Deadly Peril: Alec Halsey Mystery, Book 3

I adored this book, but it is difficult to review for several reasons. First, it is the third volume of the Alex Halsey Mystery series, and the first two books contain a lot of highly relevant backstory. Unlike some series, this one really needs to be read in order. Moreover, there are so many twists, turns, and surprises throughout the story that it is virtually impossible to write a thorough review without spoilers. (The publisher's blurb simply sets up what we learn in the first few chapters.) And finally, this book, and indeed the entire series, is so wonderful that I want you to read for yourself without any hints that I might throw out in my review.

One of the things that I have come to admire about Lucinda Brant's writing is how intricately layered her plots are. She reveals things throughout the story, which keeps the reader from becoming frustrated, but also holds back enough that the ending always is a surprise. She has the ability to deftly combine mystery and romance into one big delightful package that will please fans of both genres.

So – rather than writing a typical review, I'm going to tell you a bit about the series and what I loved about this book, starting with the primary cast of characters who populate all three books.

Alec Halsey – the younger son of the Earl of Devlin, Alec Halsey chose to make his living as a diplomat. He is a truly swoon-worthy romantic hero: handsome, intelligent, somewhat enigmatic, intensely honorable, and decidedly his own man. After the death of Alec's odious elder brother, Alec became the earl but he soon was elevated to a marquessate by the King in recognition of his services to the Crown.

Emily St. Neots – a beautiful, spirited young lady whom Alec had once thought to marry, although he was not deeply in love with her.

Selina Jameson-Lewis – the woman with whom Alec fell deeply in love at a young age. Her family thwarted their romance and forced her into a marriage with an older, cruelly abusive man. Selina is now a widow, but she an Alec have had to deal with some difficulties while rekindling the love that both of them still feel for one another.

The Duchess of Romney-St. Neots – a redoubtable old lady who is Alec's godmother and also Emily's grandmother. Nothing and nobody intimidates her.

Plantagenet Halsey – Alec's uncle and an outspoken member of the House of Commons, who despite his noble connections is something of a republican happy to offer his opinions freely. He is more of a father to Alec than Alec's actual father ever was (and there is a story behind that). He and the Duchess of Romney-St. Neots have a tetchy relationship (and there may be a story behind that too).

Sir Cosmo Mahan – Alec's closest friend, Sir Cosmo is rotund, jovial, and loyal to those he loves. He is a cousin to both Emily St. Neots and Selena Jameson-Lewis.

As the book opens, Alec is emotionally reeling after Selena rejected his proposal of marriage. Then he learns that Emily and Sir Cosmo, who are touring Europe, have been detained and imprisoned by the new Margrave of Midanich, Prince Ernst. Ten years before the events in this book, Alec was a junior official in Midanich, a small principality in the Holy Roman Empire. For reasons that I cannot divulge, he was thrown in the ruler's reputedly escape-proof dungeon, from which he did in fact escape. Now, the Margrave demands that Alec return to Midanich to negotiate for the release of his friends. Although Alec fears that his life could be in danger, his honor and his affection for his friends demand that he go.

Midanich is in the midst of a civil war, following the death of the old Margrave, with Prince Ernst under attack by his younger half-brother Prince Viktor. Ernst is a weak, unstable man, known to be under the influence of his mysterious, insane twin sister Princess Joanna. In the opening chapter, it appears that Joanna hastens the old Margrave's death by placing a pillow over his face. Castle Herzfeld, Prince Ernst's impregnable fortress, is a hotbed of intrigue; courtiers await developments, but nobody can truly trust anyone, and the prince's desires are often irrational and unpredictable. The plight of the people of Midanich is dire; this civil war follows years of occupation by foreign troops in connection with the Seven Years' War. As winter approaches, they face shortages of food and fuel, and Prince Ernst's army maintains control with draconian ruthlessness.

Alec's trip is fraught with peril, and his plans for a discreet arrival in Midanich are thwarted when both the Duchess of Romney-St. Neots and Selena Jameson-Lewis, as well as Alec's Uncle Plantagenet, finagle their way into his party. As a further complication, the Foreign Minister is sending Sir Gilbert Parsons as an official emissary to accompany Alec. Parsons was Alec's superior when they were posted to Midanich ten years earlier, and when Alec was imprisoned Parsons was expelled from the country. Parsons returned to London in disgrace and still blames Alec for ruining his career. Thus, although Alec is now an experienced diplomat and a marquess to boot, Parsons insists upon treating Alec as his subordinate in all things.

When this ill-assorted party arrives in Midanich, the adventures begin, and the first astounding event occurs shortly after they get off of the boat. To reveal more would deprive the reader of enjoying the myriad twists and turns that follow. As a long-time fan of the mystery genre, I must say that the plotting is impeccable. Midanich is full of intrigue; there were so many developments that I simply did not anticipate, yet none of them was the least bit implausible. There is a touch of romance here, as well, as Alec and Selena begin to find their way back to one another in a most surprising manner.

Novels that convey a strong sense of place have long been a favorite of mine, and in this regard the author's impeccable research impresses beyond description. The bleak winter landscape, along with the accompanying sights and sounds, utterly transport the reader to another time and place. Not everything is left to the imagination, however, and I commend the reader to Ms. Brant's delightful Pinterest page full of images displaying things mentioned in the book – including castles, clothing, furniture, horses, and various accoutrements of late 18th century life.

Although Lucinda Brant has been publishing books for several years, my first encounter with her work was a mere five months ago, and I have now read all nine of her full-length books. Every one of them is worthy of five stars, but I think that Deadly Peril is possibly the best yet. It is, quite simply, a perfect combination of mystery, romance, and history.

Compelling book series containing mystery & romance with minimal, unnecessary human suffering and brilliant narration.

I feel uncomfortable rehashing the plot of a book when a synopsis does it so much better. But I will tell you that, Lucinda Brant is truly gifted. This third book in the Alec Halsey mystery raises the bar in historical mysteries yet again. The actor Alex Wyndham voices this books as he has done with most of Ms. Brant"s books and he is... I could gush and say gifted, marvelous, stirring, incredible. They would all be the truth.

I adored everything about this book. The continuing story of Alec and his friends and family. He is forced to confront his past, which he does with honor and purpose. It is a joy to behold. As usual Ms. Brant really brings the 18th century to life, she brings all the small details to your attention. Such as fur line trousers, a very cool gaming table and how one would travel in a winters landscape in the low countries, to name a few. History geeks will be in heaven. I can't wait for the next book.

To say "every little thing" is too cliche for such a great listen, but that would be my overall answer. I love the characters, I love the settings and the generous descriptions of the environment our protagonists are in. The setting is more gothic, without for the most part beautiful gardens, picnics, balls and the like - it's more sinister, underlining the ever growing peril they are all in. I have to say when I first heard/read who was traveling with Lord Halsey on his latest adventure, I wondered idly how that was going to work - were they just along for the ride? - would they have no part to play. How foolish was I for even thinking that. (So sorry Lucinda! should have known better!). As the story unfolds there is beautiful story play that brings the characters together and their roles, small and large, lift the story/adventure. The richness of the intertwining relationships and how each of them react and behave is a testament to the mastery that Lucinda demonstrates every time she lets these characters out to play. What I did like more than ever is how with each book I learn something new about Lord Halsey (and entourage, new and old), he is never boring, never obvious in his actions and I love the story. "Deadly Peril" had me racing for the end "just" because I had to know - the ending (these are not the spoilers you're looking for!) surprised and blindsided me - and I LOVE that in a book.

Alec Halsey hands down and not for the obvious romance reasons of tall dark and handsome. Through Lucinda's rich writing Alec is such a complicated, ever developing character that grows with each book/adventure.

There are many and I would typically say the hero/heroine type rescue, the final crescendo when good wins out over evil, but this time I'm torn between two, so I've decided I will tell you it's a draw. I LOVE the scene where Alec draws his sword on the Commander at the docks on arrival... spoiler alert, if you haven't read this then stop reading this bit now...<br/><br/><br/>When Lord Halsey arrives in Midanich, entourage in-tow there is a beautifully satisfying stand-off between Lord Halsey and the Military that is pure chocolate to listen to (a couple of times *cough* ). Lord Halsey has the command presence of Jean Luc Picard in Star Trek, the only other person I'd put in that class.<br/><br/>There is an additional favourite though difficult part to listen to only because of the topic and it's all too real implications in the modern world - it's when Alec enlightens Selena as to what really happened the last time he was the guest of the Margravate of Midanich.

Laugh - at times... Cry - no, not cry - but definitely I experienced trepidation for the characters and their situation.

You didn't have any questions on the Narrator? - oh how could you not ask me about Alex Wyndham. Could there be any better? - I think not. So sorry to all the other Narrators, for I am forever taken - Alex Wyndham is beyond perfect and adds richness and depth to the work of Lucinda Brant like no other.

This is the best so far

I loved the way it kept me on the edge

Alex is marvelous narrating this story, I love the way he moves from character to character with ease.

If it was possible to listen to this on one sitting I would have, but at last, I must work for a living!

Lucinda this time took us international to Midanich, an Imperial outpost of the Holy Roman Empire where Alec is forced to return to (after escaping there 10 years ago) in order to save his friends Emily and Cosmo who are imprisoned by an insane Margrave and his even more insane sister. But nothing goes easy for Alec and his companions with all the twist and turns they have to take in order to get to his friends on time. This novel will keep you on the edge of your seat. The ending to this novel will make your jaws drop as it was so totally unexpected and not how you 'think' it will end.

I just loved this series: the characters were fascinating, the plotting very interesting, the period detail was great. I especially loved Alex Wyndham's performance. He gets the voices of the various characters perfectly - even those with foreign accents (which is not easy). <br/><br/>The only complaint I have of the series is that Deadly Kin hasn't been recorded yet. So when can we expect to have that book on audiobook?

WOW! What an exciting tale. The narrator simply brought this tale alive for me.
Fast paced, dramatic and emotional. Very compelling and entertaining.
The characters are compelling, complex and will capture your heart and attention.
Another outstanding audible story. Loved the narrator, so effective in getting Ms. Brand's story across to the listener. A must get audible!

*Received for an honest review*

Rating: 4.5
Reviewed by: AprilR

Brant and Wyndham are back again for the third installment of Alec Halsey's adventure. I'm not going to recap the story, but I can't stress enough how great Brant is at describing the fictional German principality Alec Halsey finds himself force to visit and brings to life the people and setting of the book. Wyndham's narration is spot on; my only compliant is that I have to wait for the next title from this author/narrator duo.

the emotion and descriptive narration

I have listened to all three and truly enjoyed them all. This one would be my favorite

wish they would continue the storyline

Lucinda Brant drops us into a scene, so described with her evoking words, as reader, I am there among the throng, mingling and hearing the thoughts of the participants in the room, smelling death connected to the beginnings of intrigue and a mystery evolving. Brant, from the outset, has me asking questions, questioning what my eyes are seeing…and so begins another marvelous mystery from an author I greatly admire.<br/><br/>This particular series I’ve followed by audiobook from the beginning. With Alex Wyndham’s narration, the story is no longer just a story, it’s real, with the pomp and circumstance of the Georgian era in and amongst royalty, with characters’ voices, emotions, and carriage stamped into my mind. A top performance if there ever was one!<br/><br/>Alec has a past he would sooner bury than remember. In fact, no one in England had any idea how involved he was some ten years past with the Margrave and his children. Although Alec would sooner forget, apparently, the new Margrave Ernst has not.<br/><br/>During unstable times of civil war of this kingdom, Cosmo and Emily, both dear friends to Alec, have taken a short stop to the kingdom to deliver some documents. The Margrave uses these two to lure Alec back to Midanich. Alec takes the journey, not knowing if he could get into the kingdom again, since his exist was rather…unusual. His godmother, uncle and Selena accompany him, much to his chagrin.<br/><br/>Cosmo is an arresting figure. In his present circumstances, I can see why he is Alec’s best friend. He suffers much in this story, helping the reader to understand the evil which permeates the Margrave’s castle.<br/><br/>The Duchess, Alec’s godmother, is particularly entertaining. Again, Wyndham captures whom she is, her hysteria, her age and her complete determination to save Emily and Cosmo, Emily being her niece and Cosmo her grandson. She even pulls, Selena, her other niece into her plans of saving all three, Emily, Cosmo and Alec. The Duchess comments with asperity that she seems to be related to everyone, appearing irksome, although it also has its benefits as she would grudgingly admit.<br/><br/>Alec Halsey has played a central role in this series, extremely engaging with a will of steel, quick wit, and just plain luck. Brant has done her homework detailing with superb description a historically accurate setting.<br/><br/>I love reading this series, the way enough romance and the softer feelings of man play a role, yet the story is not centered on that exclusively. With many layers of intrigue, the suspense is greater, the reality of the situation more intriguing, which kept me completely at the mercy of Brant’s pen.