BOOK REVIEW: The Golden Hour by Malia Zaidi

The Golden Hour (Lady Evelyn Mystery #4)

by Malia Zaidi (Goodreads Author)

Paperback, 398 pages

Published March 26th 2019 by BookBaby

Goodreads synopsis:

Lady Evelyn Carlisle has barely arrived in London when familial duty calls her away again. Her cousin Gemma is desperate for help with her ailing mother before her imminent wedding, which Evelyn knew nothing about! Aunt Agnes in tow, she journeys to Scotland, expecting to find Malmo Manor in turmoil. To her surprise, her Scottish family has been keeping far more secrets than the troubled state of their matriarch. Adding to the tension in the house a neighbor has opened his home, Elderbrooke Park, as a retreat for artistic veterans of the Great War. This development does not sit well with everyone in the community. Is the suspicion towards the residents a catalyst for murder? A tragedy at Elderbrooke Park's May Day celebration awakens Evelyn's sleuthing instinct, which is strengthened when the story of another unsolved death emerges, connected to her own family. What she uncovers on her quest to expose the truth will change several lives forever, including her own. With the shadow of history looming over her, Evelyn must trust in her instinct and ability to comb through the past to understand the present, before the murderer can stop her and tragedy strikes again.

***

4 Stars

This is the fourth book in the Lady Evelyn mystery series set in 1927. This is my first foray into this breathtaking series and I was not disappointed. Loved the lushness of the scenery and how detailed it all was to behold. Just great.

The backdrop waffles between the UK and Scotland and relies on a lot of narrative and description. So, if you don’t like an overly wordy book, this one might not be for you. But the complex detailed mystery surely makes up for the nearly 400 pages of text.

All the characters are fully crafted probably due to the fact this is book 4 in a series. Lady Evelyn was a compelling main character that held the plot together. There were a couple of stretches in logic when connecting points of the mystery near the end but overall a wonderful new author for me. Looking forward to reading other titles from her.

I received this as an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) in return for an honest review. I thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for allowing me to read this title.