Murder Most Fair is the 5th book in the Verity Kent Series by Anna Lee Huber. In this book Verity is finally confronting the loss of her brother Rob. Rob was an RAF pilot that died in WWI but it has taken Verity 5 years to finally go home and confront her grief as well as the pain she has caused her family by her absence. Just before leaving for home, her Aunt from Germany comes and asks for help due to the starving conditions in Germany post war. Verity and Sidney take the aunt and her maid home with them. While there the German maid is killed and the small town believes it to be a German that has been hanging around town. Verity and Sidney have to determine who the maid was, and who killed her. This series is a wonderful series that show what people went through due to the war. I have really enjoyed each installment of the series. Thank you #NetGalley for allowing me to give my honest and voluntary opinion on #MurderMostFair.

No one writes a family as well as Anna Lee Huber. In Murder Most Fair, Huber takes us on Verity Kent's fifth adventure in the series. I loved the departure from her London life to the Yorkshire Dales and her delightful family.
If you are looking for an intricate historical mystery than look no further. I loved the mystery and didn't want to put the book down. Each book is better than the next in this series. I highly recommend.

November 1919 sends Verity back to visit her family who haven't seen her in about five years. The connections between Verity, her parents and siblings is so deep. The strains from the war, grief are written so beautifully and with heartfelt emotion. I loved getting a look at mental health of the time. I loved that Huber brings in German family and characters so we get to see how they are fairing after the war and Spanish Influenza.

Dive into a mystery that arcs through the whole series and the murder mystery afoot in this novel.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
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The fifth in a series, and my first. There are familial dynamics and sarcasm. I had to remind myself this is not written with 2021 in the author's mind. Women are thought of and treated differently. The female spy is intriguing. Overall this was just okay for me.

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#VerityKent
#AnnaLeeHuber

Murder Most Fair is the fifth book in the excellent Verity Kent Mysteries series by Anna Lee Huber. Though this particular mystery stands alone, there are many references to events from previous books. I started this series with book three. It's one of my favorite series ever, but I occasionally get a little confused because of past events I didn't read about. I SO need to go back and see all I missed. Out of the three I've read, this one is my favorite!

It's November of 1919, the Great War is over, and Verity Kent and her husband Sidney are doing their best to return to some sort of normalcy. Relaxing at the seaside with friends, they soon have a new visitor: Verity's Great Aunt Ilse from Germany. The years in war-ravaged Germany have taken their toll on Ilse's health, and she hopes she will do better in England. But she has another motive for her visit...she was receiving anonymous threats at home. Verity, Sidney and Great Aunt Ilse head to the Yorkshire Dales to visit Verity's family for the holidays. Normally nice neighbors are not happy to have German Ilse and her maid in their midst; there is mistrust and hostility. Whn Ilse's maid is murdered, Verity wonders if it's connected to anti-German feelings, or something more personal. It was hard enough for Verity to go home, but she wasn't expecting murder!

The mystery at the heart of this book was exciting, but the thrill of this book for me was relationships. Verity and Sidney are still working on their marriage. You can see that they love each other, but they are still trying get past their actions during the war. I love how hard they worked to strengthen their marriage. I have a crush on Sidney.
Verity's relationship with her family, however, is even more difficult. She has not been home since her brother Rob was shot down in his plane during the war. Verity simply didn't want to face that fact. Her mother, especially, had trouble relating to her. Mother was always stern and exacting, but it deeply hurt her that Verity avoided home after Rob's death. Verity also had to repair her relations with siblings Freddy, Tim and Grace. The moment Verity accepts Rob's death is absolutely heartbreaking. The tears were pouring down my face, and the scene was written so well that you could feel her pain. As to the mystery, it was quite compelling; I could not figure if the murder was related to Verity's past or due to anti-German sentiment. I was quite satisfied with the closure of the mystery. This series keeps getting better and better. I hope to follow Verity and Sidney in many more books to come!

I received an ARC of this book courtesy of the publisher and NetGalley. I received no compensation for my review, and all thoughts and opinions expressed are entirely my own.

I continue to enjoy this series. Huber does a great job of balancing history, mystery hijinks, romance, and the grief from the end of the Great War. I do wish this installment had contributed more to the ongoing mystery arc, and I missed all their assorted friends and colleagues. Not my favorite of the series, but I remain devoted to Verity and Sydney.

When her German Great-Aunt Ilse stays in Verity's Yorkshire village, tensions run high. Verity dearly loves her but she worries about how she and her pretty German maid are regarded by the villagers, still recovering from the First World War. Great-Aunt Ilse helped Verity by sheltering a German deserter who was anxious to help the Allies but there was apparently a second deserter. When a mystery man shows up at the village, suspicions are raised. Soon Verity and her handsome husband Sydney need to investigate.

Verity also has to cope with her fairly dysfunctional family and finally come to terms with the death of her beloved brother Rob. Her mother makes biting comments; her brother Tim flirts with the maid; and her sister Grace clings to a man who doesn't appear to return her feelings. Her other brother is more mature, but even he seems to be having problems with his marriage.

A clever plot, moving story, beautiful descriptions of the Yorkshire countryside and well-drawn sympathetic characters make this a highly enjoyable novel. I found Verity's struggles to deal with her grief for her brother, and her efforts to cope with her family quite poignant. Unfortunately, I have only read the last two books of this series by Anna Lee Huber, and I am dying to go back to the beginning of Verity's Secret Service career, and to read about her love affair with Sydney. The only problem was that a few words and expressions struck me as a bit American.

I received this free ebook from NetGalley in return for an honest review.

EDITION Other Format
ISBN 9781496728494
PRICE $15.95 (USD)

Murder Most Fair by Anna Lee Huber is a Verity Kent mystery and about as British as it gets. Verity and her husband, Sidney, are in their mid-twenties. They were childhood friends, well, she was her older brothers' friend. They have made it through World War I, but not unscathed. Very spend several years as an operative on the wrong side of the English Channel. Sidney was doing similar work, but in order to accomplish it, it had to let the world believe he was dead. It nearly broke Verity's heart and made her more reckless that was a good idea. They had lost her brother, Rob, who was a plot and shot down, and she and her family are still recovering from that loss. They are preparing to spend a month with Verity's family, the first time she's been home in that five years, and it is a stressful prospect. At the moment they are vacationing at the seaside in Sussex with friends when Verity's great aunt, Ilse Vischering, and her maid arrive from Germany. Germans are not really welcome in England at this point, but Verity loves this woman and welcomes her. It become quickly apparent that she would be more comfortable at Verity's parents than in London, so they decide to leave immediately instead of waiting the planned two weeks.

Several things are important to know: both Sidney and Verity are still involved, covertly, with the government, and that and their pasts are covered by the official secrets act so they are not at liberty to share, making their actions appear odd at times. They live in a certain strata of society and so the pace of their lives, especially when they are in the country, is much different that the lives we lead currently, or the loves working people then led. Huber's style is very formal, and very old-fashioned. It is wonderful to have a curtain opened to this time in history and to the lives these people led. It is frightening to have that curtain life to reveal the hate most people felt for the Germans. Of course, there's a murder. Of course, a German is suspected. It is not a fast-paced novel, but it is a thoroughly satisfying novel, opening the door to a unique time and place.. For historical fiction, it hits the nail on the head. I recommend it.

I was invited to read a free e-ARC of Murder Most Fair by Kensington Publishing through Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #netgalley #kensingtonpublishing #murdermostfair

Even if this is not the best installment in this series it was an engrossing read.
This a complex series that deals with the aftermath of WWI and there's a lot of subplots. It's a slow burning story but it kept my attention alive.
Anna Lee Huber writes excellent historical mystery and I appreciate her attention to the details and the well researched historical background.
The characters are well developed and interesting as usual.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Another dramatic historical adventure in the continuing Verity Kent series. Murder Most Fair pursues the, by now somewhat complicated, story threads begun in earlier volumes, while adding in a new, standalone mystery plot centered in Verity's Yorkshire family home.

The series, though generally fun in its high stakes action, has always dealt with serious themes, given its setting in the immediate aftermath of WWI, and Murder Most Fair delves more into the trauma and loss that Verity and those around her have experienced and must figure out how to deal with. It's a slower-paced, less action-packed story than the earlier books in the series, and while I thought the mystery was fine but not spectacular, the nuanced, moving portrayals of grief, anger, shame, in this post-war society more than made up for it. It's more of a character study in some ways, moving Verity and Sidney along in their emotional journey though not quite as much progress is made in the overarching plot of betrayal and espionage. A must-read for fans of the series.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for the advance review copy!

This is another exciting mystery in the Verity Kent series. I think a new reader will enjoy reading this novel and feel caught up with the action by how the author includes background information. But, the reader will enjoy it so much more by having read the series in order. This episode finds Verity and Sidney still on the trail of their nemesis while enjoying Verity's German Great Aunt who has come to visit. She and her German maid are not the most welcome people in post-WWI Britain. Some mysteries are laid to rest, others sprout as if from nowhere. This is an exciting book in an exciting series. I can't wait to read the next book. I received this ARC book for free from Net Galley and this is my honest review.

I have loved this whole series! This book was probably the 'slowest' in my opinion, but even as the plot seemed to be bogging down, it was very readable and enjoyable. Having said that, I'd say that this wouldn't be the book you'd want to start with in the Verity Kent series. All of the books, and most especially this one, seem to tie into one another. They're better read in order.

The author has done her homework for the time period. The Great War is over. There are issues with PTSD, although it's not called that. Family members and others who disagreed with the war. Just so much to take in, and a murder too!

Great writing. I can't wait for the next in this series.

If you are new to this wonderful historical series put this one on hold and binge read the previous four books in the series. The series needs to be read in order to get the most out of the character development. However, if you have followed Verity from the first book, brew yourself a nice cuppa find yourself a comfy chair, settle down for a great read.
It's November 1919 and the war has been over for a year but the wounds and emotions are still raw. Verity and her husband Sidney are reconnecting but there still remain secrets they are keeping from each other. They are now planning to head to Yorkshire to spend the holidays with her family after a five year absence. Those plans change when her German great=aunt Ilse and her young maid suddenly turn up at their front door. It soon becomes clear that the locals are none to happy having a couple of Germans in their midst so Verity decides to decamp two weeks early and travel to the Yorkshire Dales and her family home, Little does she know that she is heading into another murder investigation.
There are many threads to this mystery, almost more about relationships and the slow healing process following WW!. There is a solid list of suspects and a well crafted mystery as in each book in the series. One of the things I most enjoyed in this entry besides the mystery - the descriptions of everything in Verity's world. From what she wore to the setting in Yorkshire, it was so easy to transport myself to 1919 post WW1 England.
My thanks to the publisher Kensington and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

An unexpected visit!

1919. The world of Verity Kent and her husband Sidney moves in ever widening circles of mystery, treachery, and suspicion as they deal with the many challenges that come their way. The repairing of their marriage, dealing with the PTSD they both experience, for Verity her grief over her dead brother and the stressed relationship with her family, including Mommy Dearest. Then there’s the shadowy figure of the infamous Lord Ardmore and their next steps in proving his treason, if he doesn’t get them first.
Verity’s German great aunt, Grosse Tante Ilse, who’d helped Verity during her covert activities behind enemy lines, slips into England along with her maid seeking refuge. Trouble arose for Ilse after Verity had left. England seems the safest place. But is it, given the population’s attitude towards Germans? The people of Verity’s home village are no exception.
Verity and Sidney take her aunt to the family home in the Yorkshire Downs. Verity’s first visit since her brother Rob died. She faces the wrath of varying members of her family who of course have no inkling of what she’s been through, and under the Secrets Act never will. Although her brothers have started to put two and two together. When Death comes calling, Verity and Sidney must consider all possibilities. None of them comforting.
Sidney becomes a more solid person here. I have come to appreciate him. I really was not that enamoured of him, even though he was working for King and Country.
Many aspects of post war sensibilities, the emotional and physical burden of those who fought and those left behind, of families healing—or not; of attudes, of a nation trying to move forward, are either directly confronted or hinted at.
I really enjoyed this chapter of Verity’s story. So many memories—both painful and good! Memories she has to face—and at last, not alone.

A Kensington Books ARC via NetGalley

3.75 stars
Verity Kent and her husband Sidney, like so many, were forever changed by World War 1. Sidney was a wounded combat vet who was reported killed for 14 long months. Verity was an intelligence operative and performed behind the lines on assignments she still cannot discuss due to the Official Secrets Act. A particularly nasty and traitorous villain still makes their lives unpleasant.

In this novel, Verity and Sidney are surprised by the appearance of Verity's aged German aunt who appears suddenly at their home. She and her maid are viewed with displeasure by most Brits in these years following the war. Verity decides to spend the holidays in the countryside with her family to try and minimize any awkwardness.

But it is more than awkward -- Verity has not been home in 5 years -- ever since her beloved brother Rob was killed in action, shot down. Verity, usually a very strong heroine, just couldn't face being at the old home place with reminders everywhere of her late brother. Her parents and remaining siblings are puzzled and bitter about her long absence. And the presence of the Germans excites a lot of ill feeling in the household and in the village, leading to a murder which Verity and Sidney feel honor bound to investigate.

This has become a favorite series. I do recommend reading the previous books because there is a lot of background. Verity has to face a lot of her demons in this book in order to move forward with her life. The author paints a very clear picture of the toll of the war and the depression of the aftermath. Thanks to the publisher and to Net Galley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I’ve read all of the books in this series. This story deals with Verity’s relationships with various members of her family. While I enjoyed reading the book, I would not suggest it as the best starting point for the series. I would suggest that the series be read in order as there are so many references to the growth of the characters and what they have been through in the past.

In this story, Verity and her husband, Sydney, journey to Verity’s childhood home. She hasn’t been to visit in more than four years and her mother is hurt and unhappy with her. They bring with them Verity’s aunt Tante Isle. She is older and has come out of Germany to be united with her English family.

There are many who are unhappy and suspicious of Germans after what England went through during World War I, which has recently ended. This is an issue that runs through the book.

Verity needs to confront her losses from the war, something she has put off and would continue to do so except for the urging of her husband.

When her aunt’s German maid is found murdered, Verity and Sydney move into action to investigate the murder, as the local constable is one of the individuals who aren’t happy with Germans.

The mystery was good and the growth of Verity and the new depth of her relationship with her husband brought the series to a new level. I look forward to new books in the series.

I was provided a digital advance reader copy of this book by the publisher via Netgalley.

In this, the fifth book of the Verity Kent series, I saw the devastation that the War to End All Wars caused within Verity’s family. Bravo to her as she finds the courage to finally face the grief of losing her brother and her many friends in the war. Within this story, Verity realizes she can’t move on with her life until she finally makes peace with the horrible loss of her beloved brother. I admire her because she strives to ask forgiveness and build relationships with her mother and sister, even when it would be easier to walk away.

Verity’s name means truth and it suits her well because there is a murder of a young German woman, Fraulein Bauer. She is determined to find out who committed such a horrible act, even if it means losing friendships with those she grew up with and be seen in a derogatory light. Verity is strong, resilient, and sees that justice is served, no matter who is the victim or the perpetrator. Verity would be someone that I would love to have help me if I ever needed it.

I enjoyed the mystery of the story as it was well written, with several characters who having motives to kill a young German woman so shortly after the war ended. I was engaged throughout the story, trying to solve Farulein Bauer's murder before Verity and her husband Sidney did.

There were several references to past characters and events, so in order to have a richer reading experience and knowledge of characters mentioned, I would begin with the first book in the series, This Side of Murder.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for an arc of the book. I voluntarily read and reviewed the book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I received a copy of this title from the publisher for an honest review. Murder Most Fair is book 5 in the Verity Kent series and readers will get the most out of this title by reading the previous books in the series. This is really a great series, so going back and reading the previous books will be a treat. This title is a little different from the previous one in that focus on Verity's nemesis takes a back seat to dealing with the aftermath of the war and feelings that Verity has put off facing.

Verity and her husband finally visit her parents at her family home when she can put it off no longer. She has avoided visiting to allow her to put off processing the death of her beloved brother and coming to terms with the fact he isn't coming back. She's always had a difficult relationship with her mother who makes the homecoming even more difficult. Shortly before traveling home, Verity and Sydney are unexpectedly visited by her German great-aunt Ilse who was traveled to England in fragile health. Great Aunt Ilse and her maid travel with the couple, and once they arrive, it becomes clear that locals are not fond of having Germans in their midst despite their connection to Verity's family.

The murder and mystery of who did it is as always well done and I don't want to rehash the general plot here, but to me, the book really stood out by how it dealt with grief. Verity's struggle to process her brother's death and reconnect with her family is done with such sensitivity and it feels very relevant given the last 18 or so months when so many have had to deal with grief, both of loved ones and the loss of many aspects of life that we used to take for granted. Additionally, I really appreciated the exploration of how many British citizens struggled with their anger toward the Germans after loosing so many loved ones to a war. There is a struggle to recognize that most German soldiers were just average people pulled into a war just like the average British citizen. In fact, Britain as a whole was much better off then the defeated Germans who were facing food shortages and other after effects of war. In today's increasingly polarized society, this part of the story felt very impactful and reminds the reader that we all have more in common than we think if we are just able to take a step back. I think this might be may favorite book in the series to date - I can't wait for future action to shift back to focus on Lord Ardmore.

Verity Kent is one of my favorite mystery series.

I just love the characters of Sydney and Verity, who are a smart couple dealing with life after their active participation in the war effort.

I also liked that we get to meet and learn more about Verity’s family in this book. They are not without their troubles and each of them are dealing with the aftermath of the war in their own way. Verity’s complex relationship with her mother and siblings made for an interesting read. Also I am mentally pairing off her brother and sister with other characters I have met in previous books...I can’t help myself!

The mystery was complex enough that it kept me guessing until the end. All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed this smart and entertaining historical mystery.

I adore Anna Lee Huber's Lady Darby mystery series so when she published the First Verity Kent story I was excited to read it! And I was not disappointed....now here we are on #5 in the series and I am still loving it!! Verity and Sydney are still rediscovering themselves in the aftermath of the Great War. When Verity's great aunt comes from Germany and is facing anti-German harassment they decide to leave early for the family holiday they had planned. Verity is still dealing with the loss of her brother in the War, as is the whole family. She also must endure her mother's constant criticism and in the middle of all this her aunt's young maid is murdered. Is this the result of someone hating her because she is a German, or is it more personal to Verity and Sydney?
As always Anna Lee Huber gives us a well thought out period piece about the lingering effects of the Great War in the years following it, as well as a captivating mystery.
Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

MURDER MOST FAIR is the fifth superb entry in the outstanding Verity Kent Mystery series. Author Anna Lee Huber’s excellent writing vividly brings the post WWI years to life with excellent world building and storytelling, character development, and complex plotting.

It is November 1919 - one full year after the end of the war to end all wars - but the sacrifices and scars are still fresh. When Verity’s Aunt Ilse from Germany arrives unexpectedly with her maid Bauer in tow, Verity is pleased yet surprised and worried when Ilse reveals she is being threatened. Thinking they will spare Ilse any anti-German sentiment in London, Verity and Sydney adjourn to Verity’s family home in the Yorkshire Dales for the holidays. Verity has avoided going home for five years, at first because of her covert work during the war, but then also because of brother’s death in the line of duty. Of course, her family can know nothing of her work, and they feel abandoned in their grief. Verity finds that even in the country villages the grudges of war remain. When Bauer is murdered, Verity and Sydney do all they can solve the crime.

I adore this series, and each installment is better than the last. Here the characters’ relationships take center stage with the murder mystery secondary. It deals with secrets, grief, the continued repercussions of war, family baggage and rebuilding relationships. It is absorbing, affirming, and heartbreaking. I feel deeply about these characters, and this tale gives Verity, an already complex character, a chance to really grow. But all is not grim within these pages…Verity and Sydney’s rekindled relationship and snappy dialogue are great, and I enjoyed getting to know her older brother, father, and aunt. Unfortunately, her mother and sister are dreadful. Max, friend and quasi-love interest, is rarely present here, and I greatly miss him. There is mention of the series long story arc regarding Lord Ardmore, but it is not the focus. Fraulein Bauer’s murder is cleverly tied to Verity and past.

MURDER MOST FAIR is best enjoyed as part of its series so I do not recommend reading it as a standalone. However, I cannot recommend the entire Verity Kent Mystery Series enough. Readers will not be disappointed. Highly, highly recommended!

I received an ARC of this title from the author and Kensington Books through NetGalley and voluntarily shared my thoughts here.