"The Bridge to Belle Island" by Julie Klassen

When one of the senior partners in their London firm is found murdered, Attorney Benjamin Booker is sent to a remote island in the Thames to investigate the dead man's wards. Though evidence suggests spinster Isabelle Wilder had a role in the murder, her crippling anxiety about leaving the island-such that she claims to have not crossed the bridge in over a decade--is a puzzling contradiction. As numerous individuals with ample reason to see the man dead convene on the island, Benjamin and Isabelle will have to decide whom they can trust.

This is unquestionably a murder mystery, complete with all the trappings: red herrings, lies, sketchy alibis, and an abundance of suspects and motives, but set firmly in Regency era England. The mystery is definitely what drives the plot, and I didn't feel it had the emotional depth and impact of some of the author's other novels, but the constant spiritual thread about anxiety and placing one's trust in God was certainly timely for me!

While I preferred Klassen's Gothic stories (The Tutor's Daughter, The Secret of Pembrooke Park) to this one, it was an enjoyable foray into the classic mystery genre. If you're a fan of cozy mysteries, you won't be disappointed!

Thank you Bethany House and NetGalley for the complimentary e-book. I was not required to write a positive review, and all opinions are my own.