Shades of trouble on Pompeii's slopes!

The past casts many a shadow in the lee of Vesuvius. Colin is confronted by his past and Emily's confidence is frayed as murder spreads it's wings on a dig at Pompeii.
Emily's friend Ivy asked Emily to accompany her to Pompeii. Ivy's husband, concerned about the two women traveling alone, with a clever sleight of hand, was able to inveigle King Edward VII to release Colin from his protection duties in order to join them.
In a reconstructed dining room at the Pompei dig, archaeologists have formed plaster casts of a group of the long perished inhabitants giving tourists a window into the terrors of those moments. When Ivy comments on the unusualness of one of the group of ancient figures having sideburns, it's but a moment before Colin pokes at the plaster with his penknife to discover that the body displayed is very much recent .
Alternating with the mystery Emily becomes involved in, we follow the path of a young Greek woman who along with her father is a slave to a wealthy family living in Pompeii prior to the eruption of Mt Vesuvius. She is a close friend to the daughter of the house and a poet.
Initially I felt the plot was lack luster. It seemed just so so. I was also annoyed by what I saw as a storyline interruption, switching from 1902 to A.D. 79. Later, as Emily battled through what was a major upheaval to hers and Colin's lives, I became very much involved in their plight and the poet's tale. As the two stories wove together, I was once again was struck by Alexander's ability to give us a solid murder mystery with something a little different.
I did not see the ending coming. A good thing!
I was also much struck by the epigraph Alexander opened the story with. So fitting when taken in context! Yet what does it say about attitudes to life?
"Of the many misfortunes that have occurred in this world, no others have given posterity such joy. —Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, writing about Pompeii."

A St. Martin's Press ARC via NetGalley

I received a free electronic copy of this historical novel from Netgalley, Tasha Alexander, and Minotaur Books. Thank you all for sharing your hard work with me. I have read this novel of my own volition, and this review reflects my honest opinion of this work. I am pleased to add Tasha Alexander to my must-read list. She writes a tight, exciting tale with interesting characters and a great background of details that take you there.

We visit various sites at the Pompeii archeological site at the base of Vesuvius, some in AD 79, beginning just hours before the lastest of the frequent quakes and eruptions of Vesuvius becomes lethal. In the later time frame of 1902, we travel with Lady Emily, her husband Colin Hargreaves as they accompany Emily's best friend Ivy Brandon to this historic site. Ivy was invited to visit the site by causal friends, who are both employed at the Balthazar Taylor Dig at Pompeii. Siblings, Benjamin and Calliope 'Callie' Carter, are young and rather wild, promising an interesting visit for Emily and Ivy who are childhood friends in need of some special together time. Colin is guilted into accompanying the ladies by Ivy's husband, because it's 1902 and ladies don't travel around Europe without an escort and security. Colin normally works as security for the English King.

Four days in, Ivy comments on the fact that one of the plaster castings of the victims of the Pompeii tragedy is wearing impressive sideburns, which doesn't fit the profile of manly fashion in '79 AD. This modern corpse encased in plaster is about a month dead, and Emily and Ivy are right in the midst of the action. It is really good that they brought security. But is one man enough?

IN THE SHADOW OF VESUVIUS takes protagonists Lady Emily and her husband Colin to Pompeii where they find a recently murdered journalist encased in plaster among the remains of the ancient city. Even though this is the fourteenth entry in the long running series, the characters are as fresh as ever. Author Alexander even introduces a new character that immediately shakes things up, and I am curious to see how the dynamic evolves in future books.

Alexander continues her recent trend in writing dual narratives in two eras here. Lady Emily’s murder mystery takes place in 1902, and the alternate story revolves around a freed slave poet in the months leading up to the eruption of Vesuvius. The two stories are quite different, but they do share a setting and eventually become relevant to each other. I would prefer the story stay with Lady Emily, but Kassandra’s plight is interesting.

Overall, I greatly enjoyed this impeccably researched historical mystery and look forward to many more adventures with Lady Emily and Colin.

I received an ARC of this title from the publisher through NetGalley and voluntarily shared my thoughts here.

In the Shadow of Vesuvius by Tasha Alexander is another in the series of Victorian mysteries and takes place, mostly, in 1902. Emily's friend Ivy Brandon, the mother of six wants to visit Pompeii but her husband will not allow it without someone to accompany her so she turns to her friend, Lady Emily Hargreaves. As it turns out that would be an adventure Lady Emily would like to take, and her husband, Colin Hargreaves, a man in the employ of the British government to deal with problems, is available to join them. We join them in Pompeii and begin a two-pronged story, which jumps between that of a young woman in ancient Pompeii and the solving of two murders in the current day. Victorian expectations are still fully in force, even in Italy, so there are a great many behavioral expectations in place, for both men and women. This rarely stops Lady Emily, but she tries to remain circumspect.

The two stories are unrelated but meet toward the end of the book. Alexander has woven a disparate group of personalities into an interesting tome full of intrigue and danger, several murders, several more attempted. Lies are told to skirt expectations, but others rose to the occasion to make lies unnecessary. Emily and Colin's relationship is put to the test by the arrival of Colin's previously unknown daughter, who I expect to get to know better in coming novels. One of Alexander's strengths is character development and nowhere does she display it better than in this book. The characters are inconsistent, just like real people, and ever fail to surprise and the reader gets to know them. It is exciting. Another perk is all the history, well researched and often haunting. This is a terrific book. Lady Emily followers will not be disappointed and it will certainly garner new readers, as well. I recommend it.

I received a free ARC of In the Shadow of Vesuvius from Netgalley in exchange for a fair review. All opinions and interpretations contained herein are solely my own. #netgalley #intheshadowofvesuvius

A wonderfully researched book detailing a “modern” excavation of Pompeii in 1902 and the day’s leading up to the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in 79 AD. In the Shadow of Vesuvius by Tasha Alexander is the perfect book to read if you have been to Pompeii or wish to visit the site..

Lady Emily and her husband Colin Hargreaves are invited by a friend to visit Italy. Among the sites is Pompeii. They take a tour with a working archaeology crew that is comprised of the rare female archaeologist, her moody brother - a painter, and the group leader American Balthazar Taylor. Joining in is Lady Emily's irascible friend the Duke of Bainbridge and a young woman who claims a relationship to the Hargreaves family.

When they find a fresh corpse encased in plaster, they set out to discover who killed him and made him a part of the ruins. A terrific tale of the last days of Pompeii and the archaeological ruins

"In the Shadow of Vesuvius" is a mystery set in 1902 in Italy. It's the 14th in a series. You can understand this book without reading the previous ones. This book spoiled some events from previous books since Colin's daughter by a previous love shows up to cause trouble in his marriage to Lady Emily.

The author alternated between the mystery and a story about a poetess who lived in Pompeii at the time of the eruption. The story set at the time of the eruption has little to do with the mystery and seems mainly to show what life was like in the city at the time. The author clearly did a lot of research for Pompeii for both time periods and wove these details into the story. Emily and Colin asked questions, followed up clues, and considered possible scenarios until she figured out what was going on and whodunit. She was intelligent, competent, and likable. The other characters were also interesting. I was able to guess whodunit long before Lady Emily, though.

There were no sex scenes. There were only a few uses of bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this enjoyable novel.

This book was a very good addition to the Lady Emily series and is rich in historical detail. I lost myself in the pages as I raced to the end. There were actually two stories that tied in nicely.
Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

There is something truly quite comforting about a Lady Emily book. Tasha Alexander has a way of writing that makes one feel as if they are home but also on an adventure of sorts. I love the new locations you visit and enjoy when solving a lady Emily mystery. In the Shadow of Vesuvius is no exception. I was truly waiting for this new installment for the last several months and am so thankful I read it. Now to journey to the bookstore on Tuesday to add this gem to my hardcover collection.

I received an ARC of this book through NetGalley to read in exchange for a fair review. In the Shadows of Vesuvius by Tasha Alexander is the 14th book in her delightful Lady Emily mystery series. It can be read as a stand-alone. The other books in the series are quite enjoyable so I do suggest adding them to your TBR list. Lady Emily Hargreaves, her husband Colin and her good friend Ivy Brandon have travelled to Italy to spend some time exploring Pompeii along side an archeological dig. Shortly after they arrive a body is discovered and since the local police seem uninterested in solving the murder Lady Emily and her husband and her friends set out to solve the murder. The chapters alternate between the present of 1902 and AD 79 following the life a young poetess in ancient Pompeii. The story is an intriguing mystery combined with some interesting points of history to make a story that you won’t want to put down. I enjoyed reading this book.
Publishing Date January 7, 2020. #NetGalley #InTheShadowsOfVesuvius #TashaAlexander #StMartinsPress #MysteriesAndThrillers #bookstagram #HistorcalFiction @StMartinsPress

DNF; the setup and writing isn't working for me unfortunately but YMMV. Check out the excerpt and other reviews to see if the book interests you.

How to synopsize this? Lady Emily and her husband Colin travel to Italy in 1902 along with Emily's friend Ivy. While there, they discover a body and, when the local police don't want to investigate due to not wanting to provoke the local bad guys, she sets out to find out what happened. Oh, and it turns out that Colin has a daughter, Kat, he never knew about. AND- there's a dual time line of a Greek slave poetess during during 79 AD- as Pompeii is peaking and falling, in part due to, well, Vesuvius. Wow. This is the last installment in a long running series of which I've only read a few and I found it fascinating for the good research and neat characters. There are a fair number of characters, btw, which can be a little distracting as you're working out the mystery, which is in some ways less interesting that the interactions. Keep an eye for Jeremy (he's a hoot) and on Kat (who's kind of a stinker). That said, I very much enjoyed it and thank the publisher for the arc. Now I'm looking forward to the next one.

3.75 stars

Another stirring entry in the Lady Emily historical mystery series. This time around Lady Emily and husband Colin find themselves near Pompeii and Herculaneum. While touring one of the sites, a dead body is discovered and our dauntless couple is off and running.

As usual, the repartee and action are great fun and nicely done. Colin's past has a surprise for him which adds interest to the already intriguing setup. The author clearly is fascinated by Roman and Greek history and by the cities wiped out by the eruption of Vesuvius.

The chapters are interspersed with the story of a freed slave woman and the two narratives braid together nicely with a spectacular ending. Thanks to the publisher and to Net Galley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Pompeii is the background this latest installment by Tasha Alexander when a member of an archeological team is murdered. Lady Emily and Colin set out to solve the mystery of his death. Things get complicated when a surprise from Colin's past appears. As usual Tasha Alexander's research into the history of the area is meticulous giving the reader a fascinating look to the past.
Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Series: Lady Emily #14
Publication Date: 1/7/2020
Number of Pages: 304
*** 3.5 Stars Rounded up to 4 ***

As with many of the stories in this long-running series, you get two stories for the price of one. The main story takes place in 1902 Pompei at an archaeological dig and the accompanying story revolves around a newly freed slave girl in AD 79 Pompei. For my part, I sort of liked the accompanying story better than the main story – mostly because you knew, as you read, what was going to happen to the characters. You wanted them to escape, but really knew they wouldn’t, so it was bittersweet.

Lady Emily and her best friend, Ivy, hadn’t been able to spend much time together because – well – life got in the way. Ivy has six children who keep her busy and Lady Emily and her husband, Colin have children and travel a good deal – mostly because of Colin’s work for the crown. Ivy, Emily, and Colin have decided to make a trek to the digs at Pompei. Colin didn’t want to go, but Ivy’s husband persuaded him to accompany the ladies.

Almost upon arrival, they discovered a dead body – encased in plaster in order to look like the other victims of Vesuvius. Colin and Lady Emily immediately take on the investigation to solve the murder because the local authorities would just let it go. They have lots of suspects with all of the archaeologists on the dig – many of whom are hiding secrets. Almost as soon as the investigation begins, the warnings start. The warnings are obscure and something that Lady Emily would recognize, but most others wouldn’t. Those warnings were meant to put them off the investigation but only made Lady Emily and crew more determined to find the killer. Tensions only increase when a second death occurs. Was it a murder or an accident? The investigation continues and many secrets are revealed, many suspects investigated and finally, the killer revealed in a most dramatic way.

Also, right at the beginning, we get a new and previously unknown addition to the Hargreaves family. Colin’s method of dealing with this new addition caused me to lose respect for him. There was no excuse for his allowing this new addition to treat Lady Emily as she did.

I have never had a great liking for Lady Emily – I’ve tried and just can’t get there. In my opinion, Lady Ivy would have made a much better heroine. Jeremy, Duke of Bainbridge, is also seeming a little caricaturish to me. Seems to me it is time he begins to grow up. One thing that sort of bothered me was that there was absolutely no mention of Lady Emily’s and Colin’s children – given the circumstances, you’d think they’d be discussed at some point.

The descriptions of the places and people in both stories made you feel as if you were right there in the scene. The mystery was a good one and the accompanying story was a lovely, but sad, tale.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

3.5 stars

I have always been fascinated by Pompeii so I was eager to read this even though I had not read any other Emily books. It's set in 1902 and Lady Emily discovers a body on a dig in Pompeii. The problem is that it's a recent body and has not been dead for thousands of years. She and a friend, Ivy, investigate the murder as the police don't seem to be interested in investigating. There is a secondary story of a slave girl in Pompeii who is a poet. The story goes back and forth between the two and I, frankly, enjoyed the slave story more.
There are all sorts of characters involved in the historical dig including one with a severe anger problem. There is someone from Emily's husband's past who shows up and treats Emily badly. He tolerates it and it really grated on my nerves. The characters are rather bland to me and never came to life but that may be because I haven't read any of the previous books.

Thanks to Net Galley for a copy of this book in exchange for a fair review.

In the Shadow of Vesuvius is a great mystery with interesting historical details. This is the first book I have read by this author and it will not be my last. Great characters and well written.

I received a copy of this title from the publisher for an honest review. In the Shadow of Vesuvius is the latest title in Ms. Alexander's long running Lady Emily series. This book finds Emily, her dashing husband Colin, and several friends visiting Pompeii. While visiting the ruins, the group finds a body that only recently died unlike the rest of the poor unfortunates who died centuries ago when Mt. Vesuvius erupted covering Pompeii and other nearby cities in layers of ash and killing the remaining inhabitants. The body is determined to belong to a reporter from America, but what he was doing at the site or why someone could kill him? Shortly after the body is found, an unexpected visitor with connections to Colin's life before he married Emily arrives forcing Emily to work through feelings about the past that she thought were behind her.

The main mystery was well done and I enjoyed trying to figure out not only who the murderer was but why they did it. I also found the unexpected visitor (don't want to give anything away), an interesting addition to the series that I'm looking forward to seeing how it plays out in future installments. Ms. Alexander did a great job of giving readers a glimpse into what visitors to Pompeii in the early 1900's would have experienced as well as a history of excavations prior to that. In addition to the portions of the story featuring Emily, there is a narrative featuring a roman slave in the days leading up to the eruption that buried the city that gives the reader insight to the pre-eruption city and what life was like during that period. I love this series and think that even after so many books, it still feels fresh and enjoyable. I can't wait to see where Emily and company go next; I hope we get to see more of their children as the series continues.

This is the first Tasha Alexander book I've read and I was blown away by the attention to historical detail. The descriptions of Pompeii: the archaeological dig as well as the original city, were amazing and it was easy to imagine yourself right there on the city streets. I love reading everything I can on Pompeii and Herculaneum so this was a great read for that (and I loved the bibliography at the end- a few I had already read but the rest are absolutely going on my TBR pile). The sense of place remained strong throughout the book and was its major strength for me.

If I had read the earlier books in the series (this is number 14) I might have had more of a connection with the characters, but I had trouble really connecting to them. For the most part they seemed rather flat for me. I also didn't feel any emotional connection to the mystery. A man shows up dead, the local police won't do anything so Emily and her husband decide to look into it. I prefer mysteries where, if there's an amateur sleuth, they are trying to solve the crime because it affects them or someone close to them personally. The chapters alternate between Lady Emily's "present day" and the story of Kassandra, a slave in Pompeii in the months leading up to the eruption. I was of two minds about the secondary story as well. I loved the additional chances to see into the everyday life of the people and the city, and I liked that the character wasn't a highly born noble but a slave who earns her freedom. Like Emily, Kassandra is a woman trying to live by her own rules in a man's world, which I liked. On the other hand, until the very end it was hard to tell exactly why we were seeing this particular story. I thought it was clever how they dovetailed in the end (I won't give it away, but it worked nicely).

The research and attention to detail for "In the Shadow of Vesuvius" were amazing, broken up only by a (to me) mediocre mystery plot line and characters I couldn't overly enjoy spending time with.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

This one really fell flat for me. The mystery was kind of sloppy and not intriguing whatsoever. When there was a sliver of hope for something interesting to happen in the characters' personal lives...no, nothing to see here. While she talked less about her greatness for which I was grateful, Emily seemed even more uppity and perfect than usual. And would it kill Alexander to give Colin a little more personality?

Disappointing, especially since the one before it was so good!

I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of this series, the main characters keep me entertained time and again and this one is no different, Very much enjoyed it, Thank you publisher and netgalley for this arc in exchange of an honest review.