Murder in the City of Liberty

Written by Rachel McMillan

Narrated by Dr. Simona Chitescu-Weik

Hamish DeLuca and Regina “Reggie” Van Buren have a new case—and this one could demand a price they’re not willing to pay.

Determined to make a life for herself, Reggie Van Buren bid goodbye to fine china and the man her parents expected her to marry and escaped to Boston. What she never expected to discover was that an unknown talent for sleuthing would develop into a business partnership with the handsome, yet shy, Hamish DeLuca.

Their latest case arrives when Errol Parker, the leading base stealer in the Boston farm leagues, hires Hamish and Reggie to investigate what the Boston police shove off as a series of harmless pranks. Errol believes these are hate crimes linked to the outbreak of war in Europe, and he’s afraid for his life. Hamish and Reggie quickly find themselves in the midst of an escalating series of crimes.

When Hamish has his carefully constructed life disrupted by a figure from his past, he is driven to a decision that may sever him from Reggie forever . . . even more than her engagement to wealthy architect Vaughan Vanderlaan.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Thomas Nelson
• Release date: May 28, 2019
• ISBN: 9780785216988

Rachel McMillan

Rachel McMillan is the author of The London Restoration, The Mozart Code, the Herringford and Watts mysteries, the Van Buren and DeLuca mysteries, and the Three Quarter Time series of contemporary Viennese romances. She is also the author of Dream, Plan, Go: A Travel Guide to Inspire Independent Adventure. Rachel lives in Toronto, Canada. Visit her online at rachelmcmillan.net; Instagram: @rachkmc; Facebook: @rachkmc1; Twitter: @rachkmc; Pinterest: @rachkmc.

Reviews for Murder in the City of Liberty

[vesper1931 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Several years have passed and the business of Regina Van Buren and Hamish DeLuca hask ept them busy. Now Errol Parker, black baseball player needs their help. The Boston police believe that they are just pranks, but he is unsure. Then a dead body is discovered. Is there any connection to the construction of new buidlings in their area, the closeness of the war, and what of Hamish's cousin, Luca Valari.
An enjoyable historical mystery,well-written with some very likeable characters. Although it can be read as a standalone I would recommend reading Book One as it gives some background to the story.
A NetGalley Book

[harley0326 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I'm happy to be back with the duo of Hamish and Reggie. They are a great team and for some reason remind me of the duo from the show Moonlighting. They have this quirky relationship that seems to compliment each other. I'm not quite sure if there are sparks between them at times, but they sure liven up the story.There is an abundance of intrigue and not so nice people in the story. At times I didn't know who was good and who was bad. I remember reading the first book and thinking how much I enjoyed it. This book had me confused. There seemed to be too many characters and I didn't know if I was reading a mystery or a romance book.The story covers a little about baseball and prejudice during this time period. I enjoyed reading about the great baseball players during this time period. My blood boiled as Errol Parker explained how he has been treated in the baseball world due to his color. He is the best at stealing bases, but someone is not happy with him playing. When he describes how his nephew was beat up at a game, you could feel Hamish and Reggie become angry and ashamed of how cruel people are.Lies are being spread about different nationalities and the tension has built up to where it is infiltrated the baseball world. Why is this group spreading hate? Baseball is America's favorite pass time, but Errol thinks his life may be in danger. I wish the author would have not spent so much time on if Hamish and Reggie liked each other. This book is listed as a Christian fiction book, but I found no reference to faith at all in the book.I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit. The review is my own opinion.

[eamace · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Set in early 1940’s Boston, this story took some time for me to get into - perhaps because I had not read the first book in the series. It was a time when WWII was already happening, even though the USA was not yet involved. Boston was a melting pot with crime and corruption, racial tension and antisemitism. Our intrepid hero and heroine find themselves involved in cases that go way beyond their normal work of employment and property law contracts. The author has done a fine job of using the anxiety and other problems that Hamish struggles with, to highlight the fact that overcoming is possible. The romantic tension brought some smiles and some head shaking, wondering if they would possibly get it figured out. In all, this was an interesting book with rich detail about the Boston area, making me wish to visit there once again. The statement made by Hamish to Reggie seems to sum up many of the twists and turns in this book and one that requires a great deal of thought for all of us.‘You can make yourself believe a great many things about the choices you make.”I received an ARC of this book through NetGalley and CelebrateLit. The impression and opinions are my own.

[virginia51-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I wish that I had read the first two books in this series. I was a little confused in the beginning of the story and this confused me for a little bit of time. I really loved how this story ended. All of the main characters learned many old secrets about themselves and their families. I received a copy of this book from Celebratelit for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.

[hes7 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Revisiting the world that Hamish DeLuca and Reggie Van Buren inhabit is such a treat. After getting to know the pair, seeing them delve into the vibrancy of 1930s Boston, in Murder at the Flamingo, Rachel McMillan’s Murder in the City of Liberty offers the perfect follow-up—more murder and mystery, more exploration of history and culture, more relationship tension and character growth. I’m here for it all, and I loved it.Hamish and Reggie have been sleuthing together for a couple years now, and their newest case for baseball player Errol Parker brings with it the reality of racism, especially in light of World War II. The danger enmeshed in the grittier, darker side of the era’s Boston proves ever-present as the pair draws closer and closer to the truth.Yet, the primary focus of Murder in the City of Liberty is not the mystery the title suggests, but instead, the relationships—Hamish and Reggie with one another, as well as the characters surrounding them. Friendship, family, and romance (plus a rootedness to place) all play a part in this character-driven story, and McMillan writes it so well.I definitely recommend Murder in the City of Liberty. (But do yourself a favor and be sure to read Murder at the Flamingo first.)I received a complimentary copy of this book and the opportunity to provide an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review, and all the opinions I have expressed are my own.

[alekee_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I was having a bit of a time to get into this story, but soon realized that this was the second book, and I did feel lost.While this story takes place just prior to WWII we meet prejudice and antisemitism head on, and there is a mystery and sparks flying, I’ll admit I had to fight my way through this book.I have a fondness for the Red Socks, and this baseball team led me there, but maybe I needed the first book to really get this book.I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Thomas Nelson, and was not required to give a positive review.

[ivydtruitt · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

4.5 starsHamish DeLuca, Regina Van Buren, and Nate Reis are complex characters in a world on the brink. Their relationships mirror the complexity of the times and the characters themselves. 1940's Boston as the world surrounding the United States is at war is vividly depicted. Hamish, Reggie, and Nate feel it inching closer as the ideologies behind the war loudly rear their ugly heads in their adopted neighborhood. These ideas and the hatefulness they spawn combine with the cold hard practicalities of war to create a case that leads Hamish, Reggie, and Nate to the brink.While Ms. McMillan did a good job picking up the threads and explaining events in the prior (first) book in the Van Buren and DeLuca Mystery series, I was still occasionally frustrated by not having experienced the progression myself. This is due to the depth of the characters and their "lives", and is my own fault. My mistake will be remedied in the near future.MURDER IN THE CITY OF LIBERTY isn't what I'd call a light read; it requires concentration. It's for those times you want to time travel, immersing yourself in another world by becoming someone else, tuning out the here & now completely; live dangerously even if it's only vicariously. MURDER IN THE CITY OF LIBERTY is for those times.I received a review copy from Thomas Nelson via Netgalley. All opinions expressed are mine alone.

[jetangen4571 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

historical-fiction, historical-places-events, cozy-mystery, suspense I had some trouble getting into the 1940s mindset, but enjoyed all the twists and turns of the plot. It starts out with a bang and then kind of runs along like an old school rolley coaster with ups, downs, and variant speed. Lots of bad guys to boo and hiss at. The main characters are interesting and engaging even when I wanted to shake some sense into them! I didn't really appreciated it as much as the first one, but that's probably because of how I feel about hate crimes of any sort. All in all it's a good read! I requested and received a free ebook copy from Thomas Nelson Publishing and this is my own opinion.