Mortal Arts by Anna Lee Huber, the second novel in her Lady Darby Mystery Series, is a book I loved from the moment I opened the cover. Upon reading the excerpt about PTSD and thanking those who have served that had to suffer the effects post-deployment before the world understood what PTSD was, I felt in my soul that this book would be a solid four stars minimum. I was right.

I haven’t seen another historical fiction mystery book include PTSD as a significant detail in a character or within the plot so directly. I don’t mean as a frivolous detail because believe me I would’ve DNFed the book if it did come across that way. Regency-era is time in which there were tens of thousands of men, if not more, shipping off to the Continent to serve their country in the Napoleonic Wars. You can guarantee that more characters, main or minor, would have PTSD. C.S. Harris’s Sebastian St. Cyr books encompass this for the longterm as the main character, the Viscount Devlin, exhibits signs of PTSD as well as the Irish doctor and surgeon Paul Gibson.

Getting back to Mortal Arts, we have a perfect stage; Alana and Philip are moving their family closer to Edinburgh in preparation for the delivery of their fourth child. Kiera, ever the loyal sister, goes with them and on the way they get invited to an old family friend’s to visit under strange circumstances. There are layers from the beginning as names are brought up, relationships and situations addressed, and, lo and behold, Sebastian Gage has been invited too. Then, at the dinner table of all places, the truth is brought out – someone Kiera thought was missing and/or dead is not only alive, but in his room upstairs. Her old art tutor and dear friend fought in the war, came back with demons he fought every day to best, and then disappeared without notice. Now, Kiera learns, he’d been shipped off to a mental institution by his father because of his altered state.

It’s a blow to the gut, for sure, and as the premise was being laid out I felt tangible grief and pain for this character and for Kiera. So many important facts are stated by characters in regards to mental health and it was really interesting to see how things unfolded from there. This book has unreliable characters, whether its through their perspective or their lies and secrets, a prejudice that festers and questions the actions and reactions of many, and external forces who are slowly circling the house, creeping closer as the tone and pace and tension culminate in a whirlwind climax. The PTSD aspect within this book was never overdone, never biased by the author towards one side or the other, and is was never handled in a distasteful or insulting way. Each character handles is in the way that is authentic to them and their being, and with that, the conflicts and testing of relationships creates it’s own weight in the novel.

The scenery in this series sounds absolutely breathtaking. There is no bounds to how desperately I wish to stand in these locations and feel the wind on my face, hear the sounds of the day, see the sky filled with puffs of cloud streaked in golden sunlight. It feels so picturesque, so serene, and so inviting which makes the mystery aspect of this so sinister – in this idyllic spot, how can evil prevail?

Another thing that I really love about this book, besides Sebastian, is the uncertainty of who did it until the very end. I had guesses, of course, and there were times that I second-guessed myself simply because it was taking a while for the characters to get there, but the motives and alliances and reasoning behind everything came true. As it’s is in first person, Kiera’s voice really bring out the emotion and turmoil and the denouement was heart-wrenching, the pain palpable, and the weight on her shoulders justified. Nothing felt overdone and the Kiera we are left with has changed, bringing with her some inner conflicts and an intensity in her uncertainty that starts the third novel off on an intriguing note. I’m almost glad seeing as she was consistently acting like an “I’m not like other girls” girlie when she didn’t need to be. This ending gave her a right slap in the face and set her moodiness aside, hopefully for good.

And now, I suppose I should talk about my love, my beau, my angelic prince Sebastian Gage. I won’t bore you for too long, but I think it’s imperative that I explain just how immersed into this story I was in regards to his characterisation and actions. With the context and circumstances surrounding the people within the manor, Gage’s actions speak of a man who is torn between respecting the wishes of the woman he feels affectionate towards and the ingrained need to protect her for the same reasons. It’s a constant seesaw which Kiera battles with on multiple occasions, adding her own biased opinions to the mix, and while his responses are sometimes a little too prejudice or controlling, I can’t really fault him for that as PTSD in soldiers was something that was unknown to the public. There was no knowing how one would act or react to triggers, whether they were intentional or not. I do believe that Gage deals with it better than Philip does (I did not like him in this book for that reason but it’s all the more believable to his character and priorities).

Mortal Arts is a must read, and in all honesty the whole Lady Darby Series is a must-read. It’s a filling read that ticks off all the boxes and paints a compelling tale but I couldn’t help but be ravenous for the next book!