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    As Death Draws Near
    As Death Draws Near
    As Death Draws Near
    Audiobook11 hours

    As Death Draws Near

    Written by Anna Lee Huber

    Narrated by Heather Wilds

    4/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    July 1831. In the midst of their idyllic honeymoon in England's Lake District, Kiera and Gage's seclusion is soon interrupted by a missive from her new father-in-law. A deadly incident involving a distant relative of the Duke of Wellington has taken place at an abbey south of Dublin, Ireland, and he insists that Kiera and Gage look into the matter.

    Intent on discovering what kind of monster could murder a woman of the cloth, the couple travel to Rathfarnham Abbey school. Soon a second nun is slain in broad daylight near a classroom full of young girls. With the sinful killer growing bolder, the mother superior would like to send the students home, but the growing civil unrest in Ireland would make the journey treacherous.

    Before long, Kiera starts to suspect that some of the girls may be hiding a sinister secret. With the killer poised to strike yet again, Kiera and Gage must make haste and unmask the fiend before their matrimonial bliss comes to an untimely end.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherTantor Media, Inc
    Release dateJul 5, 2016
    ISBN9781515970378
    As Death Draws Near
    Author

    Anna Lee Huber

    Anna Lee Huber is the Daphne award–winning author of the national bestselling Lady Darby Mysteries and the Verity Kent Mysteries. She is a summa cum laude graduate of Lipscomb University in Nashville, Tennessee, where she majored in music and minored in psychology. She currently resides with her family and is hard at work on her next novel.

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    Reviews for As Death Draws Near

    4/5

    114 ratings10 reviews

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    • 5/5
      I have really enjoyed this series. Good character development, and interesting mysteries. Looking forward to the next one!
    • 4/5
      Pleasant story, nice narration on the audiobook.
    • 4/5
      1831 and during their honeymoon the Gages are sent by Lord Gage and the Duke of Wellington to Rathfarnham, near Dublin to investigate the death of a postulant Nun. Though they have been given very little information to carry out their investigation.
      An enjoyable mystery though I did get bored and irritated with the use of the vernacular once again
    • 4/5
      Keira and Gage are on their honeymoon when they receive a letter from Lord Gage saying that Wellington has asked that they look into the death of a distant cousin who is nun in Ireland. On the way that run into Sir Marsdale who tags along with them. With very little information and an Ireland that is in political turmoil, they find people and the nuns in the convent secretive. Lady’s maid, Bree and Gage’s valet Andersley have a bigger part in the book.
    • 4/5
      This is yet another wonderful venture into Lady Darby's and Sebastian Gage's 1831 England and Ireland. Political tensions are high and the two have been called to investigate the death of a penitent at an Irish Abbey; the victim just happens to be the cousin of former Prime Minister Wellington. Prior to their arrival at the abbey, very little had been shared with them regarding the young woman's death which resulted in the investigation moving rather slowly. The local folk, being of Catholic faith, were wary around the two English investigators and divulged little, thus hindering the investigation. The local gentry, as one would imagine, were full of themselves and had pure disdain for the local folk and did not aid in pursuing the murderer. As ever, Ms. Huber has done her historical homework, weaving true details of the age into her story. She writes deftly and exquisitely, noting subtle nuances to things seen and heard. If good historical fiction with a wee bit of romanticism added for good measure appeals, then this series is certainly one you would enjoy.
    • 4/5
      Kiera and Gage have their honeymoon interrupted by Gage's father who sends them off to Ireland to investigate the death of a nun. Miss Harriet Lennox is a relative of the Duke of Wellington. Tagging along is the Marquess of Marsdale who played a role in one of their earlier cases. He is on the run from an irate father after he compromised the man's not-so-innocent daughter. It just so happens that Miss Lennox is also a relative of his.At first Gage and Kiera are baffled at who would want to murder this quiet young woman. Of course they are wondering what made her decide to convert to Catholicism and join a convent. At this time, the conflict between Catholics and Protestants is heated. Laws have been passed to give Catholics more rights but these laws don't give much help to anyone but the more wealthy. Most Irish Catholics are in more difficult economic straits. The current issue of forced tithing to support the Irish Anglican Church is leading to violence. When a second nun is killed in the same way as Miss Lennox, the confusion amplifies. Gage and Kiera both explore different aspects of the case since only Kiera is allowed into the convent to investigate that part of the case. I liked the political detail in this story. I also liked the way Kiera and Gage are building their marriage. Kiera is wondering about her new career and how it will change if or when they have children. She gets some good advice from the Mother Superior of the convent and reassurance from Gage that shows how different he is from her first husband. I will admit that I was surprised about the resolution of the mystery since so much of the story revolved around the conflict between Catholics and Protestants but the murders didn't directly relate to that conflict. It almost moved the murders to the side of the story.
    • 4/5
      As Death Draws near
      4 Stars

      Kiera and her new husband, Sebastian Gage, are enjoying their honeymoon in the idyllic countryside of the Lake District when they receive a missive from her father-in-law requesting their assistance in investigating the death of a young Irish nun. Upon arriving in Ireland, Kiera and Gage are faced with the locals' suspicion and mistrust as well as the growing unrest between the Catholic and Protestant populace. Can they solve the crime before they are caught up in the violence?

      While the mystery is not as gripping in this installment, the setting and characterization more than make up for it.

      The murder investigation progresses slowly as Kiera and Gage endeavor to garner information about the victim and motives from recalcitrant witnesses. The twists and turns of the case are intriguing enough to keep turning the pages, but some of the revelations are predicable, and the final confrontation with the killer is anti-climactic.

      In contrast, the rural Irish setting as well as the historical background on the religious and political aspects of what, in later years, becomes the infamous Troubles is particularly interesting and adds an extra layer of nuance to the mystery.

      As with the previous books in the series, the real highlight is the ongoing character development. It is often difficult for mystery authors to maintain the excitement of any romantic elements, especially once the couple marries. However, this is not the case for Sebastian and Kiera whose relationship continues to evolve and strengthen both in terms of their physical intimacy as well as their emotional bond.

      In conclusion, As Death Draws Near is first-rate addition to the series and the hints regarding the next book, which will apparently focus on Gage's family secrets, are very intriguing.
    • 4/5
      Another good mystery by Huber. The characters are well-developed and the story moves along at a good pace while pushing the reader to try and solve the murders before the book gives you the answer.
    • 5/5
      I love this book, but it's getting a bonus 1/2 star bump for being both historically accurate and immediately relevant. Gage and Kiera are on their honeymoon when they are summoned to Ireland to investigate the death of a young woman, a postulant at the Loretto convent; a recent convert from Anglicanism and a distant cousin of Wellington. The story's time - the early 1800's - and its setting in Ireland, make it the perfect vehicle for exploring religious intolerance and prejudice. If I had to guess, I'd say the author is Roman Catholic, but it's just a guess, as I think both the Protestants and the Catholics are treated equally. Either way, it is clear that the author is writing from a place of faith herself; the story does not proselytise and it's not a "Christian" book but its plot is entirely about religion and Huber writes without cynicism, whether she's talking about its grace or its hypocrisy. The mystery itself was devastating and complex; I was so very sure I knew where it was going, and I was so very wrong. I saw a small twist coming a mile away but it didn't go where I thought it would at all. The ending was heart wrenching and gutting and that twist totally blind-sided me. The author includes a note at the end that discusses what she used from history (a lot) and what she created; she also includes a few recommended reads for those interested in going further. This was an incredibly well-written, entertaining mystery with the added bonus of giving the reader quite a bit to chew on in terms of what people will do to each other in the name of religion and I thought it was handled deftly without being judgemental. These people, these neighbors, both Protestant and Catholic alike, who spat at each other with such hatred that it sometimes erupted into violence, did so because their faith was slightly different. Because they couldn't be bothered to learn the truth about each other. Easily one of my top 5 favourite series - can't wait for the next one.
    • 4/5
      While on their honeymoon, Kiera and Gage receive a letter from his father urging them to investigate a death at an abbey in Ireland. What they find is two nuns dead and a growing civil unrest in Ireland.That's the premise for Anna Lee Huber's new book As Death Draws Near. This book, which is part of the Lady Darby Mystery Series, is a great Victorian mystery. Not every author is as good as Ms. Huber in allowing a new reader to enjoy the story even though they haven't read any of the other books in the series. The characters were well written and I became hooked from the first chapter.I feel that even readers who don't usually read historical mysteries should give this book a try. I think that just like me they will have found a new favorite author. I received a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.