Book Review

Basic Details:

Book Title: Innocent Bystander

Subtitle: (The Innocent Mystery Series #3)

Author: C.A. Asbrey

Genre: Crime/Thriller/Mystery/Historic Fiction

Part of a series? Yes

Order in series: 3

Best read after earlier books in series? Yes, but can be read as stand-alone

Available: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/42389197-innocent-bystander

Overall score:

I scored this book 5/5

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Short Summary of the book:

This is another instalment of this great series. This time things are more personal for our Pinkerton Detective Abigail. Her sister is set on marrying a charismatic widower, whose wives have died under mysterious circumstances.

Nat and Jake were the last to see her alive before her disappearance. Will they be able to save Maddy from a similar fate as his other wives?

What I liked about the book:

The many twists and turns, action-packed, humorous, fast-paced.

What I didn’t like about the book:

I loved the entire book.

My favourite bits in the book:

The combination of mystery and care for each other.

My least favourite bits in the book:

The fact the book ended.

Any further books in the series? Any more planned by this author?

This is the third book in the series and I just couldn’t stop myself and had to read them all. Loved the entire series.

What books could this be compared to and why?

This is a great book and reminds me of stories from the Wild West.

Recommendation:

In summary, I would recommend this book for the following readers:

Children No

Young Adult Yes

Adult Yes

If you like mysteries or historical fiction, this book may be the book for you.

I’m certainly looking forward to reading more by this author.

Book Description by Author:

Pinkerton Agent Abigail MacKay’s willful sister, Madeleine, is going to be the death of her yet. That is, if Madeleine doesn’t get herself killed first! After running off to marry a widower whose wives mysteriously die—leaving behind a great deal of money each time—spoiled, beautiful Madeleine is unaware of the danger she’s in. Though no doctor has been able to establish a cause of death for any of the women, Abigail is sure they were murdered—and that her younger sister is going to be next. The only person who can help her save Maddie is the charismatic criminal, Nat Quinn—and Abi left him cooling his heels in jail at their last meeting.

As Fate would have it, Nat and his partner, Jake Conroy, were the last to see Madeleine before she disappeared. She happened to be on a train The Innocents held up—but she was alive and well when they parted ways. And Madeleine is the least of Nat’s worries, now that he’s discovered that Abigail has lied to him about one very important thing—she’s married!

When Abi risks all to ride into the outlaws’ deadly hideout and ask for help, there’s no doubt she’ll get it—but nothing’s free in Ghost Canyon; here, everything has a price. With a new understanding in their relationship, Nat agrees to help her prove David Bartholemew is a cold-blooded killer before he can murder Maddie.

With Jake in charge of Madeleine’s welfare, all hell breaks loose when two competing reporters get involved in the case, along with an old nemesis of Nat’s coming into the mix. One thing is certain: David Bartholemew is a murderer. But how is he doing it? In a race against time, will Nat and Abi be able to figure it out before Jake runs out of ways to protect Maddie from her evil husband? Or will each of them become an INNOCENT BYSTANDER?

About the Author:

C.A. Asbrey is a writer of mysteries, and a fan of all things Victorian and obscure. A former member of law enforcement in Scotland, she developed a deep interest in early forensics and detection methods, particularly during the 19th Century, working in the field. This extensive research into early detectives and the tools available to them acted as the foundation for developing the characters in her The Innocents Mystery Series. She likes her mysteries twisty, complex, and intricate; through a fog of history and a touch of light humor.