 | Death Seems to Follow Harriet’s New Friend Book 7 in the True Colors series—Fiction Based on Strange-But True History Three years before Jack the Ripper began his murderous spree on the streets of London, women were dying in their beds as The Midnight Assassin terrorized the citizens of Austin, Texas. Now, with suspicion falling on Her Majesty’s family and Scotland Yard at a loss as to who the Ripper might be, Queen Victoria summons her great-granddaughter, Alice Anne von Wettin, a former Pinkerton agent who worked the unsolved Austin case, and orders her to discreetly form a team to look into the London matter. The prospect of a second chance to work with Annie just might entice Isaiah Joplin out of his comfortable life as an Austin lawyer. If his theories are right, they’ll find the The Midnight Assassin and, by default, the Ripper. If they’re wrong, he and Annie are in a bigger mess than the one the feisty female left behind when she departed Austin under cover of darkness three years ago. |
Can the unlikely pair find the truth of who is behind the murders before they are drawn into the killer’s deadly game? From Texas to London, the story navigates the fine line between truth and fiction as Annie and Isaiah ultimately find the hunters have become the hunted.
Genre: Christian Historical Suspense
Release Date: August, 2020
Release Date: August, 2020
Click here to get your copy!
My Review
Are murders on both sides of The Pond connected?
The Black Midnight is one of the True Colors books that I've most looked forward to, especially when I found out that Kathleen Y'Barbo was the author. I've read a couple of her other Barbour books and they've been amongst my favorites in those series.
Aside from one glaring error I really enjoyed this book. Using historical dates and clues from the book Queen Victoria couldn't have been Annie's great-grandmother as her children would have been between the ages of 21 and 4 when they become a grandparent.
I had never heard of the The Midnight Assassin (or the Servant Girl Annihilator) murders before but I've done a little online reading into Jack The Ripper. So, a story that connected these two historical serial killers had to be interesting. And it was!
Honestly, when I started I wondered how Kathleen Y'Barbo would handle the fact that both of the serial killings have remained unsolved over the 130+ years since they occurred. But she did it, fictionally yes, but she did it well and I was satisfied that the novel had a conclusion instead of being left open-ended.
I loved the characters in The Black Midnight! And right off I felt like they were my friends. Well, except for the two people I was suspicious of, and it turned out it was for good reason on the one. Annie and Isaiah were great, and I really liked them, but, I think it was Miss Hattie and Alfie who stole the show for me.
True crime and historical romance blend well in Kathleen Y'Barbo's exciting addition to the chilling True Colors series. Read The Black Midnight and find out what was and what might have been...
Tell Tale Book Reviews gives The Black Midnight by Kathleen Y'Barbo a 4 Bark rating.
The Black Midnight is one of the True Colors books that I've most looked forward to, especially when I found out that Kathleen Y'Barbo was the author. I've read a couple of her other Barbour books and they've been amongst my favorites in those series.
Aside from one glaring error I really enjoyed this book. Using historical dates and clues from the book Queen Victoria couldn't have been Annie's great-grandmother as her children would have been between the ages of 21 and 4 when they become a grandparent.
I had never heard of the The Midnight Assassin (or the Servant Girl Annihilator) murders before but I've done a little online reading into Jack The Ripper. So, a story that connected these two historical serial killers had to be interesting. And it was!
Honestly, when I started I wondered how Kathleen Y'Barbo would handle the fact that both of the serial killings have remained unsolved over the 130+ years since they occurred. But she did it, fictionally yes, but she did it well and I was satisfied that the novel had a conclusion instead of being left open-ended.
I loved the characters in The Black Midnight! And right off I felt like they were my friends. Well, except for the two people I was suspicious of, and it turned out it was for good reason on the one. Annie and Isaiah were great, and I really liked them, but, I think it was Miss Hattie and Alfie who stole the show for me.
True crime and historical romance blend well in Kathleen Y'Barbo's exciting addition to the chilling True Colors series. Read The Black Midnight and find out what was and what might have been...
Tell Tale Book Reviews gives The Black Midnight by Kathleen Y'Barbo a 4 Bark rating.
(I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are entirely my own.)
More from Kathleen Y’Barbo
I am a tenth generation Texan, but London has held a place in my heart for over ten years. You see, I have a son who has lived there for more than a decade. Thanks to him and his family of three—my granddaughter was born there on New Year’s Eve 2019—the city will always be special to me. There is absolutely nothing like walking those streets with a thousand years of history close enough to touch.
| It was on a walk with my son through this great city that the stories of nineteenth century London came alive. With fog shrouding the rooftops of buildings that were hundreds of years old and our footsteps echoing on the cobblestones, I could imagine a time when lack of electricity and CCTV would make this place less than charming on a dark night. What reminded me of my favorite childhood movie, Mary Poppins, quickly became more reminiscent of Jack the Ripper. And then a story was born. |  |
Only I just had half the story.
The other half came to me several years later when I stumbled across an article in Texas Monthly magazine about a serial killer who rampaged through Austin, Texas in 1884 and 1885 and was never caught. Some surmised this madman, called “The Midnight Assassin” by some, might have been Jack the Ripper honing his skills before he crossed the Atlantic to begin his famous crime spree in Great Britain.
But Austin? Ironically, my other two sons lived in Austin. So while part of my heart was in London, two more parts of that same heart resided in the Texas capital. I thought I knew Austin inside out. Between one of my sons getting not one but two degrees from the University of Texas (this Aggie grad is still proud of him in spite of what I jokingly call his burnt orange rebellion) and my other son living there and managing a restaurant at the time (and who just graduated from Texas A&M Galveston last month!), I had spent many years in the city. And yet I had never heard of the Midnight Assassin.
The other half came to me several years later when I stumbled across an article in Texas Monthly magazine about a serial killer who rampaged through Austin, Texas in 1884 and 1885 and was never caught. Some surmised this madman, called “The Midnight Assassin” by some, might have been Jack the Ripper honing his skills before he crossed the Atlantic to begin his famous crime spree in Great Britain.
But Austin? Ironically, my other two sons lived in Austin. So while part of my heart was in London, two more parts of that same heart resided in the Texas capital. I thought I knew Austin inside out. Between one of my sons getting not one but two degrees from the University of Texas (this Aggie grad is still proud of him in spite of what I jokingly call his burnt orange rebellion) and my other son living there and managing a restaurant at the time (and who just graduated from Texas A&M Galveston last month!), I had spent many years in the city. And yet I had never heard of the Midnight Assassin.
| Research turned up a tale that sounds so close to fiction I had to write about it. Discovering the theory that the Austin killer might also be the Ripper just added to my interest—neither had been caught. And I like to write about Pinkerton detectives. From there the story unfolded. If you’ve read any of my historical romances, you know that I love incorporating actual history into my stories. As you’ll see when you read The Black Midnight, this book is no exception. While I will continue writing the historical romances I love to bring to you, I will confess that writing this book has me itching to research another one like it. |  |
What’s next in my foray into true crime novels? Maybe Houston. You see, I have a daughter who lives there…
In the meantime, I hope you’ll enjoy reading The Black Midnight as much as I enjoyed writing it!
In the meantime, I hope you’ll enjoy reading The Black Midnight as much as I enjoyed writing it!
 Kathleen Y'Barbo | Bestselling author Kathleen Y’Barbo is a multiple Carol Award and RITA nominee of more than sixty novels with almost two million copies of her books in print in the US and abroad. |
It's Time For A Giveaway!
To celebrate her tour, Kathleen is giving away the grand prize package of
a $25 Amazon gift card and a copy of the book!!
a $25 Amazon gift card and a copy of the book!!
Click below to enter. Be sure to comment on this post before you enter to claim 9 extra entries!
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Older & Smarter?, August 29
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Mary Hake, September 7
Godly Book Reviews, September 8
Back Porch Reads, September 8
Daysong Reflections, September 8
Pause for Tales, September 9
Blossoms and Blessings, September 9
Hallie Reads, September 9
Genesis 5020, August 27
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, August 27
Inklings and notions, August 28
Locks, Hooks and Books, August 28
Ashley’s Bookshelf, August 28
Older & Smarter?, August 29
Texas Book-aholic, August 29
Artistic Nobody, August 29 (Guest Review from Joni Truex)
For the Love of Literature, August 30
Connie’s History Classroom, August 30
For Him and My Family, August 31
Adventures of a Travelers Wife, August 31
Betti Mace, September 1
Robin’s Nest, September 1
Bigreadersite, September 1
deb’s Book Review, September 2
Splashes of Joy, September 2
Just Your Average reviews, September 2
Rebecca Tews, September 3
Just the Write Escape, September 3
Emily Yager, September 3
Christian Bookaholic, September 4
reviewingbooksplusmore, September 4
KarenSueHadley, September 4
Remembrancy, September 5
Through the Fire Blogs, September 5
21st Century Keeper at Home, September 6
Tell Tale Book Reviews, September 6
Blogging With Carol, September 6
Musings of a Sassy Bookish Mama, September 7
Life of Literature, September 7
Mary Hake, September 7
Godly Book Reviews, September 8
Back Porch Reads, September 8
Daysong Reflections, September 8
Pause for Tales, September 9
Blossoms and Blessings, September 9
Hallie Reads, September 9
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