This book was one of the best I've read in a long while.

Genre tags: Historical fiction, mystery, set in the post-civil war era, sleuth, crime.

This story starts by introducing you to our strong FMC, giving you a glimpse of her history and quickly taking you on a journey that shows her strength of character whilst the lives of the people she loves, are threatened. I don't want to give too much away so I'll explain why I liked this book so much.

It was a complex story with plenty of drama and mystery, yet I felt it was paced very well and easy to follow. There is always something gripping going on.

You felt like you knew the characters very well and the atmosphere the author created was enveloping. The time period is known for the misogyny and inequalities for women and this was interwoven with confidence and taste.
I loved the strong relationships between some characters and the flashes back to the FMC days as a former women soldier of the union army.

I haven't had a book in a while that has traveled with me whilst doing chores, because I didn't want to miss the time between jobs, that could be spent reading.

I cannot fault this book.

Thank you to Netgallery, Jan Matthew's and Coffee&Ink Press for the opportunity to give a truthful review on this ARC. My words are my own (thanks Natasha)

This book absolutely delivered. Jan Matthews has written something special here.

Leona Gladney is brilliantly complex—a former Union Army soldier turned suffragist navigating Brooklyn Heights society whilst clearing her name after a friend's suspicious death. Matthews doesn't shy away from the contradictions: Leona's tough but vulnerable, ambitious but constrained by the era's brutal misogyny.

The seance scenes are exceptional. Matthews uses them to expose both the desperation and cunning of women working within narrow social constraints. The spiritualism angle adds genuine menace.

The mystery itself is layered and satisfying. Flashbacks to Leona's war service provide crucial character depth without derailing the investigation.
Highly recommend for anyone who wants historical mystery with genuine bite.

Thank you tNetGalley for providing me a with a copy of the book.

Jan Matthew’s historical fiction 2026 release in The Last Fatal Hour is a profound story set early on Gil refers to his wife Lenora as saucy. The point of you is one of the primary characters Leona Gladney, who is a former Union Army soldier turned Brooklyn Heights suffragist. She is surrounded by many characters from Daphne who is part of the element of mystery in this historical fiction mystery novel. Detective Day is the officer at the center of unraveling the mystery which unravels as this story moves forward. In her pursuit of truth and vindication, Leona navigates a dark world of mystery and murder in Brooklyn Heights. Readers must know that following Lenora’s character is important as the story unravels. But her character narrative moves the entire story forward while the plot is the supporting element of this story. Jan Matthew’s writing is brilliant and her knowledge of the time period is spectacular. The author's ability to do in depth research clearly shows in how she develops the events which surround his historical fiction novel. I highly recommend The Last Fatal Hour by Jan Matthews. If you're a reader new to historical fiction, reading a book that crosses over genres is a great way to try the genre. If you're not new to historical fiction, you should try author Jan Matthews historical fact is well researched based upon what I know of this time period from history courses.

The Last Fatal Hour is a masterfully woven historical mystery, capturing the spirit of post–Civil War America with remarkable depth and atmosphere. Rather than merely borrowing from the beloved world of Louisa May Alcott, this novel expands upon the era she so vividly portrayed, plunging readers into the shifting social landscape of Reconstruction through a gripping and emotionally layered mystery.

At the heart of the story is Leona—a compelling woman navigating the rigid expectations of high society while quietly wrestling with her own longing for independence. Her internal struggle feels authentic and timeless: the tension between carving out one’s own identity and yearning for the warmth and stability of a family. The author handles this duality with nuance, making her journey as absorbing as the mystery itself.
Equally fascinating is that Leona was a covert former Union soldier whose past lingers like a shadow over the present. Her concealed history adds emotional complexity, enriching the central mystery while deepening the novel’s exploration of loyalty, trauma, and reinvention in a nation still healing from war.

The historical detail is beautifully written without ever overwhelming the plot. The customs, social codes, and unspoken rules of the time are seamlessly embedded in the narrative, heightening both the stakes and the drama. The constraints placed upon women—and the quiet acts of defiance that push against them—are portrayed with sensitivity and strength.

The Last Fatal Hour is for fans of intelligent historical mysteries and character-driven drama.

In The Last Fatal Hour, Jan Matthews crafted an Agatha Christie reminiscent historical whodunit that was quite intriguing. I was expecting more Historical Fiction with a strong feminist vibe as a woman secretly disguised as a Union Army soldier, but this was only a subplot of the story. I would categorize this as Historical Cozy Mystery. Once I switched gears and realized this, I was thoroughly engaged. The pace of the beginning was a bit slow, but necessary for background and setting the scene, but midway it picked up and I couldn’t stop reading. I enjoyed the large cast of characters and the parts they each played. There were multiple layers of mystery that began early in the novel with each twist building up to the last page. 3.5 stars rounded up!

Thank you NetGalley and Coffee and Ink Press for the advanced ebook!
All of these thoughts and opinions are my own.

I received a complimentary advanced digital copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Many thanks to Netgalley and the Publishers for this opportunity.

This is a fabulous read. It ticked all the boxes for me; intrigue, murder, embezzlement, jealousy, séances with channelling and infidelity all set at a time when women were beginning to find their voice, the suffrage movement.

The protagonist, Leona Gladney is an adventurous and brave woman. In defending her beliefs she signed up disguised as a young man to become a soldier during the American Civil War. However, she bears the scars of the experience of having to act as a young man; to assimilate and to take on all aspects of male behaviour as well as experiencing the death of fellow soldiers and friends. The consequences have led to the reliance of laudanum, for which Leona desperately tries to rid herself of having to resort to. She doesn’t fit all that well into society as merely a subservient, obedient and beautiful wife as expected during this time; she is a woman with an opinion and physical ability which causes problems in this new marriage. Following her widowhood and returning to Brooklyn Heights, Leona marries for the second time to a wealthy businessman and her life becomes one of sharp contrast to that of her previous young life. She appears to have the world at her feet, a successful socialite, a fund raiser for the suffrage movement, all seem very positive until her husband’s partner embezzles the company’s funds and disappears. This leads to financial difficulties and tension between her and her new husband who spends late hours at work, even not returning at night.

Early in the read Leona visits an elderly longtime friend of hers, Daphne, where she reveals that she is writing her memoirs of her war experience, the writing helps in overcoming the flash backs, however, to be published she would have to take on a pseudonym, or publish anonymously to avoid societal stigma and her husband would not approve at all. Reading her memoirs sees Daphne becoming upset, her own memories brought to life. When the nurse enters to pour sherry, Leona is furious to see that laudanum is going to be administered and she intervenes. In the disruption, she leaves her memoirs at Daphne’s for which become the subject of blackmail. After her visit, the news comes that Daphne has died. Leona is accused of stealing valuable jewellery and of murdering her. This is all linked to her husband’s failing fortunes and finger pointing by Daphne’s grandson.

Determined to clear her name Leona visits another elderly friend. She needs to find Daphne’s nurse and maid, Winifred, both have disappeared. Leona knows that Daphne’s friend will have information that can help her and in conversation, several things are revealed, that unknown to Leona, Daphne and her friend over the years had visited a spiritualist. Daphne had also told her friend that the family were overdosing her on laudanum and that she had become aware that her grandson was having an affair with her nurse.

From here on the read moves into one of intrigue and danger and has Leona and her friend Ruth investigating events, firstly to find the missing maid Winifred who they hope will be able to reveal more of the events of the night when Daphne was murdered.

The book comes to a conclusion with last few chapters revealing the unidentified serial murderer who has Leona in a precarious and dangerous position.

This historical mystery features quite a different heroine. Leona Gladney had disguised herself as a young man to fight in the Union Army during the Civil war. She suffers from PTSD from those days. And now she’s married to a wealthy businessman in post-War New York City. She supports the suffrage movement and is writing fictional tales about two young boys in the War as well as a much more personal and painful attempt at memoirs of her experiences. But she is still expected to fulfill the typical upper class role for a wife. When a dear friend of hers died suddenly and Leona comes under suspicion for stealing her jewels and killing her, Leona undertakes to figure out what really happened.

Meanwhile, her husband has lost most of his money in his business and he spends long hours away from home. Leona delves deeper into various mysteries in New York with psychics and other people.

The mysteries get deeper and darker as the book goes on. The author has crafted a complex and original mystery. It ended rather suddenly with a sort of cliffhanger that was resolved some time later in the epilogue. I would have liked for a deeper look at the events in the epilogue since that is what the whole novel had been building up to.

I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book that I received from Netgalley; however, the opinions are my own and I did not receive any compensation for my review.

‘Pen and ink or back to the laudanum.’

Things aren’t looking all to bright for Leona and that’s saying so much considering she survived soldiering as a man during the Civil War when so many others didn’t. Her husband’s partner has disappeared and taken all of their money and left them in a precarious position that only gets worse when she’s accused of stealing an elderly friend's jewels after her death. With everyone she knows turning against her she has no clue that the accusations will be a blessing in disguise as a plot so sinister unravels in this intriguing novel that hooks you and doesn’t let go until the last page is turned. Well done!

This immersive book is not for me, though I'm sure others will enjoy it. The pace is too slow for me—I prefer more action-oriented books. DNF.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC.

3.5/5⭐️

ARC copy provided by NetGalley

Leona Gladney is a society heiress, a suffragette, and secretly a former Union soldier. Following the disappearance of her husbands business partner along with all of their funds, Leona is eyed as a suspect when her close friend mysteriously dies and her jewelry vanishes. Leona takes it upon herself to unravel the mystery before she is next.

I wish this story had focused more on Leona and her time as a Union soldier. While we got brief glimpses through flashbacks, it felt completely underdeveloped and unexplored. While I understand that this is a work of historical fiction I also despise how the struggle with PTSD was presented. The mystery was intriguing and the ultimate reveal was shocking, but overall the pacing on this was a bit strange and lost me at a few points.

This was a well written historical mystery. Our MC Leona has a unique history, she fought in the Union army as a guy. The story drags you in and doesn't let go. There is lots going on, so it keeps you on your toes. I really enjoyed reading it.

THE LAST FATAL HOUR by Jan Matthews is an intriguing historical murder mystery and domestic suspense mash-up set post-Civil War in Brooklyn Heights, New York. This book features a female main character attempting to be an amateur sleuth to clear her name and due to blackmail. She was previously a fighting female soldier in disguise during the Civil War who is now struggling with severe PTSD. This is a standalone fictional historical story that is authentic to the era and society it portrays.

Socialite Leona Gladney has attempted to put her past as a soldier in the Union Army and death of her first husband behind her. Remarried and working on personal literary pursuits, she still has dreams and moments of anxiety over her time in the service. Her anxiety is exacerbated by her husband’s business partner disappearing with their company’s funds.

When the robbery and suspicious death of a wealthy friend and matriarch leaves Leona a suspect, she is determined to uncover the real culprit. What she is not prepared for is a tangled web of seances, lies, deception, and murder.

This is an enlightening as well as maddening story of the legal and political struggles women faced in the 19th century intertwined with the intricately plotted chase of a killer. Leona is a strong character that is more than just her heritage and social status, but even as she tries to fulfill her feminine societal duties, she has an entire previous life she has kept from everyone but her grandfather. While her time as a soldier makes her an unusual protagonist, her life is historically possible. The many uses of laudanum especially involving females throughout this story is not only historically accurate, but also sad. While I suspected the outcome, it is still satisfying and once again brings society’s treatment of women to the forefront.

I highly recommend this intriguing historical mystery and domestic suspense mash-up.

I am generally not a fan of historical fiction but I liked this one. Granted, I felt the novel started out a bit slow. Matthews pays particular attention to the clothing and other details of the era, something I do not find find compelling. Lovers of historical novels will like that, however. There are also some flashbacks of Leona's time in the Civil War, a young woman pretending to be male so she could fight. Leona's character is developed further as she writes fiction stories and also participates in suffragist meetings.

About half way through, the novel became really interesting to me. There was an exploration of spiritualism at the time. There were also references to the frequent use of laudanum. I liked that Leona read Poe's short stories featuring Dupin to learn how to do a proper investigation. When she starts really investigating, the tension builds. There are some good twists and a suitable amount of suspense at the end.

So I was pleasantly surprised by this historical mystery. History fiction buffs will like it for its attention to detail and mystery lovers will enjoy it too.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book through Partners in Crime Book Tours. My comments are an independent review.

Thank you to Net Galley and Coffee and Ink Press for the chance to read and review this book. All opinions are my own.
Leona Gladney was a soldier disguised as a man during the Union Army. Now she has married and returned to civilian life. Although she still suffers from PTSD, she is trying to fit in. Her life is shattered by two events: her husband's business partner embezzles their funds, and a good friend is murdered. All of these storylines are interwoven to create a good mystery. Mostly, I liked this book. I did have a problem with the flow of the story at times. It seemed to jump from one thing to another without really transitioning. It might have just been me. Other than that, I liked it. The ending was a surprise.

Leona Gladney discovered her dear friend Daphne Van Wyn has died under suspicious circumstances and Leona became a suspect. Despite the lead detective and her husband warning to stay out of the investigation, she was determined to find out who murdered her dear friend. Furthermore, Leona was quickly shunned by Brooklyn society, which made it all the more difficult for her to solve her friend’s death and she found herself in serious danger.

There is so much more to this story, including her husband’s claim that his business partner has stolen their money, which added to the plot. There was also great character development and each character added so much depth and intrigue. Including Leona’s grandfather who was a renowned poet. Leona was also a writer and she preferred to write anonymously, which was usually common in those days.

What first captured by attention about this story was that Leona was a former union soldier in the American Civil War. Historically, women were known to have fought in the civil war and they disguised themselves with the uniforms and used male aliases. There were many reasons for them to do so including staying close to their love ones, escaping from whatever life they were running from and so on… I was intrigued to see how Jan Matthews would explore the aftermath of a female soldier’s life post war. Did Leona experience post-traumatic stress? What were the battles like for her? I wanted to know and Matthews portrayed Leona’s experience with vivid realities of war and the struggle of overcoming such a traumatic time.

A wonderfully written historical mystery with many elements weaved in that takes you to time and place. A truly atmospheric mystery.

Such a fabulous read. A great storyline full of drama and mystery, it had me gripped throughout. I enjoyed reading about the relationships between the characters. I look forward to reading more

The story takes place at the end of the civil war and the main character Leona Gladney is now on her second marriage to Gilbert. Her first husband, and great love, Jack had died during the civil war, but most interesting in Leona had disguised herself a young boy, Leo, and found beside family and friends during the war. Wounded and seeing most of her friends die has left her with "soldier's heart (modern day PTSD) for sure. The episodes of PTSD carryout throughout the book.

Leona is not the "expected" lady of the time and delves in women's suffrage, equality and uncovering mysteries. Also, she is an author and writes under a pen name and is working on a book of her times during the war. Leona's past has given her the confidence to stand on her own two feet, to push for what she wants and fight when necessary, but society frowns on women taking such an active interest in matters of murder and injustice.

Leona does not let the unexplained death of her friend and confident deter her from investigating to determine exactly what happened. She is definitely ahead of her times and continually finds herself in sticky situations. Her grandfather who helped raise her, and probably the reason for her independence and strength, assists her as well as several friends. Her husband throughout the novel is angered at the change is his sweet demur wife and wishes here to stay home, keep house, and take care of him life other women of her time. Not to spoil the story there are reasons for all the actions that take place and the conclusion is both satisfying and rewarding.

"The Last Fatal Hour" is an intense and intriguing historical novel of mystery and deception. With its many twists, layered secrets, and complex plot lines, it keeps the reader guessing right up until the final pages. The carefully written mystery and diligent protagonist make it an engaging read. Readers who enjoy historical mysteries with a strong female lead, filled with secrets and unexpected revelations will definitely enjoy the story.

Leona Gladney, was such a fascinating woman to follow. Jan has written her character so she feels real. so she and what she is going through and gone through leaps off the pages to make us feel her story as well as read it. she is a former soldier and all that comes with that still deeply effects her. shes had many other losses and impacts in her life to. bundle them all together and you'd see why she struggles with her mental health.
now she turns into a suspect too after a wealthy friend is killed. this springs into her a determination and need to uncover who really did this. but she is once again not prepared for just what digging it no this case will bring into her life.
this was such a clever and smartly put together read. i couldn't get enough of Jan's writing. it was so immersive and so emotional. i found myself both angry and upset at knowing what woman were treated like and treated to at the time. its an era i haven't read much of and so learning from this book and then going to research further really moved me.
the way Leona Gladney, copes felt so heartbreaking. and also accurately heartbreaking for many especially woman) at the time. what made me feel worse about this situation was how aptly relevant it is to today.
i did find the strength of Leona Gladney, and other woman like her inspirational. what they had to do even to be art of the fight was incredible. the strength and bravery of so many woman at this time meant so much that is key to what we are able to do today but also of how very much we still have these systemic beliefs and treatment of woman in our today. i want to praise those woman at the time and wish that in years to come other woman might be rewarded with what we in today society might be able to do to continue today sinister fight for woman and in particular right now their safety.
this story was new to me in so many ways and im so glad i saw something in it that made me a magnet to it. i now feel very lucky and so pleased i got to read this book and will definitely want to read more by Jan.