I love Julie Klassen stories. They remind me of a sweeping BBC series. They are layered with wonderful characters and so well written. This story was more of a slow building murder mystery with a touch of romance thrown in. I did struggle to get into this story because of that slow build and I was also expecting more of a romance versus a mystery.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

A fantastic read by Julie Klassen!  This was an easy book to dive into.  I was captivated through the whole story.  This was a quick read because I did not want to put it down! 

Benjamin Booker makes a mistake when he trusts a woman, vowing not to make that same mistake again.  When an old friend is found murdered Booker finds himself on Belle Island investigating what happened.  There he meets Isabelle Wilder, sister to the man found murdered.  Will Booker solve the mysterious murder and how is Isabelle involved in all of this?  

Julie Klassen does not disappoint as an author.  She captivates her audience leaving us wanting more!

I enjoyed this mysterious tale set on an island in England. Isabelle is accused of a crime. Benjamin is an attorney set to find the truth. The island was her refuge, will she realize what truly is and let go of her fear? I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All views stated here are my own.

I would relate this book to an Agatha Christie type book.  It goes round and round with twists and plot changes.  I thought the author really developed her characters well and gave them depth.  I love the beautiful cover of this book.  I also love the pull toward Jane Austen that this author has.  I don’t however enjoy mystery/murder.  I found talk of this at every turn and all over the book not just a little here or there.  I’m sorry that I didn’t like it more.  It absolutely didn’t have anything to do with a lack in this author.  I found her to be top notch.  
I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.


***Also posted on Amazon, Christianbook, Barnes&Nobles

Julie Klassen tells an interesting story in her latest book, The Bridge to Belle Island.  When a partner in his law firm is found dead, Benjamin Booker is called in to investigate and to try to discover the root cause of this death.  Benjamin is drawn to Belle Island to find out if the dead man's niece, Isabelle Wilder, is involved in any way.  The main problem is that Isabelle has not left the island in over ten years!

Isabelle's fear of leaving the island is wrapped up in the fact that death has met many of her family the moment they took a step off the island.  You will see Benjamin step in a comfort Isabelle, when she has a physical reaction the moment she places a foot on the bridge to try to make an exit!

After Benjamin and Belle get to know each other, you wonder where this new relationship will take them.   Will Benjamin discover that Belle is actually involved in her uncle's death or will a new culprit suddenly appear?

The Bridge to Belle Island is a delightful mystery with just the right amount of romance. It is a story of healing through faith and through forgiveness. It establishes the importance of family and other relationships.

I loved the examination of the different relationships as it tried to solve a murder mystery. The mystery didn’t give anything away until the characters had the answers which is important for me in a mystery. I hate figuring it out too fast. I am happy when an author can keep me hanging on for the answer and stumps me.

The most important theme I found was forgiveness and healing through faith. It allows for the characters to be full and nuanced. I was drawn into this books and completely enjoyed the story.

I received an ARC through the publisher on NetGalley

Thanks for providing a review copy. I was unable to get into the book and wont be returning to it, so no official review posted at this time.

Akin to Rosamunde Pilcher, Julie Klassen's writing is like a warm blanket on a cold day:  comforting and relaxing.  Her strong sense of setting and characters create an atmosphere that is easy to slip into and forget everything else but the story you are reading.

This was an interesting read. Different aspects to character development. I liked the location. It was a mix of mystery and romance. My genre I like best is less romance and more history, but this was good. I liked the mystery aspects of the story. I will read Julie Klassen again

Much more of a mystery/suspense than a romance. I’m not sure if that was the intention, but it felt different for this author.

Character-filled plot at times makes it a little difficult to keep track of everyone that pops up, you’ll find yourself trying to solve the murder. All the while, wondering if a romance will develop between the two main characters. It’s different for sure and if you are interested in a suspenseful historical fiction, this will be the story for you.

I received a complimentary eARC from Netgalley. This is my honest review.

The Bridge To Belle Island by Julie Klassen is a fabulous Christian historical crime novel that I just could not put down.
The action is set in the early nineteenth century in London and on the fictional Belle Island near Maidenhead. The air in the capitol is polluted in both physical and spiritual terms and is in sharp contrast with the fresher air and sunny personalities on Belle Island. Lives live here in community in contrast with the isolation of London.
After crimes are committed, a young lawyer seeks the truth. The truth will always set us free. Lies will imprison us. Sometimes it is the lies we tell ourselves in our minds that build up psychological walls meant to keep us safe but actually trap us.
Events in the past loom large in the present as lives pinpoint backwards to a moment in time. Old insecurities must be faced and dealt with.
There is the theme of forgiveness. If we do not forgive, we risk becoming bitter and carrying a burden that was never meant for us.
The theme of trust looms large. Suspicion lurks around every corner as we wonder who committed the crimes.
A character really wants to trust God. “She did not trust Him (God) with the lives of those she loved… She wanted to trust, but fear and worry… won out.” We need to take a step of faith and trust God, putting our fears and worries aside. When fear and worry darken our lives, we must face them with prayer. “Reminding me not to worry but to pray.” Prayer changes everything.
Julie Klassen has created a marvellous plotline that kept me glued and guessing. I always love her novels and her eclectic mix of characters.
The Bridge To Belle Island is a quintessentially English novel. As I live in England I appreciated the quality of the landscape as well as the artistry of the writing. It was simply marvellous.
I received this book for free. A favourable review was not required and all views expressed are my own.

While Julie Klassen has a mysterious thread to most of her books this was more on the verge of a cozy mystery and I loved it. This is a must read I highly recommend if you love regency romance.

Julie Klassen presents quite the Regency mystery in Bridge to Belle Island, set in 1819. There are so many levels in which one can relate Klassen’s characters. We start with the hero, Benjamin Booker, a young attorney at a prestigious law firm. Booker is young and eager, but failing, afraid, and angry at his demanding father, who chooses to honor Ben’s brother over Ben. Booker has “adopted” his boss and mentor, Mr. Robert Hardy, one of the firm’s founders, as a “surrogate” father figure. Who can’t relate to failure or the fear of failure? How many of us, whether we had good parents or not, could not also point to at least one other adult who made significant contributions to our lives? Ben will need to decide about two loves... that of a certain lady, and whether his father should ever be given a chance to regain his trust and love again. 
Our other main character is the very capable, middle-aged spinster, Miss Isabelle Wilder. With her trustee dead, can she finally control her own life, as well as that of her niece, whom she helped raise? Will the old family curse visit Isabelle or will fear of it defeat her? With a bevy of possible suitors, who will she choose? 
And, of course, the mystery itself. I love it. We start out with the death of Mr. Norris, Isabelle’s and Rose’s trustee, early on. It will take us a journey through the whole book, with many stops and multiple suspects, to finally discover the true mastermind behind Norris’s death. The novel carries a sense of Edgar Allen Poe, the Clue game, and Charles Dickens all rolled into one. What fun, except for a few times when things were so bleak, I wanted to cry. About three-fourths the way through, the narrative lagged, but picked up and surged forward. 
The faith message includes reminders of Philippians 4:6,7. “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” 
Faith in God, discernment of whom to trust, and forgiveness are themes in this novel full of twists. 
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author and publisher through NetGalley. 
This in no way affects my opinions, which are solely my own.

There was much I loved about Bridge to Belle Island, but a few elements threw me right out of my reading stride. Klassen is a fine writer, and captured me with her lovely descriptions of the setting. Secondly, I thought I'd be reading a clever reverse gothic: with the wilting flower being the hero and the figure who knows the spirits of the place, the heroine. That element was dropped for a stodgy and not very compelling mystery plot. Above all, however, what turned me "off" the novel, despite the fine writing, was the hero's constant suspicions. Firstly, his prejudice against women was a turn off, but I like the writing and kept reading. But ultimately there was a disconnect between characterization, Belle's, and his relentless suspicion.

I've read Julie Klassen's Ivy Hill books and really loved them.  The Bridge to Belle Island had a great mystery to it along with a fantastic setting along the Thames. I loved Benjamin and Isabelle along with all the side characters.  The mystery kept me guessing til the end.

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

The Bridge to Belle Island
by Julie Klassen

Bethany House


Bethany House Publishers
Christian

Pub Date 03 Dec 2019  


I am reviewing a copy of The Bridge to Belle Island through Bethany House publishers and Netgalley:



Benjamin Booker whose a lawyer resolves to never trust another woman after a  mistake humiliated him.


After an old friend is killed, the senior partner of bow street isn’t satisfied with the way things are handled and asks Benjamin to investigate.  Benjamin who is more than ready to leave London, at least for awhile agrees.  The evidences takes him to a remote island on the Thames, a place that is a world unto itself and is shrouded by mystery.  It doesn’t take long before Benjamin finds himself falling for the main subject, a woman who hasn’t left the island in ten years.  The problem is he doesn’t know whether he should trust her or not.


Isabelle feels safe on Belle Island, and she leads a productive life, but fear has her trapped there.  After Mr Booker shows up at Belle Island with news of her trustees murder in London, she’s stunned.  Isabelle hasn’t left the island,  but she’s had a recurring dream about a mans death, or could it be an actual memory?  She’s had a lot of anger against him, but this was not something he wanted.



After a second person died and the evidence surprisingly points to her, Isabelle has no idea who she should trust.  The lawyer whose attractive or the admirer of friends  who assemble on the island.  They each have grudges against the victim.  Isabelle is not even sure that she can trust her own mind.  Searching for the truth leads to secrets being brought to the light, and the danger that ensues.



I give The Bridge of Belle Island five out of five stars!


Happy Reading!

This is a terrific English historical mystery. I loved everything about it.  The historical setting has outstanding detail. The description of Belle Island made me want to visit there.  The storyline is intriguing and romantic.  I would think that I had the mystery solved, and then another credible suspect would pop up that would make me question my theory.  (I love books like that!)  The two main characters are believable and I liked them.  Benjamin and Isabelle’s story does not get off to a smooth start, and Isabelle herself is a main suspect, and Benjamin finds himself In a position of not knowing who to trust, even if she appears to be a sweet and beautiful young woman.  

If you like English mysteries, you’ll love this one.  This book is a keeper, and a I’ll be reading it again.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher.  All opinions are my own.

She wanted to trust, but fear and worry all to often won out.

Benjamin Booker is always seeking the admiration of his mentor and lead partner Mr. Hardy. After a devastating loss on a case, Mr. Hardy and Booker visit an old partner Percival Norris which leads to a crime scene. His partner is dead and the evidence leads to Isabelle Wilder of Belle Island. With Hardy's encouragement, Booker goes to Belle Island with the pretense to handle the legal affairs of Miss Wilder. A single woman that has isolated herself on her family's island. She handles the affairs of her niece Rose Lawrence. Ms. Wilder's fear of leaving the island comes from the loss of her family. A superstition that if any family members leave the island, they will meet their demise.

With Mr. Booker's arrival to the island, he is taken with Ms. Wilder but does not want to be fooled again with any deceit. Can he believe Isabelle? Mr. Booker untangles the web of lies that ensnare both him and the woman he has fallen for.

With a Christian theme, I enjoyed the mystery of the crime and how it all unraveled. The characters were easy to relate as they relied on their faith and begin to see their faith anew. It was an enjoyable read as it was descriptive of the island and the character building that was developed thru the plot.

A Special thank you to Bethany House Publishing and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review

Klassen has given us a fun murder mystery  with a little bit of romance. It was slightly different than I was expecting. Not my favorite of all her works but still well done. She always does a great job of giving you characters with great depth. I also always love the way she  beautifully describes her settings so you can really picture them as you read.

I received an ARC from Bethany House via NetGalley this review is my personal opinion

Julie Klassen did a great job in this book, I can only say good things. In this story we go to 1819, we first meet Benjamin Booker, he is a young lawyer in London and he is on court defending what he believes is an innocent client, what happens from here determine not only the tone but also his attitude through the story. Now, here comes the interesting and the most important part of the story. Benjamin was with his mentor Mr. Hardy and they found Percival Harris ( a former lawyer from the law firm) and also a friend of Benjamin mentor dead under suspicious circumstances. Here we start asking so many questions, why him? What were the reasons? And of course who did it?  

Benjamin goes to Belle Island in Berkshire as a request to help his mentor to get an answer from Isabelle Wilder since they were heard fighting a few days before he was murder. One of the things I like about these books is that we have two very human characters, with flaws and physical situations. We learn that Benjamin has some issues with his father and brother and in Isabelle's case, her fears on leaving the island (all do sound exaggerate) are real. While the story is developing we have more clues, but also more suspects. And of course more questions!. But, the best of this story and is the reason what I think it is a great choice for anyone who loves historical Christian fiction. This is the type of book that gets better and better. You will not only have all your answers and maybe be a bit shock, but we also remember how valuable and important we are for God, to have faith in Him, and to take a small step toward healing and a new beginning.