I can't anything helpful to many existing reviews except to recommend this to historical fiction fans. This is a talented and experience author who knows how to spin a tale.

I really appreciate the copy for review!

Penny for Your Secrets is the third Verity Kent mystery by Anna Lee Huber. Released 29th Oct 2019 by Kensington, it's 336 pages and available in a library edition, paperback, audio, and ebook formats.

This is a really enjoyable period (interwar England, 1919) cozy murder mystery series and this book in particular highlighted the difficulties of communication and trust building between main characters Verity and Sidney. The author is adept at character building and uses story to develop and deepen her returning characters' personalities and motivations. The secondary characters are also well developed and believable.

The story is skillfully built around real life occurrences and rivalries and the author weaves these background tidbits into the story seamlessly. These undoubtedly represent a large investment in research time on the author's part, but it pays off in verisimilitude in the narrative.

The plotting and pacing were variable. There were some parts of the book which dragged a bit for me. I did like it that the author intentionally leaves large plot elements unresolved and I'll be looking forward to the next books in the series. The denouement was exciting and it's nice that Verity is strong and intelligent and can take care of herself, more or less. The author does give Sidney some latitude for heroic swoon worthy rescues occasionally, which I admit that I like. For readers who insist that their fictional heroines never need rescuing, there might be some slight eye-rolling involved in this one.

This is a period cozy with solid storytelling, good plot, very strong characterizations and dialogue. The language is clean; there's a nice romance element between the main characters. There is some strongly implied sexual content, used in context, but nothing graphic at all.

Four stars.

Better than I expected!

I would like to thank Anna Lee Huber, Kensington Books, and NetGalley for allowing me to read a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Spoilers

In the past I haven’t liked the Verity Kent series as much as the Lady Darby books, but surprisingly I enjoyed this one more than the previous two.

Admittedly, it had a slow beginning. I understand narratively why Huber began with those scenes, but that doesn’t make them less boring. I also didn’t care for the scenes in which they were out clubbing. I much preferred the intimacy of Verity and Sidney’s home life and the intrigue of Verity’s sleuthing. And honestly, without the mysteries to solve, I have no idea what they would have been doing with their time other than socializing and clubbing—if they had anything else to do, it wasn’t well communicated. Even if that’s a realistic depiction, I would struggle to respect much less relate to them if they had nothing else to do.

The original mystery was concluded, though the overarching one—the far more interesting one—was left up in the air. I was pretty disappointed that Ardmore didn’t get a comeuppance, but it certainly makes me itch to read the next book.

I also liked Sidney more in this book than in the previous ones. I think I’m coming around to Verity’s choice to stick with him rather than give him the “go fuck yourself” I would have given him. I don’t think he came off as self-serving here as he had previously; instead of resisting Verity’s penchant for solving mysteries, he offered to help her. That was a very refreshing and endearing choice for him to make. And their struggle to communicate emotionally—oh, my heart. That was beautiful.

Also, I was very impressed by how Huber brought the setting and time period to life with rich detail. I loved the little things that probably took her hours of research to learn and only seconds for me to read, like the rivalry between the motorcar manufacturers, or the fact that sunglasses were newly fashionable.

I did get confused early on because two characters had very similar names—Armand and Ardmore—but the former was less than tertiary and the issue quickly resolved itself when he was no longer a factor.

Overall, I’m actually as excited for the next Verity Kent as I am for the next Lady Darby.

And okay, part of that is because Verity may or may not be pregnant. Sure, it could be that Huber only mentioned that Ver got seasick for the first time in her life to emphasize how rough the seas were, but usually in novels and movies when a woman starts throwing up unexpectedly, nine times out of ten she’s pregnant. And there was that whole thing about Sidney and the children of his fallen comrades. He needs a child to ground him and give him some purpose. And even if it was just seasickness, it’s only a matter of time before Verity’s pregnant. She’s already miscarried once and she and Sidney have been going at it like bunnies.

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I've always been a sucker for Historical Fiction so when I saw a novel about female spies I had to get it. Plus when it's described as in the vein of The Alice Network how can you say no? This is the third novel in the Verity Kent series and holds all the same mystery and intrigue as the pervious two. I'm not only happy that I received a copy of this from NetGalley but I was also sent a copy of the novel from the publishers as well!

A Penny for Your Secrets takes place at the end of WWI. Both Verity Kent and her husband, Sydney, had been involved in the war efforts as members of the British Secret Service. For a time Verity was led to believe that her husband had died, when actually he had gone into hiding to complete a sensitive mission. Now that the Great War has ended, they are determined to repair their marriage and put some of their painful past behind them.

Meanwhile, Verity is asked to investigate the murder of a Marquis (the husband of one of her best friends) as well as the death of the half-sister of one of her former colleagues in the secret service. With the help and support of her husband, who is suffering from PTSD, Verity is determined to find the answers to these increasingly complicated crimes.

A Penny for Your Secrets is the third book in a mystery series by Anna Lee Huber. Since I have not read the first two books I felt that I was missing some of the story, which is only natural. However, Ms Huber included some of the backstory so that the reader can have a better sense of the story line. Nevertheless, I think I would have enjoyed this book a bit more if I was more familiar with the characters.

It is obvious that the author has done a great deal of research in order to give her story authenticity. In addition, her writing style is quite compelling and the mystery is solid. However, I’m rarely happy to encounter a cliffhanger at the end of a good story. This book is no exception.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a copy of this book for review.

Anna Lee Huber doesn't disappoint once more in this newest installment of a Varity Kent mystery. What's great about this newest book is that we as the viewer, get a bit more of a look into the life Varity led before the war. Her friends and habits, but we also see how she's never fit society fully. War changed her for the better and gave her a purpose, one that she won't let go of. As usual, I was left guessing about "Who Done it" right up to the end. A fabulous read that makes me excited for the next book.

As many of you know, I have been a long time fan of Anna Lee Huber’s novels. She’s an exceptional writer and one that is perpetually on auto-buy for me!

Her latest series, Verity Kent, has been no exception. It’s an interesting time period—set immediately following WWI—and both the heroine and her husband are different characters than she’s written before which I find exciting.

This book is the third book in this series, and I would recommend reading the series beginning to end, however, it’s is not necessary to remain orientated in the story. As with many of Huber’s novels, the focus is the mystery rather than the character’s side plots etc. It’s just so good I would hate for people to miss out on this one, beginning to end.

Summary
England, 1919. In Anna Lee Huber’s latest mystery, former Secret Service agent Verity Kent is finding that life after wartime offers its own share of danger . . .

The Great War may be over, but for many, there are still obstacles on the home front. Reconciling with her estranged husband makes Verity sympathetic to her friend Ada’s marital difficulties. Bourgeois-bred Ada, recently married to the Marquess of Rockham, is overwhelmed trying to navigate the ways of the aristocracy. And when Lord Rockham is discovered shot through the heart with a bullet from Ada’s revolver, Verity fears her friend has made a fatal blunder.

While striving to prove Ada’s innocence, Verity is called upon for another favor. The sister of a former Secret Service colleague has been killed in what authorities believe was a home invasion gone wrong. The victim’s war work—censoring letters sent by soldiers from the front—exposed her to sensitive, disturbing material. Verity begins to suspect these two unlikely cases may be linked. But as the connections deepen, the consequences—not just for Verity, but for Britain—grow more menacing than she could have imagined (summary from Goodreads)

Review
As always, Huber doesn’t disappoint. I was hooked on this mystery from the beginning and like Verity, I was baffled and unsure of what direction things were going in and why. I also liked that this book seemed to set up an arch nemesis for Verity and her husband. I think in a lot of historical mysteries there is a push to keep things contained and ‘solved’ in one or two books but with this book, I like the bold direction Huber is taking.

There is clearly an arch nemesis in being created here and a huge and complicated larger crime happening that can’t be wrapped up in this book, the implications of the crime/crimes in this book are too great. This aspect easily as a couple of books to work itself out. It has far reaching consequences and I couldn’t be more excited for what the future holds.

Verity is such a raw and real character for me. While I love all of Huber’s other heroines etc, there is something so much more real about Verity. I don’t know if it’s the time period or just who Verity is, but she’s strong and yet flawed. She’s fighting her own demons throughout the series—much like the men returning from war and it’s a great representation.

The only thing that has been a bit of a bummer for me in this series is that I don’t like Sidney. There’s something about him that I just don’t trust and don’t find dashing or romantic. I can’t quite put my finger on it but I’m just not a Sidney fan. He’s so secretive and the way he wrongs Verity in the first book by keeping things from her has basically upset me throughout the series and I don’t trust him. I prefer Max personally. I keep hoping that him and Verity will end up together but it’s looking unlikely at this point. While I might not love Sidney, it’s purely a personal preference and in no way reflective of the story.

Overall this is a fantastic series and another win for Huber! If you love historical mysteries, then you don’t want to miss this book but do yourself a favor and read the entire series! Verity is a pistol and you will love her!

Book Info and Rating
Paperback, 336 pages
Expected publication: October 29th 2019 by Kensington
ISBN 1496713192 (ISBN13: 9781496713193)
Free review copy provided by publisher, Kensington, in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and in no way influenced.
Rating: 4 stars
Genre: historical fiction, mystery

This latest mystery involving Verity Kent has it all. First it's a solid historical mystery, one of my favorite genres. It's set in the days following the end of WWI and Verity and her husband, Sydney are trying to put the pieces of their oh so short marriage back together. They had been married mere days before Sydney went off to war and while in France he faked his death. Verity was first married, then widowed and now is married and, if that wasn't enough, Sydney is dealing with was called shell shock or what we now know to be PTSD. Both of them harbor secrets which adds another hurdle to their fragile relationship.
One evening they attend a dinner party hosted by Ada, wife of Lord Rockham and, due to her 'in your face' flirtation with one of the guests and an all too handy gun that she jokingly says she might use on her husband, well she becomes prime suspect number one when he turns up murdered. Then Verity adds to her investigating - with Sydney's help - a second murder., of Esther Shaw, She died in her own flat, the victim of a cat burglar or was it? Verity begins to suspect that the two murders might be connected.
.The mystery can be read as a stand alone and the mystery itself is complete. There is a cliff hanger in the mix when Verity has to deal with her own Nemesis with roots in her WWI Secret Service activities. So many excellent reasons to eagerly await the next challenge for Verity and Sydney.

A PENNY FOR YOUR SECRETS is book three in the Verity Kent Mystery Series, having not read books one and two, yet, though I plan to, I had no trouble reading this novel as a stand-alone and felt the repetition of some details weren’t needed for me to understand the narrative, which was my only pet peeve. I do, however, really like Anna Lee Huber’s writing style. What backstory that is given, regardless of the repetition, was sufficient in enticing me to read books one and two, and I can’t wait!

The cover art is what immediately pulled my attention towards reading A PENNY FOR YOUR SECRETS, and the description sealed the deal for me:

‘England, 1919. In Anna Lee Huber’s latest mystery, former Secret Service agent Verity Kent is finding that life after wartime offers its own share of danger …’

I really empathized with Sidney Kent, Verity’s husband, who struggles with PTSD and survivor’s guilt (though not the main focus of the story, which is that of a murder mystery), but is an integral part of the character that I found to be heartbreaking to read:

‘The lines and hollows of his features were more pronounced in the light cast by the lamp, the weariness, and guilt that I knew still weighed on him evident in the stoop of his shoulders. It was like the shadow cast on the wall behind him, ever haunting him when awake and at rest.’

Thank you, NetGalley and Kensington Publishing Corporation, for providing me with an advance copy of A PENNY FOR YOUR SECRETS in exchange for an honest review.

Up Next: THIS SIDE OF MURDER (Book One), and then TREACHEROUS IS THE NIGHT (Book Two)!

Anna Lee Huber’s latest Verity and Sidney Kent’s outing, “Penny for your Secrets,” is as much a study in how to save a marriage as it is in how to solve a murder mystery. And this particular entry in the series involves a real historical mystery, as the Kents fight through a host of danger and their own fight to reclaim their lives, their marriage, and heal from a war that has cost both of them so much.

Succinctly, for love, a young man and a young woman are dead. Others soon follow. All for an outlandish plot to “silence the cowardly upstarts.” “You’ll find out what that means when you read the book.

Ms. Huber lets us know that there is real history here, and she’s used it in the book. Readers should take some time to read up on the fate of the cargo ship “Zebrina” - author has some intriguing ideas on what really happened to this ship. Part and parcel of why reading a historical mystery can be so much fun – to see how real history can be incorporated, and how in a good writer’s deft hands, is brought to life.

Verity especially works to ferret out the truth, even after receiving subtle and not so subtle hints to let it all drop. The Secret Service is mixed up in all this -- there’s no love lost between anyone, and memories too harsh to be forgotten even if they are being forgiven keep rearing up. And “swells’ are involved - aren’t they always?

The wounds of war figure prominently in these books. Sidney is especially troubled, physically and mentally, and knowing what to do about it is a main theme of the story. The mystery is soon secondary to feelings.

And survival permeates the pages - who lives and lived and who died -- both during the war and after -- is a theme. Thus, the couple still have secrets from each other. Our author is adept at drawing this out piece by piece, making us want more, know more from these characters.

Demons are fought throughout this book, as they have been throughout the series. Strides are being made, little by little. Ms. Huber pulls no punches when it comes to describing the devastating effects on those who survived.

They have an enemy they will have to keep an eye on -- a formidable foe that will take all their combined strength to bring down. But now that Sidney is doing better, it should be easier for Verity to concentrate. Although wartime activities might lead to really bad trouble for Verity -- we’ll read more about that, I’m sure. I hope her friends in high places can help.

Thanks to the publisher and to NetGalley for a copy of this book, in exchange for this review.

An excellent and well written historical mystery. I found it engrossing and entertaining.
I appreciated the well researched historical background, the fleshed out cast of characters and the solid mystery that kept me guessing.
I look forward to reading the next instalment in this series.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

Take a little murder, add a suspicious member of some unnamed secret service, throw in an old grudge from a former collegue and you’ve got the makings of the latest novel in the Verity Kent mystery series which features Verity and her husband Sydney who is still struggling with all he saw and did during the “Great War”. This is the third book in the series, although it is a complete mystery of it’s own and can be read as a stand alone. There are some secondary characters who first appeared in earlier books and if a reader is planning to read the series, they would most likely enjoy reading them in order.
In this novel, Verity and Sydney are invited to a dinner party by one of Verity’s friends, a rather loose living woman who has now married a Marquis and is struggling to find her place. As they arrive at the party, it is clear to Verity the marriage has not grown in love and affection and her friend is flaunting her latest affair with one of the guests. Although she does not approve of her friend’s behavior, Verity is inclined to excuse much of it as she knows the struggles her friend has faced in the past. Sydney is less forgiving, and this sets up the first of a series of tensions between them.
For his part, Sydney is struggling with his memories of the war and how to move forward. As much as this pains Verity, she is unable to get him to open up and talk about all he has seen and done, which drives a small wedge between them at a time when they are still working to repair their relationship from the damage caused by secrets that were created and resolved in the first novel.
In addition to this struggle between Sydney and Verity, she learns there is a former colleague who has placed her on a list of possible insurgents, listing her activities as a spy during the war as having possibly compromised her. In truth, he and Verity loath one another, and he is using his current position to undermine her in every way he can. The head of her former department is doing what he can to erase the listing, but the ultimate outcome is not resolved.
While Verity and Sydney do discover the real murderer and, in the process, what happened to a crew from a ship that washed up during the war, the solutions leave them both dissatisfied. Sydney is still working to cope with what would today be termed survivor’s guilt while Verity becomes aware that she has a nemesis lurking in the shadows. She is convinced her nemesis is intent on causing her difficulties but she has no idea of what or why.
While the mystery itself if resolved, I would have preferred a resolution to Verity’s situation with her nemesis to have been resolved as well. I typically dislike books that have central storylines that continue from one book to the next, and this was no exception. My thanks to Kensington Publishers and NetGalley for providing me with an Advanced Digital Read copy of this book in exchange for an unbias

Verity's friend Ada was not born into the aristocracy but she did marry into it. AT Ada's for a dinner, Verity is dismayed to find that the relationship, which had lasted for 5 years before their marriage is now, two years after marriage, in disarray. They can barely hide their animosity and most of the guests are ready for the show, including Ada's marked preference for another man. At dinner, Ada plops a gun on the table and "jokes" that she might shoot her husband. The butler quickly removes it but Verity is shocked to find out that the gun was not put in the chair by Ada. This seems very suspicious but no one else is worried. However, when Lord Rockham is murdered, Ada immediately becomes suspect number one.
But Verity won't be able to work on just one murder. One of her friend's half-sister died and the friend is certain it was murder. The dead woman was one of the people who worked for the Royal Mail, redacting information from soldiers to home. It is very likely that she saw something that could have gotten her killed.
There is a lot of development between Verity and Sydney as they try to find their way through their marriage, both having made mistakes. They were only married for 3 days before he went to war. She thought he died and he thought she stayed home while the truth was, she went into the secret service.
A great addition to the series, even if it does end with Verity realizing she's found her very own Moriarty. Not a cliffhanger per se, but there are definitely things unresolved.

Four stars
This book came out October 29th
ARC kindly provided by Kensington Books and NetGalley
Opinions are my own

This would have been a 5 star read had it not had a partial cliffhanger at the end - HOW annoying.
Other than that, this was a very, very, good read. I really like this series [how funny it seems now that I just wasn't sure about it with the first book] and am now looking forward to each new one and I will admit that I am sad that I will have to wait probably a whole year for another one.

This was a good reflection on just how tough it is to recover from the ravages of war - whether it be the men that returned home, the women who did way more than anyone knew around them and the men that stayed home. Sidney's recovery is slow and that is just how it should be; men who saw what his character has seen and the things that were asked of him [including letting his wife believe he was dead] do not just recover overnight and I am glad the author is addressing that and having Sidney deal with what men in real life would have had to deal with and that is very refreshing. The same with Verity and how she deals with all the repercussions from both her service AND from Sidney's lies about his death. And from all the things that happened while she thought he was dead. The way its being written is very good and feels true-to-life.

The mystery[s] were also very good. Surprising but good.

I am so looking forward to #4!!

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

It's 1919, an Verity Kent and her husband Sidney are residing in London. Shortly after they attend a dinner party, the host is murdered. Is Verity's friend, Ada, the widow, somehow involved? When there are two other murders, Verity wonders if they could be related to some people in power trying to cover up a deadly secret. I have enjoyed all of Anna Lee Huber's historical mysteries, and this one is a real page-turner. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC.

Another fabulous installment in the Verity Kent series! Verity is such a fabulous main character, strong but still vulnerable; badass; and wickedly smart! This book allowed more and more exploration of Verity and Sidney's relationship as the two investigate two seemingly unconnected murders that prove to have more ties to each other than can be seen at first glance. With a well thought out and complex mystery, enjoyable character and great writing this is becoming one of my favourite mystery series!

The Great War may be over but not for everyone. For Verity Kent and husband, Sidney, it has been difficult to repair their marriage after Sidney allowed her to think that he had been killed in the war. His reason was noble, that of exposing a nest of traitors, but Verity is still struggling with the after-effects. Verity, of course, had her own secrets. She had worked with the Secret Service as an agent, sending her behind enemy lines. Verity's troubles make her sympathetic to those of a friend, Ada, who has recently married into the highest levels of society. An extremely unpleasant dinner party makes it clear that Ada's marriage is not going well. When Lord Rockham is murdered, Ada is the obvious suspect. Verity and Sidney set out to find the murderer but a colleague from Verity's past needs her help as well. The colleague's sister was murdered in what appeared to be an interrupted burglary. Verity thinks it had something to do with their shared wartime work.

Penny For Your Secrets is a complex and involving mystery that sets up events to come in the series with a new shady enemy for Verity and Sidney, one who is both powerful and highly placed. What I found most interesting is the long-lasting effects of war on those who fought it. Not only was almost an entire generation wiped out, but those who returned came home with wounds both physical and spiritual. Sidney suffers from PTSD and survivor's guilt. It will be a long road back for them.

Thanks to Kensington and NetGalley for an advance digital copy. The opinions are my own.

Penny for Your Secrets by Anna Lee Huber is the next in the Verity Kent series of mysteries, this one taking place shortly after World War I, one of my favorite eras. Verity and her newly restored to her husband, Sidney are at a dinner party at the home of the Marquess and Marchioness of Rockham's home. Things do not appear to be going well in the marriage between Rockham and Ada, a friend of Verity's, which was odd as it had been a love match, with Rockham divorcing his American wife and mother to his two children, to marry Ada, his mistress of five years. Ada appeared to be carrying only openly with another man and Rockham seemed as cold and detached as ever. The only really surprising thing to happen was Ada pulling a gun out of her chair at dinner, and sloughing it off as a possible way to kill her husband. Verity and Sidney were awoken by the telephone ringing at 3 a.m. with Ada on the other end relating that her husband had been killed and the police were at her home. Could Verity come and help?

This is part of a series and sadly, the first one I have read, although I plan to go back and read them all. Verity and Sidney are written as typical upper crust English struggling to find their places after the Great War. After three days of marriage Sidney went off to war, leaving Verity at home like thousand of others. She rebounded by helping the war effort by working undercover, a secret she was not able to share upon Sidney's return, but a mutual friend in the government was able to help fill in the blanks. They are reserved; they are staid; they are fearless. This is a terrific who-dunnit book, which I highly recommend. It is written in a very formal style, befitting its subjects and is an open window into life at this time in England, where everything was changing. I very enjoyable read.

I received a free ARC of Penny for Your Secrets from Netgalley. All opinions and interpretations contained herein are solely my own. #netgalley #pennyforyoursecrets

4.5 stars, this series just keeps getting better! The Verity Kent series is darker and angstier than some of my other favorite historical series (e.g. Royal Spyness and Amory Ames), and the depth of emotion here is a welcome contrast to the bantery antics of Bright Young Things, although I certainly enjoy those as well. More than just murder mysteries and espionage, these books explore the aftereffects of war and how two people damaged by it connect (or, sometimes, don't). The mystery in this one was interesting and complex, and maybe left a bit of a cliffhanger for future plotlines? It's hard to tell, it may be wrapped up, but there was some definite loose ends, and I'm looking forward to seeing whether they are explored more in the next book. I can highly recommend this series, and I really need to get around to reading Anna Lee Huber's other series, because her writing is so excellent.

1919 After an evening spent at the home of Ada, a friend of Verity, she and her husband Sidney are awoken by a telephone call saying that Ada's husband, the Marquess of Rockham had been killed. Not trusting DCI Thoreau not to arrest her as the obvious suspect, she asks Verity to investigate. But Verity has also been approached by old friend Irene Shaw, to determine who killed her half-sister Esther was not an opportune burglar. While coping with her husband's guilt over the war.
This is the third in the series, though it can be read as a standalone, the story can be better understood after reading the first two. For me this is so far the best of the series.
An interesting well-written mystery with the introduction of an intriguing character (being portrayed as a a villain) opposed to Verity.