I love the True Colors series! I’ve found many new favorite authors and have learned many things about history that I never knew about. This book was very intriguing.
I loved the idea of Queen Elizabeth’s granddaughter being a Pinkerton detective. Her and her friend Ike work together to solve a murder mystery in Austin, Texas and in England. Their romance was very sweet and perfectly clean.
As much as I liked this book, there were still a couple times it seemed rushed and shallow. It was a good read but I wouldn’t read it a second time.

I received a free ebook from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This entire series which takes little known crimes from years ago and uses them to create a fictional story has been a great way to learn a bit about history.

The Black Midnight bridges together serial murders that occurred in London, England and Austin, Texas with a possible connection. At the center of this novel is Alice Anne von Wettin, great granddaughter of the queen. Alice travels to Chicago to become a Pinkerton agent and meets Isaiah Joplin, a fellow Pinkerton agent, while working on a case in Isaiah's hometown of Austin.

It was very plausible that Annie would want to be just a regular person and not make it widely known about her heritage. She was able to enjoy that experience for quite a while while in the United States.

Overall, this novel didn't fully pull in my interest. Some of the language I struggled with, such as sentences with this type of structure "My hat I would wear of this he was sure".

I very much enjoyed this author's novel The Pirate Bride and would read other novels by the author. I look forward to continuing the series and learning more about little known crimes from history.

I was a bit reluctant to take on this book for review. Mainly because I knew the real outcome of the crime involved. The victims of Jack the Ripper never got the justice they deserved. I like my books to have happy endings!

But the story involves a great granddaughter of Queen Victoria! And Queen Victoria plays a part in the book. It sounds like fun. We'll get to read about tea in palaces.

I enjoyed the brief and fun bursts of humor and the romance. The family drama is entertaining. The writing style is good.

Unfortunately I couldn't get over the feeling of dissatisfaction about the unsolved murders. I found myself skipping huge chunks about the investigation.

Whatever the case, I will still be looking out for more Kathleen Y'Barbo's books. I will hope for happy endings.

Thank you Netgalley and Barbour Publishing for the ARC. This is my honest opinion.

The Black Midnight by Kathleen Y’Barbo is based on true historical events. It is a novel with the historical events and real-life characters intertwined with the fictional ones. It kept me on the edge of my seat wanting to know what would happen though I knew the real-life outcome. The characters are so realistic it makes one feel they are real life persons involved in the solving of this crime. I have read all the books in this series and they are all excellent. I have enjoyed each of them and this one is no exception and will not disappoint the reader. I give it a solid 5 of 5 stars.
I received an advance copy of this book through Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

The Black Midnight, by Kathleen Y'Barbo, is the seventh books in Barbour Books True Colors series. Alice Anne von Wettin (Annie) , the great-granddaughter of England's Queen Victoria is a Pinkerton agent working in Austin, Texas with Isaiah Joplin as the Midnight Assassin terrorizes the city by killing women. Annie is forced to leave the Pinkerton Agency, but when Jack the Ripper shows up in London, Queen Victoria asks her to lead up a team to investigate a family member.

Isaiah has feelings for Annie. If Annie allows the relationship to continue and deepen her immediate family would suffer.

This story is a fast paced crime story based on true events that happened in the 1880's. The story starts of running and keeps going. This story is filled with mystery with a touch of romance. I found the story a little hard to get into. I wish there had been a little more introduction into the characters and the situation. Other than that it was a good story. There are several things that stand out to me in this story. I just loved Annie, she is a very strong character who stepped away from the easy life and does what she feels is right. Yet, when love comes her way, she puts the needs of her family first. However, she tells her sister to go for love. Annie is a very wise person who wants the best for others. I especially appreciate the background history the author gives us at the end of the story. I received an ebook of this story from Barbour Publishing through NetGalley, this is my honest review.

I received this ARC from the publisher via Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

I love historical fiction and quickly flew through this book and enjoyed the parallel of combining two historical events and seeing how they may have overlapped. The conclusion was as expected based on the historical accuracy of the events but the mystery and what ifs were still felt in the book which was fun to read.

Anne is a Pinkerton detective on loan from the Metropolitan police in England. When she finds herself on assignment in Austin, Texas with her partner Ike, to solve the Midnight Assassin murders, she tries to hide that she's a relative of Queen Victoria. Later, back home in England, the Queen assigns her to track down the Whitechapel Murderer who is believed to be Midnight Assasin as well. She and her fellow Pinkerton dective Ike inevitably fall for each and the progression of their romance is very sweet.

I enjoyed this book, which is based on fact but draws fictional conclusions. The beginning two chapters for me were a bit slow but after that I was hooked and the story was well paced. If you like mysteries and romance, this book is a great choice. Once it got going, it was a page turner. It is also clean and there is no gratuatous violence. Even the reference to the murder scences are not explicit. It's refreshing to read a well written book like this with these qualities. I recommend this book for those who enjoy mystery and romance. I would rate this 4 out of 5.

Murder, mystery, intrigue. All of these elements are found in this interesting story. I couldn't stop reading. I received a complimentary copy of the book from Barbour Publishing. No review was required.

Kathleen Y'Barbo did a fantastic job of incorporating historical facts into a romantic read. This mystery balances the suspense and thrill that can come from writing about murders committed by Jack the Ripper without overwhelming the story. The characters feel real while being smart and witty. There is relationship conflict that is more than just dealing with the terrible things happening.

Usually I am not a fan of crime novels because they are too intense for me to enjoy. The Black Midnight was still such a good story to read.

I loved this book. It’s the author’s remake of the murder sprees that took place in Austin Texas in 1885 and the Whitechapel murders in England(Jack the Ripper). Two Pinkerton agents investigate both events. Using a female agent really adds another dimension to the story. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves suspense.

This was a good book! I really enjoyed it. I liked the writing style, the characters, the mystery, everything. Would recommend for readers of historical fiction, mysteries, or anything involving Jack the Ripper. 4 stars!

Another great book in the true colors series! Kathleen Y'Barbo is a new-to-me author. Her writing style was as bit different than what I'm used to, so it took me a bit to get into it, but I really enjoyed it once I got there. This novel covered the story of Jack the Ripper and connected the killings in England to some earlier similar killings in Austin, Texas. While there is no solid confirmation that both were done by the same man, there has been speculation and so the author chose to make that connection for this novel. This book follows Annie and Ike, both Pinkerton detectives in Austin, as they attempt to track the killer. Due to Annie's relation to the Queen of England, they are re-united a few years later to once again track the killer in England. The story was interesting and a lot of the gruesome details of the killings were left out of the book, so for those who don't enjoy the gory details, you can still enjoy this book in spite of the subject matter. It was fun to see the detective process from the late 1800s, before there were the resources we've been accustomed to. I enjoyed the characters of Annie and Ike and their romance was sweet. The queen was also a great minor character, as was Miss Hattie, Ike's housekeeper. I enjoyed seeing how they sought out suspects and kept the story going. At the end, they arrest a man presumed to be the killer, though in reality, Jack the Ripper was never caught. (I liked this ending better). I would recommend reading the author's note at the end, which indicates which elements of the story were based in fact, and which elements were fiction. All in all, this was a thoroughly enjoyable story and I would recommend to fans of historical romantic suspense and true crime novels. Special thanks to NetGalley for an advanced e-copy of this book. I was under no obligation to write a review and the thoughts contained herein are my own.

I generally do not read crime novels but when I was given the chance to read this book by Netgalley and Barbour Publishing I couldn't pass it up. The Black Midnight is based upon the true life serial killings in Austin, Texas between 1884 to 1885 and in the Whitechapel district of London between August and November of 1888. This is the story of two Pinkerton detectives, Annie Walters and Ike Joplin as they try to solve the cases. The interesting twist to this story is that Annie Walters is a.k.a. Alice Anne von Wettin, the granddaughter to the Queen of England. There is just enough details to the story to keep you on the edge of your seat without being gruesome. Before you get to the end of the book everyone is a suspect and you are left wondering just who did it. This book is a nail biter from the first page. You not only can't put it down, you won't want to put it down. I really enjoyed this book and look forward to reading the rest of the series.
I received this book from Netgalley and Barbour Publishing but it did in no way influence my review.

This fictional account of a possible pursuit of Jack the Ripper was an engaging read. Having the great granddaughter of Queen Victoria as a Pinkerton assigned to the case made things very interesting. As clues were followed, a fun romance developed with a fellow Pinkerton. I enjoyed the scenes when they spent time together for the Christmas holiday and the humor added was a nice touch. This well researched historical fiction is a nice addition to this True Colors Crime series. I was given a copy of this book by the publisher. All opinions are my own.

A good murder mystery following the investigation into the Midnight Assassin. The story started a little slowly for me. But the characters were likable. I always enjoy a good mystery.
I received a copy of this book through NetGalley, but this review is all my own opinion.

I really enjoyed this read, the author gives us a delightful young woman, one who has really spread her wings, and is now a Pinkerton Agent. She is pared with a man who seems to have a lot of compassion, and opens his heart to a woman he can never have.
The story spans continents, and sadly a string of murders, unsolved, and happening as we enter Austin Texas, and then meet suspects. As the book unfolds we leave Texas and go to Buckingham Palace in England and more murders, are they connected?
We enjoy being with Isaiah's family, and then with Anne's and the contrast couldn't be more different. Family, yes, and we see these characters interact, and get too enjoy being with both. Will sparks fly between these two?
Be sure to read the Author's Notes at the end, it gives great information as to what led to this book!

I received this book through Net Galley and Barbor Books, and was not required to give a positive review.

The Black Midnight is a work of historical fiction. It focuses on Texas in the late 1880's with the serial killer The Servant Girl Annihilator. It explores the connections to the serial killer Jack the Ripper, who killed in London during a similar time period. The story was well-written, with many accurate facts from history. It begins with the later killings, flashes back to the earlier run in Texas, and ends in London. There is murder, mystery, and romance, all wound together with the history. I enjoyed the story immensely, but wished it could have lasted longer! I felt that the ending came a bit quickly, and that part of the story could have been fleshed out a bit more. I'm hoping there is another book that continues exploring the two main characters.

This is a magnificent book with characters you will absolutely love! I was so mesmerized by this story and just couldn’t put it down. The author does a fabulous job with all the possibilities of who could be Jack the Ripper. The reader is taken on a journey that keeps the imagination running with what is going to happen next. A sweet romance that is forbidden but not lost captures your heart. Such a fun and interesting read with the Queen and Buckingham Palace that is pulled into the story. I found so much to love about this fascinating read. Murder, mystery, intrigue and a forming romance makes this a must read!
Was given a complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.

The Black Midnight by Kathleen Y'Barbo is a Christian Historical Fiction based on True Crime and is a part of an exceptional series published by Barbour Book. I have enjoyed this series immensely and this latest book is especially interesting since it involves a crime spree by the Midnight Assassin in Austin Texas that may have a connection to the Jack the Ripper crimes in London. I loved the characters especially the appearances by Royal family members and Queen Victoria. The possibility of a murderer traveling between different areas is not a new idea but I had never heard of the Austin, Texas murders and their relationship to London murders. The Author's notes on the actual historical details that went into this book is very well done as is the book because of her extensive research.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. I appreciate the opportunity and thank the author and publisher for allowing me to read, enjoy and review this book. 5 Stars

I requested this book because it spoke of Jack the Ripper. I love a good detective novel as well. It is even better when a woman is leading the investigation. Bonus, the woman is the great-granddaughter of Queen Victoria,

The two detectives have great chemistry and with one of them living under an assumed name, things get interesting. This book connects two cases in history that were unsolved strings of murders, a few years apart. The historical notes by the author indicate that the evidence points to a possible connection. While the murders are solved in the book, it is pure speculation and purely fun,

I found that I really liked this detective story and the conclusion made to the story.

I received an early copy of this book from NetGalley and this is my honest review.