The Homefront Sleuth Series by Anna Elliott & Charles Veley (and a blog revival)

 It's been a minute. 14 years to be exact, since I last penned a book review. Goodreads tells me I've read over 1000 books since then; probably more. I thought it about time to revive the conversation -- not just consume the books, but share and talk about them. 

First up...one of my favorite new cozy mystery series: The Homefront Sleuths. 

From the dynamic father-daughter duo that brought us the Sherlock and Lucy series, this WWII countryside set is like a warm blanket on a cold day. It has just enough intrigue to keep you guessing, a smattering of romance, and vibrant, budding friendships. 

So far, I have read up through The Valentine Cipher, which was one of my favorites. Romance is in the air, but so is espionage. 

Evie, Nigel, Harry, and the crew always seem to have different pieces to the same puzzle. Part of the magic of this series is the way those pieces eventually fall into place in a non-forced, collaborative way. Every member of the team brings their unique talents and observations to create the whole (and stop the bad guy). 

I love the way the friendships have blossomed and the characters bring out the best in one another -- especially the female friendships. I love the budding romance between <spoiler> Evie and Nigel and the way they have come to accept each other and themselves. I love the unapologetically strong female archetype who does the saving as often as she gets saved. And I love the different perspective of the ubiquitous time period. 

Whether The Valentine Cipher is your first in the series, or just the most recent, give the whole set a shot and discover new friends along the way. 

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