family drama. But her last 3 novels have been more historical fiction and I'm LOVING it! Her writing style just paints a mental picture for me, so much that by the end of this book I was crying! Elsa lives in enforced solitude, an outsider in her own family. Shortly after her 25th birthday, Elsa's had enough. She goes against her parents orders and visits the speakeasy in town to listen to music wearing her new red silk dress. She meets Rafe, an Italian man who actually makes her feel pretty. Soon after, Elsa is dumped on Rafe's doorstep, shamed, disowned, and pregnant. And there, with Rafe's parents on their Texas farm, she finds her true place...a family who loves her and a place she loves to call home. But then the stock market collapses and the nation falls into a Great Depression. The farm dries to dust as the rain refuses to fall. Starving and choking on dust Elsa refuses to leave for years, until she becomes forced to by her son's failing health. Fleeing toward the promise of jobs and prosperity in California, Elsa again realizes she'll have to fight for the survival of herself and her children against the unfair practices of the landowners. I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. The views and opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own. Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book! 

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