Death In The Last Reel by Paula Harmon

Release:15 Nov. 2021
Format: Ebook
Publisher: January Press
Source: Zooloos Book Tours
Find it at: Goodreads, Amazon UK, Amazon US

1911: After the violent murder of three policemen in the line of duty, tensions between London constabulary and Whitechapel anarchists simmer. Meanwhile accusations of espionage further weaken relations between Germany and Britain. Can Margaret Demeray and Fox find out who is behind a threat to the capital before it’s too late?

Amidst violence in the East End, Dr Margaret Demeray starts to gain recognition for her pathology work. However a personal decision puts her career at the hospital under threat. To explore alternative options, she tries working with another female doctor in Glassmakers Lane. But in that street, a new moving-picture studio is the only thing of any interest. Due boredom, Margaret takes an obsessive interest in the natural death of a young woman in a town far away.

Meanwhile intelligence agent Fox is trying to establish links of anarchist gangs to a major threat to London . When his mission fails, he asks Margaret to help find out about the false intelligence that led him in the wrong direction. She can’t wait to assist.

But enquiries in wealthy Hampstead and then assaults in poverty stricken Whitechapel lead unexpectedly back to Glassmakers Lane.

Margaret and Fox need to work together. But both of them are independent, private and stubborn, and have yet to negotiate the terms of their relationship.

How can Margaret persuade Fox to stop protecting her so that she can ask the questions he can’t? And even if she does, how can they discover is behind the threat to London when it’s not entirely clear what the threat actually is?

About the Author:

Paula Harmon was born in North London to parents of English, Scottish and Irish descent. To add a Welsh connection, her father relocated the family every two years from country town to country town moving slowly westwards until they settled in South Wales when Paula was eight.

She later graduated from Chichester University before making her home in Gloucestershire and then Dorset where she has lived since 2005. She is a civil servant, married with two adult children. Paula has several writing projects underway and wonders where the housework fairies are, because the house is a mess and she can’t think why.

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Death In The Last Reel Review:

“Death In The Last Reel” is what I would turn to as an intelligent historical mystery romance. I loved how intricate the author made the plot. This book had everything for a gripping thriller, from infiltrating anarchist cells to investigating murders and searching for spies.

Personally, it took some time for me to get into the plot. The author dives right into the story, where were meet the characters already in action. However, after a few pages, and especially after the shocking death of one of the characters, the story was in full swing. I loved how the author brought the life of the British Intelligence and spies into this historical fiction and found it refreshing from the run-of-the-mill books you have out there.

Margaret is excellent in the role and was the highlight for me. Moreover, she has to deal with people who do not take her seriously as a doctor because she is a woman. Right from the getgo, you know that Margaret and Fox have beautiful chemistry. The author portrays Margaret’s emotions realistically as she wonders what trouble Fox would get into during the investigations. The author balanced the character well, where she is emotional with Fox but logical with the analysis. On a side note, I also liked her relationship with Dr. Jordan.

Some notable moments of the story that stood out for me were finding the letter from Charles or learning Norah’s story. As the story progresses, the author introduces us to more characters and reveals a bigger picture. I loved how larger than life the story felt as Margaret and Fox traveled to Switzerland to investigate the murder.

Overall, “Death In The Last Reel” is a gripping historical mystery spy thriller with romance and intrigue, and I enjoyed reading it!