Genre: Mystery, Romance, Historical
LGBTQ+ Category: Gay
Reviewer: Maryann
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About The Book
It’s 1937, and Heath Barrington is a naïve twenty-two-year-old about to set sail across the Atlantic on the Queen Mary. While on board, he meets the handsome Lord Simon Quimby, who invites Heath to his estate. Heath falls for Simon hard, but Simon soon becomes withdrawn and distant. Is Simon all he appears to be, or is there more to him than meets the eye? And what of the old gypsy curse Simon claims his family is under? Did it really cause his mother’s death, his sister’s suicide, and his father’s murder, or did Simon have something to do with it all? It’s up to Heath to uncover the truth, despite his heart telling him otherwise.
In this prequel to the Detective Heath Barrington Mystery series, Heath discovers that first love changes you forever and drives you to become the person you’re destined to be.
The Review
This is the sixth book in “A Detective Heath Barrington Mystery” series by David S. Pederson, one of my favorite mystery series. It’s a prequel – Heath Barrington hasn’t even begun to think about a career as a detective.
The story takes us back to 1937 and Heathcliffe “Heath” Barrington, at the age of twenty-two, has an opportunity he can’t pass up. He’s been invited by his Aunt Verbina on a cruise to England on the Queen Mary. Heath has just graduated from college, and he’s already made the trip from his home in Milwaukee to New York City. Now he’s boarding the great ship.
His aunt, Mrs. Verbina Partridge, certainly has her own views about love, marriage, manners and many other subjects. There’s also a special connection that she has with Heath, and she always shares some much needed advice with him.
There are many things going on aboard ship, and many odd people for Heath to meet.
He and his aunt get word that Lord Simon Quimby is aboard ship – someone Aunt Verbina had met previously. Heath and Aunt Verbina come up with a plan to meet Lord Quimby.
Both Simon and Heath are caught up in a forbidden love on board ship. But Simon is a dark and brooding man, and has had to make decisions to uphold what’s left of a tarnished reputation. Heath hates departing from Simon, but looks forward to the invitation Simon extends to him and his Aunt.
Heath has his mind set to help Simon and clear his stained reputation. For Heath, this will be his first time using his raw skills to gather information and find the truth, a nice foreshadowing of his later career as a detective.
I have to give Pederson praise for Aunt Verbina – she’s such an outstanding character. She’s an independent woman before her time, outspoken with her own ideas about love and marriage. She’s very caring and understanding when it comes to her nephew, Heath, too.
Heath cares about his mother but it’s apparent that he and Verbina have a closer relationship. And although Aunt Verbina seems well off financially, she still complains about the cost of things. It’s at times laughable – if only those prices existed today! But you have to remember this was at the time of terrible hardship during the Great Depression.
At the closing of this book is another “Mystery History” segment. Pederson supplies informative facts about people, places, and things of 1937 era.
Pederson transports his readers back to 1937. He nails it with his descriptive clothing, speaking manners, particular phrases, and proper manners. The mystery is well plotted too, and deals with a sad and sensitive subject. – another well-written novel with a great batch of suspects and a fascinating investigation.
Up next is book seven, “Death Foretold”!
The Reviewer
Hi, I’m Maryann, I started life in New York, moved to New Hampshire and in 1965 uprooted again to Sacramento, California. Once I retired I moved to West Palm Beach, Florida in 2011 and just moved back to Sacramento in March of 2018. My son, his wife and step-daughter flew out to Florida and we road tripped back so they got to see sights they have never seen. New Orleans and the Grand Canyon were the highlights. Now I am back on the west coast again to stay! From a young age Ialways liked to read.
I remember going to the library and reading the “Doctor Dolittle” books by Hugh Lofting. Much later on became a big fan of the classics, Edgar Alan Poe, Mary Shelley, Bram Stoker and as time went by Agatha Christie, Ray Bradbury and Stephen Kingand many other authors.
My first M/M shifter book I read was written by Jan Irving the “Uncommon Cowboys” series from 2012. She was the first author I ever contacted and sent an email to letting her know how much I liked this series. Sometime along the way I read “Zero to the Bone”by Jane Seville, I think just about everyone has read this book!
As it stands right now I’m really into mysteries, grit, gore and “triggers” don’t bother me. But if a blurb piques my interest I will read the book.
My kindle collection eclectic and over three thousand books and my Audible collection is slowly growing. I have both the kindle and audible apps on my ipod, ipads, and MAC. So there is never an excuse not to be listening or reading.
I joined Goodreads around 2012 and started posting reviews. One day a wonderful lady, Lisa Horan of The Novel Approach, sent me an email to see if I wanted to join her review group. Joining her site was such an eye opener. I got introduce to so many new authors that write for the LGBTQ genre. Needless to say, it was heart breaking when it ended.
But I found a really great site, QRI and it’s right here in Sacramento. Last year at QSAC I actually got to meet Scott Coatsworth, Amy Lane and Jeff Adams.
