If you have been following me for a bit, you’ll know I really enjoyed A Marvellous Light by Freya Marske. And I loved A Restless Truth even more! The vibes, the characters, 100% connection! Look, there’s something about ships which both terrifies and thrills me! Keep reading this book review for my full thoughts.
Summary
The most interesting things in Maud Blyth’s life have happened to her brother Robin, but she’s ready to join any cause, especially if it involves magical secrets that may threaten the whole of the British Isles. Bound for New York on the R.M.S. Lyric, she’s ready for an adventure.
What she actually finds is a dead body, a disrespectful parrot, and a beautiful stranger in Violet Debenham, who is everything—a magician, an actress, a scandal—Maud has been trained to fear and has learned to desire. Surrounded by the open sea and a ship full of loathsome, aristocratic suspects, they must solve a murder and untangle a conspiracy that began generations before them.
Review
(Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)
I need the third book immediately okay? A Restless Truth tells the story of Maud, Robin’s sister and she is so precious! While it’s easy to get caught up in her innocence and her questioning representation (we love the queerness of this one), what I love the most about Maud is her heart. How she desperately wants to help Robin even though she knows she may be out of her depth. There’s just something about her combination of goodness and cleverness. I was instantly charmed.
So combine my love of Maud and this setting and I was smitten. The mystery of whodunnit is combined with this almost locked room mystery – because who is jumping off a ship to escape?? The mystery felt not only like it had a sense of heft – not only about murder but also about the last contract – but there was also continuous actions and new discoveries. Not to mention that there’s a charming crew of detectives which apart make no sense, but together find a sort of rhythm.
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I can never resist an independent woman or a society scandal and when they are combined, I’m hooked. The current of danger ebbs and flows as they begin to close in on England. Additionally at the heart of A Restless Truth is an exploration of manipulation and the core of love. How when we are keeping things from the ones who hope to love us, how can they? And what has to be my favorite theme ever, A Restless Truth challenges us to ask us who we chose to be at the end of the day. To chose hope and resilience. Find A Restless Truth on Goodreads, Amazon (US) (UK), Indiebound, Bookshop.org & The Book Depository.