A Dangerous Engagement by Ashley Weaver ~ a Review

by Donna Huber

I have trouble passing up a cozy mystery when I see it. It doesn't matter if it is book 1 or book 20 in a series, I must read it. A Dangerous Engagement is book 6 in the Amory Ames series. I haven't read this series or anything by Ashley Weaver as this is her debut series. But I don't think it will be my last.

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. A free book was provided for an honest review.

September 2019; Minotaur Books; 978-1250159779
audio, ebook, print (320 pages); cozy mystery

Even though it is book 6, I didn't feel lost or anything. That is probably because Amory and her husband Milo travel from England to New York to attend the wedding a childhood friend. Outside of Milo and Amory, none of the other characters have appeared in the series before. So there wasn't a lot of relationships or backstory that the reader needed to know from previous books. We get just enough to know Milo and Amory (such as they've been married 6 years, their courtship was a bit of a whirlwind, Milo is a risk-taker with a checkered past, etc.).

For being 6 years, Milo and Amory don't seem to be much of a couple. They just seemed to do their own thing throughout the book, which I found odd. For me, the book lacked the something that I usually enjoy with sleuthing couples. But as individuals, I liked the characters. Milo is more in the shadows as the story is told from Amory's point of view.

I really liked the backdrop of Prohibition-era New York. And though the crash of 1929 is mentioned, it felt much more like the decadence of the 1920s. Definitely more Great Gatsby than Grapes of Wrath. It made the story fun with outings to night clubs, speakeasies, and the theater.

The murder mystery is well done with several plausible suspects so you don't really know who the killer is until it is revealed at the end.

Hours after I finished the novel I found myself wishing I could spend more time with these Amory. She really grew on me. I'm looking forward to reading more stories with Amory and Milo.

Buy A Dangerous Engagement at Amazon

Donna Huber is an avid reader and natural encourager. She is the founder of Girl Who Reads and the author of how-to marketing book Secrets to a Successful Blog Tour. 

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