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Revenge of the Barbary Ghost (Lady Anne Addison Mysteries #2) by Victoria Hamilton: A Book Review

Revenge of the Barbary Ghost (Lady Anne Addison Mysteries #2)
Author: Victoria Hamilton
Genre: Historical Fiction, Mystery & Suspense, Romance
Publisher: Beyond the Page Publishing
Release Date: 2019
Pages: 243
Source: Netgalley/Publisherin exchange for an honest review.
Synopsis: Fleeing the attentions of the handsome and commanding Marquess of Darkefell, Lady Anne Addison arrives on the doorstep of a dear friend seeking nothing but rest and relaxation, but soon finds herself putting her investigative talents to work after a sighting of the Barbary Ghost. Always a skeptic of the supernatural, Lady Anne immediately suspects the apparition is nothing more than a diversionary tactic to conceal smugglers on the beach below her friend’s house.

     When the beguiling marquess follows her to Cornwall, Anne is distracted from her ghost hunt by his alluring kisses, until murder gets her attention. Forced once again to work with the marquess to uncover the truth behind a mystery, she soon discovers that her passionate attraction to him has not abated. Should she run from him again, or give in to temptation?

     My Review: Revenge of the Barbary Ghost picks up where Lady Anne and The Howl in the Dark left off. Lady Anne Addison tries to forget about Lord Darkfell by visiting her friend in Cornwall. Upon her arrival, Anne hears the tale of the Barbary Ghost. Anne does not believe the tale and decides to investigate the ghost story herself. She finds that the ghost story was a ruse to conceal the smugglers that hide nearby her friend’s house. Anne is also surprised that Lord Darkfell has followed her to Cornwall in the hopes of wooing her. Will Anne run away from Lord Darkfell or could she finally admit her love for him?

     I found Anne, in the book Lady Anne and the Howl in the Dark to be a fun character. She was engaging and sassy heroine in the first novel. However, in this book, I found her to be a very annoying and frustrating character. It was clear that Lady Anne was in love with Lord Darkfell by the time the first novel ended, yet there was no reason she constantly kept pushing him away. Her treatment of Lord Darkfell did not make sense. Thus, I found her to be very stubborn and immature. I thought that Lord Darkfell should just forget her and go back home. She obviously did not seem like she deserved him.

     Overall, Revenge of the Barbary Ghost was a very predictable mystery. I liked the setting of Cornwall because it had a dark and mysterious atmosphere. Still, I found this novel to be more of a filler. The loose strands that were left in the first novel seem like they would be tied in the third installment. Therefore, this mystery seemed to be completely irrelevant in the whole series. Don't worry if you skipped Revenge of the Barbary Ghost in the Lady Anne mysteries because you haven’t missed anything. Thus, this was fun as a standalone, but it did not contribute to the series as a whole.

Rating: 2 ½  out of 5 stars

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