**I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley for consideration. All thoughts are 100% my own.
After a humiliating mistake, lawyer Benjamin Booker resolves to never again trust a beautiful woman. When an old friend is killed, the senior partner isn't satisfied with Bow Street's efforts and asks Benjamin to investigate. Eager to leave London for a while, Benjamin agrees. Evidence takes him to a remote island on the Thames, a world unto itself, shrouded in mist and mystery. Soon he finds himself falling for the main suspect--a woman who claims not to have left the island in ten years. But should he trust her?
On Belle Island, Isabelle feels safe and leads a productive life, but fear keeps her trapped there. When Mr. Booker arrives with news of her trustee's murder in London, Isabelle is stunned. She has not left the island, yet she has a recurring dream about the man's death. Or is it a memory? She had been furious with him, but she never intended . . . this.
When a second person dies and evidence shockingly points to her, Isabelle doesn't know who to trust: the attractive lawyer or the admirer and friends who assemble on the island, each with grudges against the victim. Can she even trust her own mind? While they search for the truth, secrets come to light and danger comes calling.
Julie Klassen loves all things Jane--Jane Eyre and Jane Austen. Her books have sold over a million copies, and she is a three-time recipient of the Christy Award for Historical Romance. The Secret of Pembrooke Park was honored with the Minnesota Book Award for Genre Fiction. Julie has also won the Midwest Book Award and Christian Retailing's BEST Award and has been a finalist in the RITA and Carol Awards. A graduate of the University of Illinois, Julie worked in publishing for sixteen years and now writes full time. She and her husband have two sons and live in a suburb of St. Paul, Minnesota. For more information, visit www.julieklassen.com.
If you love a good ol' fashioned murder mystery that keeps you guessing right until the very end, The Bridge To Belle Island is certainly one you will want to add to your TBR list!
As I was reading this book, I couldn't help but think of the game Clue. In the beginning there is a bit of a question as the the HOW, but for the most part it really has you guessing as to the WHO. We were introduced to a wide variety of possible suspects--- all with motives and all seemingly hiding something. As such, it was hard to figure out right away just who it could be. They all seemed as though they could be the guilty party! But was it the MURDER they were guilty of? Isn't that what makes a good mystery? I did start to possibly suspect the real culprit towards the end, but I wasn't quite confident in that, nor was I able to figure out the details. For the most part, this isn't a high paced mystery, but rather one that draws out much more slowly giving us bits and pieces of information until the final reveal. There are a few more action packed moments, but for the most part it was pretty slow moving. Typically I do prefer a more fast paced suspense, but I really felt like it worked in this particular story.
If you pick up this book hoping for a ton of romance, you might be a little disappointed. Don't get me wrong, there IS some romance in the story, but I didn't feel like it was a huge part of the story until the very end. I didn't mind that in the slightest, but again something to consider if that's what you are looking for.
Overall, this was a really fun read and one that I would certainly recommend to those who like a historical mystery! I very much enjoyed it.
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