The Black Midnight is a cleverly written mystery and romance based on true historical crimes. The book is well researched, and the author even tells at the end where she kind of bent history a bit to make it work for the book better.
Alice Ann, the queen's granddaughter, worked as a Pinkerton, unbeknownst to her parents. Isaiah Joplin, was also a Pinkerton agent and is now a lawyer. The book starts in 1889, but then smoothly goes back to the events of 1885 when servant women in Austin were being murdered with axes. That part of the story is told and then goes back to 1885 and the deaths of the women in Whitecastle. There is no graphic violence in the book.
The plot has twists and turns as expected for a good mystery and a second-chance romance. Our couple gets their HEA after some difficulties are addressed.
I enjoyed the interactions with the queen. She was sharp and nobody's fool. Her relationship with Alice is sweet, but a little complex with Alice being an investigator, who even has to consider a prince as the suspect.
I have enjoyed the other books in this series that I was privileged to read. Kathleen Y'Barbo is a new author to me, but I hope to read more from her as I thoroughly savored reading The Black Midnight.

As all of the True Color Series The black Midnight is about crimes that actually took place. This one starts in Austin, Texas with a serial killer that was never caught and ends in England with Jack the Ripper. He also was never caught. Could the two possibly be connected, although continents apart? This story includes England's royalty, which makes an interesting part of this story. The book starts off rather slow but picks up as the main characters are working for the Pinkerton Investigating Company, in Texas investigating the murders taking place in the late 1880's of this small town. Y'Barbo has done her research well on both notorious happenings to bring us this Christian Historical novel. There is of course many murders, mystery, intrigue and a forming romance making this a must read.........I received this book from Netgalley and Barbour Publishing but it did in no way influence my review.

I enjoyed this story following the Pinkerton agents as they tried to solve the cases of the Midnight Assassin and Jack the Ripper. I liked that it wasn’t gory or too violent even though it was about a murderer. I did like the bit about royalty.

This is an incredible novel based on a true crime mystery!

I love both of the main characters. Alice Anne / Annie and Isaiah are wonderful. It was a lot of fun to see how Alice Anne keeps so much of her true personality while she is in Austin, living as Annie. The way they interact with each other while both in Texas and then in England is great.

The plot of the mystery is fantastic. I loved going along with the investigators as they searched for clues about the murderer. There were plenty of twists and turns that kept me guessing.

I thoroughly enjoyed the note by the author at the end of the book explaining the actual history behind her story. I love the way she expresses what facts she bent to make them fit.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher, through NetGalley. I was not required to write a positive review. All of the opinions expressed are my own.

I’ve enjoyed all the true crime novels published by Barbour. They’ve all been pretty fast-moving and interesting, as well as involved some true history.

I received this book from the publisher via net galley in exchange for an honest review.

This book had my emotions all over the map! I really liked the main characters - Annie is spunky and smart, yet terribly proper as any great-granddaughter of Queen Victoria ought to be. Isaiah (Ike) is also sharp as a tack, and brash like you'd expect from a Texas lawyer. These young Pinkerton detectives tackle two of the most gory serial murders together, yet manage to fall in love...twice! So far, so good. But I admit I felt a bit overwhelmed with detailed evidence that eventually led nowhere; neither case was ever solved. And the ending, while suitably scary for a murder mystery, seemed far fetched for Buckingham Palace. I loved the careful research that went into this novel. Y'Barbo made it easy to feel immersed in the 19th century and really kept my interest. I received a digital copy from Netgalley, and was under no obligation to post a review.

I wish to thank Net Galley and Barbour Publishing for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book. I have voluntarily read and reviewed it. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

If you love a good fiction and mystery this one is for you. This story begins in the 1800’s in Texas. A young woman is working as a Pinkerton Agent trying to solve a string of murders referred to as the Midnight Assassin. Her partner wants to be more than a partner but she remains professional. Later in the book our heroine returns home to London and works on the Jack the Ripper case. Her partner is once again at her side. The general feeling is that these two murderers are committed by the same person. There are so many great surprises in this story that will keep you reaching for the book to find out what happens next.
A great deal of research must have gone into the writing of this fiction. The way she wove this story around history at the time makes it a joy to read. The two cases are based on fact and she did a nice job of the retelling of gruesome events without making it so descriptively violent. I think this is a mystery you will like.

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.

Kathleen Y-Barbo really keeps you turning the pages in this delightful historical novel. The story of two sets of murders, one in Austin, Texas and the other in London. Alice Anne von Wettin (known as Annie Walters in the US), Queen Victoria’s great granddaughter, is unbelievably a Pinkerton agent. While in the US she teams with Isaiah Joplin. So, when a few years later when the Queen requests her assistance in solving the murders of several women in London she calls on Isaiah to join her team there. It’s a great mystery, as well as a romance. Y’Barbo has done thorough research on the murders and the times. You won’t be disappointed if you are looking for a great book that includes a touch of humor, as well.

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.