Book review - In All Innocence by C.A. Asbrey

Blurb:

Nat and Abigail have decided that Canada is their best bet for a clean start with their new baby. It’s the place where American and Scottish accents go relatively unnoticed, and newcomers can get lost in a crowd. The problem is that Canada doesn’t have a transcontinental train, so they have to sneak back into the USA to get to the West coast.

They catch a night train heading over the mountains, and are delighted to find it’s one of the new Palace cars, designed to allow people to sleep, and get the remote areas behind weary travelers. The train is packed full of English butlers heading west to join a new employment agency. They hope to make a fortune providing the New World nouveau riche with the Old World class, which they are desperate to buy for their children.

When the train is stuck in a rock fall, they find that a woman has been attacked in the night, and her moonstone stolen. Our heroes decide it’s best to solve the mystery rather than face too many questions.

They unravel a mystery which has evil tentacles reaching across oceans. Will they be caught up in them too?

My review:

Buckle up and brace, because CA Asbrey’s IN ALL INNOCENCE is going to take you on a train ride turned rollercoaster and leave you gobsmacked.

The Quinn family is looking to settle down someplace and leave their past in the past, but of course, somehow manage to be in the wrong place at the wrong time when a murderer becomes cornered on the train with them.  Knowing they need to stay under the radar, the whole family - Abi, Nat, and Jake - focuses on identifying the murderer and protecting their fellow passengers - and themselves - before the law shows up and starts digging around, potentially ending their fresh start.   When the dust settles, they take off again to take possession of their new future, Jake veering off path from the others attempt to reclaim a piece of his past that continues to haunt his every waking and sleeping moment.

With altering points of view, I experienced the adventures Nat and Abi encountered and dove further into Jake’s heart-wrenching past. Moments of light-hearted intrigue are mixed with agonizing revelations, which propelled me through the story at an incredible pace and left me aching for more.

As with the three previous books, Nat, Abi, and Jake continue to capture my attention, drawing me into their story as if I were there experiencing the journey with them.  What did seem different in this story was a more intimate view into their personal lives - almost a tangible connection to the characters.  I have a feeling as their stories continue to unfold, that intimacy will continue to deepen.  I love seeing the bond they have with one another and the protective instincts displayed.

CA Asbrey proves herself to be a masterful storyteller with how she layers and weaves a mystery and throws out just enough hints to keep her readers guessing and off track.  She also knows how to deliver some hilarious moments in the midst of intensity, providing both a welcome relief and a pausing distraction.  My ebook is highlighted all over the place with eye popping and hair raising moments of “wait…. did that just happen?” and laugh-out-loud undercover humor.

If you love mystery and adventure, a generous helping of mirth, a charming bit of romance, and a continuing family saga, The Innocents series is one to open the covers and fall into, with In All Innocence being an amazing piece of the tale.  Just be prepared, because this part of Nat, Abi, and Jake’s journey isn’t going to end how one might expect - there’s more of their story to be told... and that might just leave you speechless.

Links to first three book reviews in THE INNOCENTS series:

book 1 - The Innocents
book 2 - Innocent as Sin
book 3 - Innocent Bystander

Purchase links: