Thanks to NetGalley and Inkshares for providing the ARC for my honest review.

I went into A Pretender’s Murder without having read the first Eric Peterkin novel, and while it works great as a standalone, I found myself struggling a bit to immerse myself fully in its world. The characters didn’t immediately grab me, and the plot took a while to pick up momentum.

This isn’t your typical fast-paced murder mystery. Instead, Huang opts for a slower unraveling—one that leans heavily into atmosphere and post-war melancholy. The lingering shadows of World War I haunt the characters, subtly shaping their choices and secrets. While not always front and center, but this gave the story a quiet depth that I appreciated, even if it didn’t completely pull me in.

There were a few clever plot twists that kept things interesting. I did managed to predict a couple, but that didn’t take away from the enjoyment. The mystery itself is thoughtful and intricate, but it’s the pacing that held me back the most. I didn’t feel as connected to the characters as I hoped. I just kept wishing for a little more complexity or spark from them.

If you’re into historical mysteries that are more about atmosphere than action, this might be your kind of read. Not quite a favorite for me, but I appreciated what it was trying to do. 💫

I didnt particular y enjoy this Story so I can't Say I'll recommend it anytime soon. I found the Plot slow and I couldnt actually bring myself to Finish it

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ A brilliantly layered historical mystery set in post-WWI London!

A Pretender’s Murder follows Eric Peterkin, a former soldier and now club secretary, as he’s reluctantly pulled into a murder investigation at the exclusive Britannia Club. What begins as a classic whodunnit quickly deepens into a web of family secrets, wartime espionage, and the lasting scars of trauma.

Christopher Huang does a fantastic job weaving in themes of PTSD and the emotional aftermath of war, all while keeping the mystery twisty and engaging. Just when you think you have it figured out—another curveball. The pace starts slow, but the payoff is so worth it.

Highly recommend for fans of historical mysteries with substance. Looking forward to reading more from this author!

Thanks to Inkshares, Inc. and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a sequel, and if you have not read the first book you are at a disadvantage. We are dropped in the world of Eric Peterkin shortly after the first book ends. Bring honest, I didn't love this book. The characters were not compelling, and the writing was too detailed. The plot started too late into the book, and I struggled to finish this one. If you loved the first book, check this out. Otherwise I'd pass on this one.

Thank you to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book. Fantasy is not my cup of tea but I love a good historical fiction novel. If you love a murder mystery with a mix of fantasy and history, you will love this!

A Pretender’s Murder is a cleverly written thriller with standout characters that pull you into the mystery from the first page. The writing style was sharp and engaging, making it hard to put down. A solid pick for any thriller lover looking for a fresh and twisty read.

🌟 4 stars｜A Pretender’s Murder – Christopher Huang
This is a book I really enjoyed and would absolutely recommend to others, but I have to admit, it was also quite a challenge for me.

As someone who doesn’t have a deep background in European history, I struggled to fully grasp many of the locations, references, and historical nuances. At the beginning, I was taking notes diligently: names, places, mythical figures… but halfway through, there were just too many. With the ARC deadline approaching, I eventually gave up on tracking them and had to speed-read through the rest. That said, I still plan to get a finished copy and re-read it slowly when I have the chance, it deserves that kind of attention.

📚 What I loved:
✔️ Atmosphere – A strong sense of 1920s post-WWI Britain. The setting, mood, and emotional undertones were beautifully built.
✔️ Themes of war aftermath – Beyond just PTSD, the book examines how war reshapes families, women’s roles, and the mental health of survivors.
✔️ Non-traditional mystery – Less action-packed, more “slow burn psychological unravelling.” It reads almost like historical literary fiction disguised as a murder mystery.

🧩 What I struggled with:
⚠️ Too many characters – The four widows, the dead sons, side characters, secret agents, spies… it’s a lot. I had trouble keeping track, especially when some characters share names or identities get intentionally blurred.
⚠️ Complex plot structure – With red herrings, false memories, historical conspiracies and secret identities, I often felt lost. It only clicked for me near the very end.
⚠️ Language barrier – As someone who reads English as a second language, this book was effortful. The prose is elegant and era-appropriate, but the vocabulary can be dense.

🎭 In terms of themes and backdrop, this book explores:
– Post-war grief and trauma
– Repressed identities (racial, social, gendered)
– The psychological toll of truth and deception

🕵️ In terms of mystery, the murder itself (Colonel Russell’s fall) is only the surface — the real intrigue lies in the peeling back of old war secrets, family lies, and hidden traumas. The resolution was satisfying, and every detail counts, though you’ll need a lot of focus to follow the clues.

📖 Recommended if you like:
– Historical detective fiction in the Golden Age style
– Literary mysteries with layered characters and slow pacing
– Stories that explore how war fractures people and societies

⛔ Not recommended if you prefer:
– Fast-paced thrillers or single-thread plots
– Easily digestible mysteries with fewer characters
– Quick reads or books you can finish without deep concentration

This was a beautiful, complex read, even if I didn’t catch every thread, I was still moved by its emotional depth and quiet intelligence. I’ll definitely return to it again, next time with a notebook… and no deadline.

📦 Thanks to NetGalley and Inkshares for the ARC. A Pretender's Murder will be published on 27 Jan 2026.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Inkshares for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

‘A Pretender’s Murder’ is the second book in the ‘Eric Peterkin’ series. The book is set in London in the 1920s. Our protagonist eric, decides to once more investigate after the sudden murder of beloved Colonel Russell at his club, ‘The Britannia’, with help of the colonel’s four widowed daughter-in-laws.

I really enjoyed this book. I had not initially realised it was the second book in a series, but it was still easy to follow along the characters and their relationships. The story did not center around one large crime, but an ongoing series of wrongdoings, which kept me guessing and eager to continue reading every page, which is something i’d like to see more of in murder mysteries. The Themes in this book were also incredibly interesting, this book was sent in an ever-changing time in the history of the world, and the book brings to light the change in women’s societal standing, as well as the effects of World War I. This book features a wide range of characters, each with his or her own flaws and talents, and most of which were very likeable. I would highly recommend this book to anyone in search of a historical murder mystery.

(Thank you to NetGalley and Inkshares for the advanced reader copy of this book!)

I didn't read the first volume of this Eric Peterkin series, but I didn't feel the need to as you quickly catch the story. I thought this felt like if Agatha Christie's Poirot and the PTSD chapter of DSM-5 had a baby, and I'm totally saying this as a compliment. The psychiatry/mental ilness/trauma parts of the book are superb, and it is not frequent to see this in literature as usually I feel the authors just read the Wikipedia page about a disease and think they know what it feels like. Christopher Huang does an exquisite job in portraying the London society post-WWI and the struggles of soldiers post said war. That being said, I felt there where too many characters, too many backstories, too many things going on and an awkward pacing where sometimes I felt that the story was advancing in a nice speed and others I was just thinking what was going on and why did it matter. I also felt overstimulated at times (murder! mediums! tuberculosis! trauma! betrayal! espionage!).

Overall I did enjoy the book, would totally read it again and recomended, just not as a thriller/who did it book.

i unfortunately didn't have the chance to read the first book in the series before I read this one, but it was definitely solid on its own anyway! the mystery was neat and interesting and themes of PTSD and aftereffects worked really well. 4 stars. tysm for the arc.

Review: A Pretender’s Murder by Christopher Huang

What initially drew me to A Pretender’s Murder were the tropes I love most in a mystery: a murder at the heart of a prestigious institution, a historical London setting steeped in secrets, a classic cat-and-mouse investigation, and the delicious possibility that everyone could be the culprit. And on those points, the book delivers: the premise is layered, the atmosphere richly imagined, and the threads of betrayal and espionage give it a compelling edge.

Set in 1925 London, the story follows Lieutenant Eric Peterkin, who finds himself drawn into the investigation of a murder at the Britannia Club—an elite gathering place for war veterans—after the mysterious and brutal death of its president, Colonel Hadrian Russell. With suspects ranging from grieving daughters-in-law to figures from the Colonel’s war-scarred past, the mystery had all the ingredients of a gripping whodunit.

Unfortunately, the execution didn’t quite match the promise. The pacing was slow and the narrative, at times, overly drawn out. I found the interweaving of past and present scenes within single paragraphs particularly jarring as it disrupted the flow and made it difficult to stay immersed in the story. The characters, while numerous and complex on paper, felt flat in execution, which made it hard to stay emotionally engaged. Whereas I typically breeze through a book in a day, this one took me nearly two weeks to complete.

That said, I still appreciate Huang’s ambition and his effort to create a richly textured world. While the novel aims for complexity and scope, the structure often feels unwieldy, with scenes and timelines bleeding into one another in a way that can obscure rather than enhance. With tighter editing and stronger focus on character development, the story might have fulfilled its intriguing premise more effectively.

Thank you, Inkshares, for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

3.5/5 stars

I had previously read Huang's previously standalone novel Unnatural Ends and loved it. This second in series was my initial foray into the world of Eric Peterkin so I feel that I need to go back and read the initial book (A Gentleman's Murder) to see this second book in a clearer light.
For me this book was a bit tedious and took me longer to read than I would have thought. I felt a bit bogged down in spots, and the plot and characters were a lot to keep track of.

This story revolves around a number of murders with identity deception, espionage, and greed playing parts in the "whys". The first murder takes place at the club where Peterkin works, and he is pulled into a family holding tons of secrets as he tries to untangle motives and guilty parties.

While it is well written and the plot is interesting, it took me out of the pace trying to keep up with various characters and storylines (of which there are a few). Maybe the book was a bit ambitious and overly long in its conception? It just was not the book I had hoped for after reading my first Huang. HOWEVER, having said that, I would like to go back and read the first Peterkin book to get some initial background that should help in my approach to this follow-up book.

My sincere thanks to NetGalley and Inkshares for providing the free early arc of A Pretender's Murder for review. The opinions are strictly my own.

Pay attention to the minutiae if you have aspirations to solve the mystery before the end. I easily got a definitive sense of the atmosphere of the survivors at that time and that the characters are well developed and definitely realistic. I enjoyed it very much.
I requested and received a temporary uncorrected digital galley from Inkshares via NetGalley.
#APretendersMurder by @christopher.huang.writer #EricPeterkinBk2 @Inkshares #NetGalley
Pub Date Jan 27, 2026 **** review @bookbub @goodreads #librarything #storygraph
#historicalnovel #crimefiction #mystery #suspicion #suspense #ashesofwar #secrets #lies #twisty
#amateurdetective #policeinspector #British #postww1 #historicalresearch #ptsd #murderinvestigations

Christopher Huang's upcoming novel played with my expectations like a master puppeteer, revealing one truth only to snatch it away with another more startling revelation. The narrative wound through its post-WWI setting with such deliberate precision that each twist tightened the knot of suspense until I found myself completely entangled.

The historical backdrop of 1920s England breathed with such authenticity that I was transported—not just observing the mystery but inhabiting it. I appreciated how Huang wove period details into the fabric of the story without ever letting them overshadow the central puzzle. The family dynamics and post-war disillusionment provided crucial motivation for characters whose secrets ran deeper than initially appeared.

I was captivated by each revelation which cascaded into the next. Just when I thought I had gained solid footing, Huang pulled another thread that unraveled my theories completely. The grand reveals delivered such satisfaction precisely because they were earned—clues hiding in plain sight that I kicked myself for missing.

The final resolution landed with emotional weight I rarely experience in mysteries, leaving me both intellectually impressed and emotionally invested.

For those who appreciate mysteries that offer a rare combination of historical immersion and genuine surprise, don’t miss out on this one.

Special thanks to Inkshares and NetGalley for providing the advance copy, though all opinions expressed are entirely my own.

This is the second book featuring Eric Peterkin. I did not read the first book, but this did not hinder my enjoyment of the story and it does work as a standalone novel.

Set in a Gentlemen's Club after the war, this story falls follows Eric Peterkin in his new role as the club secretary. As the title implies, a murder takes place and that's when the intrigue begins. As this is a period story, there's obviously no forensics and modern technology so the story has classic murder mystery sleuthing reminiscent of Agatha Christie. If you like those types of tales you are in for a treat. I don't think that the mystery was obvious - it wasn't completely clear what the motive was or who had committed the crime at the outset. That is what made the story more compelling, I hate being proved right early on.

There were two parts of the story that makes it standout. Being set after the war, Huang encapsulates the aftermath of the war well. The main character, Eric was a Lieutenant and parts of the story detail the mental aftermath of warfare. As an undercurrent within the backgrounds of the characters its refreshing to see a writer demonstrate that war has a impacted everyone in different ways, including how it has affected the female characters too.

The main character, Eric Peterkin has a mixed race background. This isn't a main feature within the novel but narrating the thoughts and feelings that he has linked to this mixed heritage is special. The complexities of being in post war Britain, where attitudes were different highlights the element of otherness, whilst not falling into racial stereotypes. At one point in the story there is a police officer who has returned from Hong Kong who wishes to converse with Eric Peterkin in Cantonese. Unfortunately, he does not speak the language and the inner monologue around not understanding an element of his heritage is an interesting read. For me, this aside from the narrative of the story helps to round out the character and makes it far more realistic by having a multi-faceted character not completely driven solely by continuing the plot.

Overall I liked this story and would be more than happy to read more adventures of Eric Peterkin. It's a telling of a classic murder mystery in the styles of the classics within the genre. Its nice to see something that harks back to Agatha Christie style stories that orignally made me fall in love with reading.

Christopher Huang has succeeded to deliver another great historical mystery, this time rooted in the confusing times during the interbellum. While the immediate chaos of post war London has settled, the minds of all the military involved are still in turmoil. But in a society where a stiff upper lip is ingrained in every boy's education, shellshock and trauma is still taboo. I believe this is where the author's strenght lies: the historical reflection on men's vulnerabilities and women's emancipation during a time and place where every foundation - physical, architectural and societal - has been shattered by bombs.

On this background, a complicated mystery is woven as an intricate detail into complex family dynamics mingled with the high society rules of the affluent London scene.

As I am now used of this author, the language is a true pleasure to read and the only reason why I gave 4 stars is because I found the mystery a bit too complex to be believable.

Thank you to Netgalley, Inkshares and the author for allowing me to be an early reader. All opinions are my own.

I was excited to read this book but unfortunately I was unable to obtain an accessible copy either before or after publication. Authors and publishers, please consider providing accessible copies for disabled users with diminished vision.

This is actually the second book in a series; however, it can be read as a stand-alone novel. Mr. Huang knows his craft and writes this novel in a somewhat formal fashion that is an excellent fit. The setting is in 1920s post-WW I England. Virtually all of the characters are of the upper class and, superficially, seem mostly unaffected by the recent war. While Americans are in the changing midst of the Roaring 20's, the characters of A Pretender's Murder seem to conduct their affairs much as they had done prior to England's war. However, the magnitude of loss durng the war soon impacts their lives in different ways. As you might suspect, some of the characters are not totally who they seem to be. Yes, there is murder and mystery. Both with a number of pleasant, unanticiapted "twists".

4.25 ⭐️

This book was a really good representation of 1920’s crime and mystery. What’s not to like - it was a little slow starting but once you get in a few chapters, it’s really an interesting book.

The whole-dun-it aspect of the book was really good and I’m a sucker for constantly trying to figure out what’s going to happen next. A good war book is also in my wheelhouse.

I think the author did a phenomenal job of incorporating aspects of the war and ptsd in with the mystery of the book. High society life post war for veterans was the base of the Britannia Club and you can feel the vibe of the club and the characters. You can put yourself in the situations of what’s happening in the book.

This is the second book in the series of the author and I would definitely recommend the read if you like this genre. I want to thank the author and Net Galley for giving me the opportunity to ARC read for an open and honest review.

The year is 1925. A labyrinth of roads and rails spirals out from the bones of a nearly forgotten settlement. Londinium. Once the far-flung edge of the vast Roman Empire, it is now the seat of a greater one.

Few have given more for the Empire than Colonel Hadrian Russell. Robbed of his four sons by the Great War, he now holds court as the acting president of the Britannia, a prestigious soldiers-only club in London. But when the Colonel is shot and thrown out the club’s front window, it seems the shadows of the Great War may extend further than previously thought.

Lieutenant Eric Peterkin, newly installed secretary at the Britannia, finds himself thrust into the role of detective after Scotland Yard points fingers at friends he knows are innocent. But is the true murderer an unknown spy? Or a recently resurfaced friend of the Colonel’s dead sons? Or is it one of the Colonel’s four widowed daughters-in-law, who by all appearances paid him complete devotion?

Accusations from personal betrayal to wartime espionage mount among the suspects as Eric's investigation draws him back to scenes and sites of a war he’s sought to leave behind. From the greening fields of Flanders and the springtime streets of Paris to the sterile wards of a Swiss sanatorium, and back to the Britannia itself, Eric finds that even myths leave behind bones.