4 stars / This review will be posted at BookwormishMe.com on 20 August 2020.


Annie may be British, and distantly in line for the throne, but she’s not the royalty kind. Annie wants to be a detective and live her best life away from the throne. Grandmother, Queen Victoria, might have other ideas though. When the Queen interferes on behalf of her father to take away her “special constable” position, Alice Ann von Wettin finds a way to become a Pinkerton detective in the United States. While her family in England believes she is exploring her social options abroad, “Annie Walters” is solving crimes alongside Isaiah Joplin.

Isaiah is born and bred Texas, a lawman for Pinkerton who also has a law degree. He and Annie not only solve crimes, but seem to have found a connection with one another that is hard to resist. Resist they both did, however, when Annie finds herself back in London as Alice Anne von Wettin once again.

Jack the Ripper intervenes, however, and Alice Anne is recruited by Grandmother Victoria to try to assist in solving the Jack the Ripper mystery. Because of their working past, Alice Anne wants to include Isaiah to help with finding Jack, and put an end to the brutal murders occurring on the London streets.

This time, what will happen between Isaiah and Annie?

By far, my favorite story in the True Colors series so far. Kathleen Y’Barbo hit it out of the park with this take on the Midnight Assassin murders in Austin, Texas and the Jack the Ripper killings in London. Though she tweaked the history a bit in this historical fiction novel, it comes out very well.

I have read several of the True Colors books, and really enjoyed them, so when I had the chance to review this one, I took it. I enjoyed the story, especially since all the murders happened off screen. It was fun reading about Annie and Ike as they tried to solve the mysterious murders in both Austin and London, as well as dancing around their attraction for each other. I've often thought about what it must be like to be royalty and be in the limelight; this story really makes that plain. The biggest thing I was disappointed with in this book was the historical note at the end.
I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley, and these are my honest thoughts about it.

I recently read Kathleen Y'Barbo's The Black Midnight courtesy of Net Galley and Barbour Books.. While I enjoyed parts of the story, and some of the characters, especially Alice Anne von Wettin, the great-granddaughter of the queen of England, the plot was predictable and frankly mundane. There were no surprises.

von Weltin is a secret Pinkerton agent and, with fellow agent Isaiah Joplin, a fellow Pinkerton, are sent to Texas to help track down a brutal serial killer. who they ultimately call the Midnight Assassin. While they come close to capturing him, he disappears. Four years later, they are on another hunt for a serial killer, this time in London. The killer may (or may not) be The Midnight Assassin (who may or may not be Jack the Ripper). Scattered thorough the two continents is a lot of flirting, interrupted kisses and romance.

It is a challenge to write a positive review of the book. This is not a book I would read again, nor recommend to other readers. I am not familiar with the author, or the series.

he Black Midnight is an exceptional fictional crime series based on true cases by Barbour Books. I have been reading it since the beginning and it always keeps my attention fully.
This case takes place in Austin, Texas but it may have a connection to the Jack The Ripper case in London.
I enjoy reading the notes in the back of the book detailing the research the author has done for this book and because of her extensive research the book is much better.
I always enjoy learning from what I read and this book has added to my knowledge.


Pub Date 01 Aug 2020
I was given a complimentary copy of this book. Thank you.
All opinions expressed are my own.

BOOK REVIEW: The Black Midnight (True Colors Crime 7)
BOOK BY: Kathleen Y’Barbo
I applaud Kathleen Y’Barbo for tackling the gruesome murders of the Whitechapel women and the unpleasant connection of similar murders in Austin, Texas a few years earlier. These are not easy stories to write and I can only imagine the struggles the author went through to present a story of hope through these historical, but tragic events.
The narrative invites the reader along and pulls him/her into the late 1800s, London and Austin. It’s easy to picture the locations with vivid descriptions provided by the author and one can empathize with the heroine as she tries to solve the unsolvable.
I wasn’t familiar with the connection of the royal family to the murders, so this was a new fact I learned from reading The Black Midnight.
I find it difficult to read this series. I think it really comes down to knowing these crimes actually happened and it’s disturbing what some of these criminals did and what the victims went through. Authors have woven fiction and fact seamlessly into cohesive stories and this novel is no different.
If you enjoy true crime fiction, you will most definitely enjoy The Black Midnight. If you haven’t the heart for true crime, then you might want to bypass this series completely.
I received an ecopy from the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions expressed are my own.

I have read several books in this series and thoroughly enjoyed them. This book explores a series of unsolved murders in both Austin and London during the late 1800s. The Jack the Ripper cases are well known; as a native Texan, I was not aware of the slew of murders in Austin that many believe are connected to the Ripper cases. I read almost half the book the first night - mainly because I was trying to figure out if the main characters were completely fictitious. In past books, they are yet the details around the crime are well researched and key players from history appear in the story. In this book, there's just a few things that are hard to believe. First, Annie, the heroine, is written as a great-granddaughter of Queen Victoria. She either needs to truly be a granddaughter of the queen or should have been a much more distant relative. The other detail that really bothered me was the ending where Annie and her sister both seek to marry men outside of their social and economic circle and that it is easily allowed. I just don't buy it - not for the time in history. I believe women wanted more, but I don't believe that would be a choice women would be able to take, and certainly not royal women.
I really enjoyed the segment of the book that focused on the Austin murders; this series does such a good job of shedding light on historical crimes that would have been headlines in their time but that have also been forgotten. I wish there had been a little more time spent in London on the Ripper cases, but that's not the point of the story and of course, the killer has not been found. For such a complicated and well-known set of crimes, I like the way Y'Barbo handled the story.

This series is terrific for readers who love mystery and/or historical romance.

I have found all of the novels in the True Colors crime series books very interesting, and the author’s passion and research on Jack the Ripper clearly shows in this one. Two uniquely different Pinkerton agents, one the great-granddaughter of Queen Victoria of London, and the other, a lawyer-turned detective in Austin, Texas find themselves drawn together in the quest to solve the horrific murders happening in both Austin and London.
While trying to keep her royal heritage a secret, Alice Anne von Wettin and Isaiah Joplin form a partnership, leading to a lot of suspense, speculation, and sprinkled with some romance. I enjoyed reading about the workings of the Pinkertons and their sometime daring escapades.

I received a copy of this book from Barbour Publishing through NetGalley and was under no obligation to write a positive review. All opinions are my own.

I've enjoyed all the books in this series. I had heard of Jack the Ripper but didn't really know much about his crime spree. The characters are loveable and it's a cute story despite the sad subject matter.

I received a free copy from Net Galley and the publisher and was not required to write a positive review.

3.5 stars
Review going up November 27th on my blog

As soon as I saw Jack the Ripper mentioned this was an immediate read for me. I'm just always fascinated to see what new theories someone can come up with and if maybe they'll stick at all possibly. I know it's weird but were going with it okay.

Alice while being from royalty does not act like it at all when not around her family or around people who know that she is royalty. Instead, she likes to fly under the radar and be a Pinkerton detective solving crimes. She works alongside Isaiah who is also a Pinkerton detective and the two have worked together before and make a good team.
As they are in the city that Isaiah grew up in he has family and other connections which ends up helping them out as the investigation went on.

Overall I enjoyed this book. Anne was a character that I enjoyed seeing how she connected everything while also dealing with being royalty and her family making things more complicated. Isaiah was a character I also enjoyed and seeing how he was struggling with certain things in this book because of how it potentially connected to his own personal life through family. Anne and Isaiah like I mentioned early make a good team and its easy to see each of there strengths and weaknesses and how the other one makes up for that. The romance/flirtation they weren't rushed and happened gradually over time which was something I appreciated as in so many detective books that are Christian fiction that has the two main characters falling in love everything is rushed and with them, it was not. It was a nice and steady pace that happened throughout the book and was helped along by the time jump that happened.
I will say the actual connection between the murders in Texas and those in London seemed a bit much to me. I didn't personally see any besides the fact that most of the people murdered were working-class women, but that was a common theme during this time for murders as they were easier targets it seemed. The ending of this one was rather open-ended which I found disappointing as it would have been nice to have gotten some closer, but we all also know that with any Ripper books that's probably not going to happen as it is still unsolved and most likely will be forever at this point in real life.

I might continue with this series or go back and read the first ones in it as I didn't realize it was apart of a series when I requested it. Having said that though the book can be read as a standalone without being confusing to the reader.

I don’t usually read historical fiction unless the story is woven into a contemporary storyline. I was drawn to The Black Midnight because it was a story of the Pinkerton Detective agency. Kathleen Y’Barbo does a great job of weaving facts of the serial murders of Austin in 1884 and Jack the Ripper’s murders into a fiction story with Pinkerton Detectives Isaiah Joplin and Alice Anne.
The story takes us from Austin where Isaiah is from and Alice Anne joins him from England to solve the murders to Buckingham Palace where Alice Ann’s great grandmother Queen Victoria lives. There is romance between our detectives, but that is a lesser storyline than the mystery.
I enjoyed this historical mystery and it kept my interest. I was given a complimentary copy through NetGalley, but all opions are my own.

While I am not as familiar with the case of Jack the Ripper as I am with modern day serial killers, as a true crime fan, this book instantly demanded my attention! I had never heard of the Midnight Assassin nor the possible connections to Jack the Ripper, but the author's knowledge and extensive research was seamlessly interwoven into the mystery elements to craft a richly drawn work of historical fiction. You don't need to know anything about either of those cases to appreciate how well the author has bent the truth ever so slightly to tell a completely riveting piece of fiction that showcases the terror such killers wreck on communities.

I'm not always sure how I feel about romance within a story that centers on so much violence and death; however, it is this very romantic aura that works so well in creating a more ethereal tale rather than the creepy and larger than life drama it is loosely based on. Ike and Annie's feelings develop from the mutual respect and admiration they have for one another. Each is competent, trustworthy, and values a sense of duty to solving the crimes. Their interactions with one another speak volumes to the high regard they hold for the other, and blending touches of romance into the story added so much to their characterization. They are both multi-dimensional and complicated, torn between their obligation to others and the love they wish to share. At times, their romance seemed to overshadow the actual mystery, but their bantering wit demonstrated such a unique crime-fighting duo, while also providing a glimpse into the police procedures of the time. This love story requires patience, but it is very much worth the wait.

"Her family would heartily disapprove, not because of his reputation or character - both of which were stellar - but because he was American. And worse, Texan."

Not only is the secondary cast filled with highly suspicious characters that added some interesting twists and turns, the inclusion of the Royal family was an unexpected and charming surprise. What at first seems worlds apart is brought closer together by the most unlikely of sources!

As part of the True Colors series, this concept of exploring criminal activity through stories of historical romantic suspense was incredibly intriguing, and I can't wait to read more! What a fantastic way to integrate such captivating and atmospheric fiction into the truth that was surprisingly so hopeful!

Pinkerton detective Alice Anne, great-granddaughter to Queen Victoria, investigated a series of murders in Austin, Texas in 1884, along with her partner Isaiah Joplin. The perpetrator was never caught, but the pair team up four years later to try to solve a similar series of murder in the Whitechapel district of London. Are the killers the same, and will a culprit be caught for either case?

I think the biggest issue with this book was in the subject matter. Each of the books in the True Colors series focuses on a different true crime from history, with real historical facts melded with fictional characters and situations. The difficulty, though, is in making an interesting, fulfilling story out of a crime that was never solved, as is the case with the real murders this book is set around. While I understand the author’s desire not to make up a conclusion that didn’t really happen, I think I would have preferred fictionalized closure to the “we really don’t know anything,” hemming & hawing mess this book devolved into.

As the detectives investigate, we are constantly presented with theories followed by, “But maybe not.” Over and over, this is all that happens in the case. It made the story feel slow and pointless, and as if the entire investigation was just a wash (which I realize might have been how the real investigators felt back then, but it doesn’t make for interesting fiction). My favorite example of this is said by the queen herself: “‘The truth always has its day,’ Granny said with a shrug. ‘Until it does not.'” What is even the point of making a statement like that?

There were some strange inconsistencies throughout the book too–for example, early in the book it says that Alice Anne (known as Annie for most of the book) was using an American accent, I assume to blend in, since she was keeping her identity a secret. But later in the book, a reporter muses about the oddity of this Pinkerton detective with the British accent. This is one example of a few things that made me stop and look back to see if I’d missed or mis-remembered something.

Overall, the book was a quick read, but not a very satisfying one for me. The ending was muddled and felt very rushed, after a climax that I don’t even get the purpose of. I think a majority of what I disliked about the book was due to the unsolved crime it was based around, but like with a previous True Colors book I read, perhaps this was simply a bad choice for the subject of a fictional romance book. I found it difficult to care about the relationship, and especially the culmination of the romantic storyline, because the rest of the book was so confusing and underwhelming.

Having read the previous books in The True Colors series, I was excited to read The Black Midnight by Kathleen Y'Barbo. I was not disappointed. The authors of the series take true crime stories from American history and bring readers historical romantic suspense fiction. The fast-moving plot is fantastic--an unlikely pair of Pinkerton detectives are assigned to discover a Texas serial killer who just might be Jack the Ripper. It is evident the author has done her research and makes history come alive. I felt as if I was right there in the midst of the scenes. With vivid descriptions of London palaces and Texan mansions, Y'Barbo quickly brings readers into the settings of her book. The characters are likable and relatable--Annie, direct, to the point in her demeanor and yet conflicted in her emotions; Ike, knowing what he wanted, yet fearing he'd have to settle for second best. I loved Granny and Miss Hattie, down to earth, and full of love and advice for Annie and Ike. I appreciated how the author gives readers 'the rest of the story' at the end of the book, explaining where she bent history a bit to fit her story and what some of the facts behind The Black Midnight are. Unsolved murders, suspense, and romantic tension, lovers of historical romance stories will not want to miss this gripping addition to True Colors, True Crime series.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Barbour Publishing and was under no obligation to post a review. The opinions are my own.

The Black Midnight is a thrilling crime novel with a hint of romance, a large helping of intrigue, and a transatlantic mystery from Kathleen Y'Barbo! The narrative follows Alice Anne, Annie, a pedigreed Pinkerton agent with strong ties to the British Royal Family. Annie is asked to investigate a string of murders in London. She works to assemble her team of operatives for the case and travels to Austin, Texas to seek the help of Isaiah "Ike" Joplin, a former associate and almost lover.

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel! It was my first book by this author, but I will be seeking out other works to fill my shelves! I found Annie to be an incredibly intelligent, competent, and deliciously witty character! Isaiah was just the right amount of rough and tumble and loveable. The author struck a delicate balance between mystery, suspense, and romance. As a historian, I love novels that instill a love of history in their readers. I felt this novel provided a great amount of detail, while also providing an entertaining narrative. The twin mysteries of Jack the Ripper in London and the Midnight Assassin in Austin are compelling and expertly woven through the story. The pacing is great and I really can't find anything that I disliked about this book. This was a treat to read and oh so interesting!

Some historical fiction can be dry or too romance-y, but his novel has the exact right amount of detail and romance to break out of those problems that typically plague this genre. Kathleen Y'Barbo is a fantastic author and this is a great addition to the True Colors series! I would recommend this novel and series to fans of Genevieve Cogman's Invisible Library series (female detective/spy with a hint of romance) or a more modern sleuth series like the Kate Carpenter series by Vanessa Robertson!

I liked the true crime aspect of this story and the mail characters, but it seemed a little slow in some spots. This was my first book by this author so I don’t know if it was just this book or her writing style that made it hard for me to get into this book. I give it a solid three stars,

I am loving this series of stories. They are all stand alone but they are all based around a true murder or murders. This one connects murders that took place in Austin, Texas with the murders in London, England byJack the Ripper. I love the main characters and would love to see them in a series of their own. This set of murders has a lot of twists and turns. I received a copy of this book from Barbour Publishing for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.

A good read indeed. I love how this story blended history with fiction, life of royalty versus regular folk, settings of Austin Texas vs London, and romance with mystery. I honestly enjoyed the history behind Jack the Ripper, having heard of this historical criminal but not knowing the details behind the crime. Besides all that, this story was worth reading just for Ikey and Annie’s story.

I love this series and enjoyed this installment. It is very well written and I appreciate the historical value. The characters were easy to engage with and I enjoyed following along on their investigation.
Many thanks to Barbour Publishing and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

If you have watched and enjoyed The Alienist, this book is for you. The atmosphere of the Victorian era permeated every aspect of the story, not always convincingly but always enjoyably. The characters were easy to like and I really felt I had come to know them very early on in the book. The plot was a traditional murder mystery but the link to Jack the Ripper made it all the more compelling. I really enjoyed this book and recommend it not just to mystery buffs but also to people who enjoy fiction with a strong focus on building characters.

Reviewing a mystery and not spoiling the plot is a challenge! Especially given the true crime nature of the cases of Jack the Ripper and the Midnight Assassin remain unsolved to this date. Luckily for us, Ms. Y’Barbo has provided us with great plot and writing, excellent characters, and a sweet romance to discuss instead!

The Black Midnight is a mix of historical fiction, true crime, and romantic suspense. On the historical fiction side, we have two Pinkerton detectives trying to solve murders in both Austin, Texas, and London, England, during the 1880s. The true crime aspect of the novel is that these murders are committed by the Midnight Assassin or the Servant Girl Annihilator in Austin and Jack the Ripper in London. The romantic suspense aspect is the question of will our two intrepid detectives solve the crimes or fall in love first? I’m not a real aficionado, or really even remotely knowledgeable, about either of these serial murder cases outside of what I’ve gleaned from popular culture. Even with my limited knowledge, I could appreciate the research that Ms. Y’Barbo applied to this novel. Historic figures like Temple and Laura Houston, not to mention Queen Victoria, pepper the novel. The background and setting are vibrant, with carriages, telegrams, and the construction of the Texas state capital. I found the scene where a man brings the crime scene evidence on floorboards and fence post into the police station by literally cutting apart the boards and post significant of the historic police procedures. I could easily imagine how different processing a crime scene is now versus the 1880s! I especially enjoyed the Author’s Note at the end of the novel in regard to the historic aspects of the novel. Ms. Y’Barbo explains what inspired the novel, but more importantly, how she “bent history” for the story. I just love that term! It’s very visual, and a great example of Ms. Y’Barbo’s writing style. The known history is in the novel, but it’s the bends that make the story more interesting for me.

The characters in The Black Midnight are appealing and well-developed. The heroine of the book is Alice Anne von Wetting, or as we know her in American, Annie Walters. She’s determined to make her own way in life, solving crimes, even if she has to hide some aspects of her career from her family. Or hide her family from her coworkers. She’s a strong female lead character, confident and intelligent.
‘Until I came to work for the Pinkertons, no one saw me. They only saw my relation to my family. Here in America, I am judged on what I do, not who I am.”
I appreciate the fact that in America, Annie can really be her own self!
Our hero is Ike Joplin, a Texan through and through. Cowboy boots in the palace and all! In addition to being intelligent like Annie, his local knowledge of the people and places in Austin aid in solving the crimes. We get a real sense of Austin through Ike’s eyes.
In addition to the main characters, I thoroughly enjoyed the secondary characters in the novel, especially Miss Hattie, Ike’s Housekeeper, Queen Victoria, Annie’s great-grandmother, and Lucy, the store clerk who helps with some last-minute Christmas shopping. Miss Hattie’s sassiness, Queen Victoria’s bluntness, and Lucy’s helpfulness stand out among so many great characters within the novel.

The romance between Annie and Ike develops through mutual respect and admiration, friendship even. The back and forth banter while these characters work out the details of the crimes is quick witted, flirty, and a joy to read.

The ending of the novel left me wanting more, which is always a sign of a good book. I especially want more of Annie and Ike, bantering and solving crimes.

The pacing of the novel was slow for me, especially as I was settling in to read the novel. Where the history and crime kept me interested, I missed that page turner feeling while reading.

The Black Midnight is an enjoyable historic fiction, recommended for true crime and/or history buffs.