To Disguise the Truth by Jen Turano: Book Review

Details

• Genre: Historical fiction
• Series: The Bleecker Street Inquiry Agency (Book #3)
• Length: 350 pages (Kindle edition)
• Publication Date: January 18, 2022

Tropes

• Enemies to lovers
• Secret identity

My Rating

Book Description

“When a man arrives at the Bleecker Street Inquiry Agency, anxious to hire them to find a missing heiress, Eunice Holbrooke realizes her past has finally caught up with her . . . and that she may no longer be able to hide under the disguise that has kept her safe for so long.

Arthur Livingston’s goal in life is to make his mark on the world as a mining industrialist, but after the man who could help him achieve his goal is murdered, Arthur feels compelled to seek justice for the family — but he’s left with more questions than answers after the eccentric Bleecker Street Inquiry Agency refuses to take on his case.

Desperate to conceal her real identity and avoid the irritatingly handsome Arthur, Eunice takes on a different case that requires her to go deep undercover and entangles her in one troublesome situation after another. When other secrets come to light, Eunice has no choice but to confront her past, hopeful that it will set her free but knowing it could very well place her life — and the lives of those she loves — in jeopardy.”

— from Goodreads

My Review

In the conclusion to the Bleecker Street series, Eunice goes to drastic measures when her past comes knocking in the form of Arthur Livingston.

The main mystery is a tangled one, with so many people who have personal and financial reasons for wanting her grandfather dead. 

And I’m glad Arthur figured out Eunice’s true identity early on. Her reactions (as well as Judith’s and Daphne’s) made it kind of obvious that they were hiding something.

Eunice and Arthur have some sweet moments together, especially their bonding over Jane Austen books. However, their turnaround from annoyance to romance felt a little abrupt. It also felt like a lot of their feelings for each other were told rather than shown. 

While this book has some darker situations (mostly the horrible treatment the asylum patients were subjected to), there are still plenty of amusing moments (like Eunice having to constantly explain about her name or she and her mother crashing their own memorial service).

The epilogue was adorable and a satisfying finale to the Bleecker Street trilogy!

Favorite Moments

🐴 first kiss
🐴 bonding over Jane Austen’s books
🐴 the epilogue

Favorite Quotes

“Considering she’d once shot the man sitting across from her, Eunice Holbrooke was beginning to get the sneaking suspicion her past had finally caught up with her.“

Jen Turano

“That was also why she’d chosen the name Eunice for her new first name, believing Eunice to be one of those unassuming names, and unassuming was exactly what she’d needed.“

Jen Turano

“‘However, because you’re obviously far too close to his case, I’ll take over the responsibility of asking him the majority of questions. You may simply sit at your desk, looking intimidating.’“

Jen Turano

“Lloyd exchanged a smile with Chase. ‘I feel the distinct urge to visit this inquiry agency simply for the drama that happens there.’“

Jen Turano

“‘I suppose it’s not very grandfatherly of me to admit that I found that amusing, but that was very amusing indeed…I had a feeling with you back in the city that life would turn more exciting than the teas I normally attend.’“

Jen Turano

“‘Indeed, but we seem to be getting distracted from what matters most — that being my grandfather’s murder.’

‘We’re not distracted at all,’ Daphne countered. ‘This is what’s called backstory, and I need it to fully comprehend your story.’“

Jen Turano

“‘Women, if you haven’t realized, can be practical and romantic at the same time. We’re quite capable of more than one emotion because we’re complicated creatures.’“

Jen Turano

“It was rather astonishing how much one could apparently glean from reading a vast assortment of romance novels.“

Jen Turano

“‘And before you ask, [he] should go on the [suspect] list simply because there’s something shifty about a bookstore owner who doesn’t sell Jane Austen.’“

Jen Turano

“It was rather surreal walking into a room in a house she’d lived in for the first twenty years of her life and finding it filled with relatives who were laughing and chatting away, not exactly looking as if they’d just held a memorial service for two of their family members.“

Jen Turano

“‘You were certainly right about the investigation moving along at a rapid clip considering someone has already tried to murder you, and we’ve only been in town a little over a day.’“

Jen Turano

“‘…you would have made a wonderful addition to the family if you and Eunice had decided to marry, and that’s not simply because we know you don’t want to murder us.’“

Jen Turano

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