Treacherous Is the Night: A Verity Kent Mystery

Set in July 1919, Huber’s splendid sequel to 2017’s This Side of Murder finds Verity Kent, who has been reunited with her husband, Sidney, erroneously reported killed in action, eager for distraction. To this end, she accompanies a friend to a high-society séance in London. Madame Zozza seems like one of the many frauds preying on a nation’s grief until she addresses Verity directly. Claiming to be Emilie, a Belgian operative with whom Verity worked as a Secret Service agent during WWI, Madame Zozza begs her to “unearth my secrets.” Whether or not Emilie is dead, Verity is sure the medium’s knowledge of their missions together has a human source with access to classified information. When Madame Zozza later dies in a suspicious fire, Verity feels compelled to seek answers—and news of Emilie’s fate—in Belgium. Sidney joins her on the increasingly dangerous hunt for clues, but the couple’s encounter with two of the men attracted to Verity during her “widowhood” sparks a marital crisis. Huber combines intricate puzzles with affecting human drama. Agent: Kevan Lyon, Marsal Lyon Literary. (Oct.)