BOOK TWO:
A Ring of Truth
Narrated by: Jayne A Entwistle
Length: 12 hrs and 5 mins
Genre: Adult Fiction (18+)
Category: Historical Mystery
Publisher: Michelle Cox
Audio Book Release Date: May 18, 2020
Content Rating: R: Books 1-2 do not have any sex scenes, though there is sexual reference.There is periodic swearing and violence, but not a lot. There are some dark themes (though not graphic examples) of suicide, prostitution, mob involvement, rape, drinking, homosexuality.
In this second book of the series, Henrietta and Clive delightfully rewrite Pride and Prejudice―with a hint of mystery! Newly engaged, Clive and Henrietta now begin the difficult task of meeting each other’s family. “Difficult” because Clive has neglected to tell Henrietta that he is in fact the heir to the Howard estate and fortune, and Henrietta has just discovered that her mother has been hiding secrets about her past as well.
Book Review:
HALL WAYS REVIEW: AUDIO/PRINT
COMBO BOOK REVIEW: A Ring of Truth, the
second book in the delicious Henrietta and Inspector Howard Series by Michelle
Cox, begins right where the first book, A
Girl Like You ended. Yes, delicious. I’ve used that word in
every review because I devour Cox’s stories like a tray of sweets. (I started
the series with the fifth book, A
Child Lost, and had to go back to the beginning and am steadily working
forward.)
In A Ring of Truth, Henrietta
and Clive realize that being passionately in love may not be enough to overcome
the realities of their vastly different worlds – and the seventeen-year age gap
between them. They both are guilty of not being forthcoming with each other and
having unrealistic expectations. Again, here’s where I love Henrietta’s
sassy-self. She says things like she sees them and doesn’t shy away from
telling Clive how it is. She is often wise beyond her nineteen years, so at
times it’s hard to remember that her more immature actions are because she’s literally
still a teenager, albeit one who’s had an enormous amount of responsibility.
Readers must be more patient in getting to know Clive. His upbringing, the loss
of his first wife and child, his service in the war, and his experiences as a Chicago
policeman have made him slow to reveal his core. As layers are peeled away from
his character, his actions and reactions make more sense. And it’s clear that
Henrietta is a balm to soothe his wounds.
“A lady is not thought to
possess strong opinions … as her proper place is to always find herself in
support of her husband’s opinions.”
Ah, Antonia. Readers get to
know Clive’s highbrow mother a little more through not only her conversations with
Henrietta, but also because there are sections of the books told from her point
of view. There’s more to her than meets the eye, and while it’s easy to take
her at face value – and dislike her immensely -- those parts of the story where
readers know her thinking reveal that she’s complicated and not quite the cold
person she appears to be. I love Alcott (my second favorite side character),
Clive’s father, and he loves Antonia, but readers will have to also be patient
here, as her heart is revealed.
Narrator Jane Entwistle is
back to voice familiar characters and new ones as well. In A Ring of Truth, my
favorite of Entwistle’s performances is of the elderly and endearing Helen
Schuyler. With her heavy and heavily expressive Scottish accent and her “ooh
aye” and “ach, noo,” Entwistle brings Helen off the pages and into vibrant
life. She does a beautiful job in performing all the characters, young and old,
male and female, loveable or loathe-able.
I’ve now read one full book only
in print, listened to one full book only on audio, and done a combo read of a
third. The combo is probably my favorite approach because a) gorgeous cover and
the books look great on the shelf, but also b) when it could be deemed rude to
have the audio playing in shared spaces or to wear headphones, I can flip open
the book and not have to take a break from the story, and of course c) I can
read with my eyes much faster than reading with my ears. (Recall the devouring
thing?)
I would say that the books I’ve
read thus far (one, two, and five) can all be read as stand-alone (but WHY?!), but
the open-endedness of A Ring of Truth might niggle a bit more than the
others for readers who don’t want to be forced into reading a series to get
answers. Admittedly, this might bother me if I had to wait a year for the next
installment, but I already have A Promise Given, book three of the
series, loaded for listening! Stay tuned for the next review!
Though I already owned the
print copy, I thank the author and iRead Book Tours for the audio download in exchange
for my honest opinion – the only kind I give.
A Girl Like You
Click to read the Hall Ways Blog Audio Book Review!
Book Description: Henrietta Von Harmon works as a 26 girl at a corner bar on Chicago’s northwest side. It’s 1935, but things still aren’t looking up since the big crash and her father’s subsequent suicide, leaving Henrietta to care for her antagonistic mother and younger siblings. Henrietta is eventually persuaded to take a job as a taxi dancer at a local dance hall—and just when she’s beginning to enjoy herself, the floor matron turns up dead. When aloof Inspector Clive Howard appears on the scene, Henrietta agrees to go undercover for him—and is plunged into Chicago’s grittier underworld. Meanwhile, she’s still busy playing mother hen to her younger siblings, as well as to pesky neighborhood boy Stanley, who believes himself in love with her and keeps popping up in the most unlikely places, determined to keep Henrietta safe—even from the Inspector, if need be. Despite his efforts, however, and his penchant for messing up the Inspector’s investigation, the lovely Henrietta and the impenetrable Inspector find themselves drawn to each other in most
Audible ~Amazon.com
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A Promise Given
A Veil Removed
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Aug 31 - Bookish Paradise – series spotlight / guest post / giveaway
Aug 31 – Hall Ways Blog – audiobook review of A Girl Like You / giveaway
Aug 31 - Rockin' Book Reviews – audiobook review of A Girl Like You / guest post / giveaway
Sep 1 – Lamon Reviews – audiobook review of A Girl Like You / giveaway
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Sep 3 – Locks, Hooks and Books – audiobook review of A Girl Like You / giveaway
Sep 3 - Amy's Booket List - audiobook review of A Girl Like You
Sep 4 - Rebecca Graf on Medium - audiobook review of A Ring of Truth Sep 4 - Rajiv's Reviews - audiobook review of A Ring of Truth / giveaway
Sep 7 – Rockin' Book Reviews – audiobook review of A Ring of Truth / giveaway
Sep 7 – Books for Books – audiobook review of A Girl Like You
Sep 7 - Rajiv's Reviews - audiobook review of A Promise Given / giveaway
Sep 8 – Sefina Hawke's Books – series spotlight
Sep 8 - Rebecca Graf on Medium - audiobook review of A Promise Given
Sep 9 – Jazzy Book Reviews – series spotlight / guest post / giveaway
Sep 9 - Rajiv's Reviews - audiobook review of A Veil Removed / giveaway
Sep 9 - Library of Clean Reads - audiobook review of A Ring of Truth / giveaway
Sep 10 - Amy's Booket List - audiobook review of A Ring of Truth
Sep 10 - Rosepoint Publishing - audiobook review of A Girl Like You
Sep 11 – Books for Books – audiobook review of A Ring of Truth
Sep 11- Rebecca Graf on Medium - audiobook review of A Veil Removed
Sep 14 – Hall Ways Blog – audiobook review of A Ring of Truth / giveaway
Sep 14 – Rockin' Book Reviews – audiobook review of A Promise Given / giveaway
Sep 14 - Rajiv's Reviews - audiobook review of A Child Lost / giveaway
Sep 15 – Olio By Marilyn – audiobook review of A Girl Like You / giveaway
Sep 15 - Rebecca Graf on Medium - audiobook review of A Child Lost
Sep 16 – Rockin' Book Reviews – audiobook review of A Veil Removed / giveaway
Sep 16 - Library of Clean Reads - audiobook review of A Promise Given / giveaway
Sep 17 – Locks, Hooks and Books – audiobook review of A Ring of Truth / giveaway
Sep 17 - Amy's Booket List - audiobook review of A Promise Given
Sep 18 - Books for Books – audiobook review of A Promise Given
Sep 18 - From the TBR Pile - audiobook review of A Girl Like You
Sep 21 - Books for Books – audiobook review of A Veil Removed
Sep 21 – Hall Ways Blog – audiobook review of A Promise Given / giveaway
Sep 22 - Rockin' Book Reviews – audiobook review of A Child Lost / giveaway
Sep 22 – Olio By Marilyn – audiobook review of A Ring of Truth / giveaway
Sep 23 – Book Corner News and Reviews – audiobook review of A Veil Removed / giveaway
Sep 23 - Library of Clean Reads - audiobook review of A Veil Removed / giveaway
Sep 24 – Locks, Hooks and Books – audiobook review of A Promise Given / giveaway
Sep 24 - Amy's Booket List - audiobook review of A Veil Removed
Sep 25 – Books for Books – audiobook review of A Child Lost
Sep 25 - From the TBR Pile - audiobook review of A Ring of Truth
Sep 28 – Hall Ways Blog – audiobook review of A Veil Removed / giveaway
Sep 28 - From the TBR Pile - audiobook review of A Promise Given
Sep 29 - Locks, Hooks and Books – audiobook review of A Veil Removed / giveaway
Sep 30 – Olio By Marilyn – audiobook review of A Promise Given / giveaway
Sep 30 - Library of Clean Reads - audiobook review of A Child Lost / giveawaySep 30 - From the TBR Pile - audiobook review of A Veil Removed
Oct 1 – Olio By Marilyn – audiobook review of A Veil Removed / giveaway
Oct 1 - History from a Woman’s Perspective - audiobook review of A Girl Like You
Oct 1 - Amy's Booket List - audiobook review of A Child Lost
Oct 2 – Locks, Hooks and Books – audiobook review of A Child Lost / giveaway
Oct 2 - From the TBR Pile - audiobook review of A Child Lost
