AMAZING. Anything that Amy Harmon writes is a masterpiece and this book is no different. I love all her books are in different time periods but her heroes as always timeless. Such beautiful writing and prose.

I love Amy Harmon! I did not know anything about this book before I started, only that I am a fan of the author. I’m not sure I would picked this up based on the description alone, but I sure am glad I did. Loved it! Highly recommend!

Amy Harmon has created a haunting but beautiful atmosphereic novel. I love the characters in the book as they work together to solve a serial murder case. My description really doens't do the novel justice. Its Harmon's magical writing style that makes this book a must read. I would love to read another book about Mike and Dani and fantasize about a sequal. Thanks Net Galley for provding me with an advance copy!

The story opens with Dani leaving the house to go visit some kittens and when she returns finds the police there and her parents are dead. Talk about opening with a bang. One of the patrolmen, Mike, seems to bond with her and is given the task of bringing her to Cleveland to live with her aunts. Fast forward 15 years, Dani is now 25, she decides they need to take in a boarder to help make ends meet. It is the depression and there tailor shop has been slow. Enter Mike who is working a case involving a serial killer who chops up his victims and is nicknamed the Butcher.

The murders were pretty gruesome and Dani used to go to the morgue to dress the bodies of the dead that haven't been identified. I felt that the story could have been shorter, there were times it just dragged but that time could have been spent resolving some issues like what really happened to her parents, not descriptions of clothes and fabric.

I find that this author doesn't stick to a formula or a time period so I never really know what to expect so I will keep reading her work. All in all this book falls in the middle of the pack.

Thank you to netgalley and Lake Union for providing me with a digital copy.

I love Amy Harmon's stories, and this one was no different. I loved the suspense of this story. I think AH did an amazing job showing us how Michael Malone was investigating the murders. I enjoyed seeing him be confused about Dani, who she was, why she was staring at him, before he realized he knew her. The story had a bit of suspense, a bit of romance, a bit of supernatural, and it all blends together perfectly. AH is a wonderful storyteller, and I can't wait to see what she'll write about next.

Sadly I didn't really love this book by Amy Harmon. There were a few things that I liked about it. I did like the way the setting of 1930s Cleveland really comes alive. I do think Harmon is a great storyteller and I didn't have the urge to put the book down because I needed to know how it would all end. And I really enjoyed every scene with the aunts in it. They were my favorite. All that being said, there were a few things I didn't like. I couldn't get behind the age-gap romance. I think if he hadn't met her when she was a child it wouldn't have bothered me quite as much. I also didn't care for all the repetitive details about the serial killer's victims. Maybe I'm just not a fan of a serial killer book because I didn't like any of that part of this story. I also didn't care for the supernatural elements. So unfortunately this one is only getting 3 stars from me, but I'm not giving up on Amy Harmon at all.

Amy Harmon has the gift to pen stories that will captivate her readers for days. I was initially intrigued by the blurb on the back of the book, but found myself immersed in the world of 1930's crime. I have long been a fan of Elliot Ness and the Untouchables, so I enjoyed the connection as Michael Malone and Elliot Ness combined resources to find a serial killer.
While I found Dani Flanigan's gift a bit unrealistic, it lent an interesting and original twist to the story. She was the perfect foil to the older detective, one who was reminiscent of the heroes in the old classic movies. Perfect blend of suspense and romance.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author/publisher through Netgalley. I was not required to write a review. All opinions expressed are my own.

I don't thik I have encountered an Amy Harmon book I did not like, especially the Histrical based ones. Thank you net galley for the ARC even though i am a bit late to read it. Great story, great emotions, great read.

As with all of the books I have read by this author there is just something about the way she writes that pulls you in and you can’t help but turn the pages to see what she has written. With this one she pulls us into the past with twists and turns, mystery and murder, family and strangers…you can’t help but wonder how it will all end.

I know a lot of people who love AH books and that’s why I tried this one which would make my second I’ve tried. They’re just not for me obviously. To each his own right?! Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for this copy for review

I had a hard time getting into the story and after a couple of chapters I decided to call it quits. It just wasn’t for me.

The Unknown Beloved by Amy Harmon is a beautifully written and emotionally compelling novel that will stay with readers long after they turn the final page. Harmon has a gift for creating complex and relatable characters; this book is no exception.

This book was so beautifully written, even with such a dark undertone of a plot. I was completely transported to the city streets lined with Model T cars, men in Newsboy hats and a black and white canvas of hard times and gangsters.
The age gap between Dani and Michael worked in this one and their relationship was delightful. Dani, while young was not naive. She was witty, full of spunk and straightforward.
She also held the psychic ability to touch cloth and see things. A person's name, where they've been, or some of their thoughts. This added so much depth to the story. The author has a talent for exploring the complexities of human relationships, and this is on full display in The Unknown Beloved.

Another strength of this book is the writing itself. Harmon's prose is lyrical and evocative, and she has a true talent for creating vivid descriptions of both people and places. The result is a book that feels almost cinematic in its scope and beauty.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for sending a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Amy Harmon always writes a compelling novel and this on is no exception. Her ability to write historical fiction and make it so interesting always amaze me. Another one you can’t put down.

The Unknown Beloved was not what I was expecting. I found the characters and plot to be painfully boring. I loved the idea of a 1930s murder mystery romance, but the murder mystery was practically non-existent. I do not think I am a fan of the author's writing style because I found the writing to be very telling and no showing, especially when it came to the murder mystery. As a reader it felt like I was being told about the murder instead of actually being engulfed into the story. For example, the main male lead goes on a train to go investigate suspects and I'm just told about this entire scene happening rather than actually getting to be with the character when he's doing the investigating. Honestly, I wanted to fall asleep while reading this. Maybe my expectations were too high or I went into this thinking the murder mystery would have higher stakes. Instead I got a boring mystery with a female lead who I thought was, at times, painfully immature.

I pretty much read everything that Amy Harmon writes. And I love everything she writes. Especially her historical romances. So I was super excited to get another one from her.

The Unknown Beloved

Amy Harmon is one of my absolute favorite authors and she never fails in her novels to prove why that is. I am still trying to find adequate words to describe my love for this book, The Unknown Beloved, but will do my best to sum them up here for this review.

First off, I must touch on Harmon’s phenomenal writing and storytelling. Her stories have a way of completely whisking the reader away, transporting you to the world in which she’s writing about. I lost all sense of reality while I was reading this book and it made for the most wonderful reading experience. Here we are whisked away to Cleveland in the 1930’s. Think of all the grit of an atmosphere with serial killers and gangsters and that’s what you are immersed in here. The vivid and detailed historical detail amazed me here and really sucked me in. This was a totally different type of read for me but it absolutely worked and I truly loved the originality of the story, which is all owed to Harmon’s masterful writing.

Next comes the characters. Wow, what unique and truly memorable characters to come alongside. I absolutely loved them and will not soon forget Dani and Michael. I really do not want to go into much more detail so as to not spoil the story, but do know the characters are impeccably well written, multifaceted, and very “real” on these pages.

While there is a definite crime novel aspect to this story, there is also a romance storyline that was emotional and full of felling and heart that developed through the pages and I loved that part of the plot equally!

I absolutely could not get enough of this book and while I wasn’t able to turn the pages fast enough because I was so engaged with what I was reading, I also want to slow down and savor each and every moment of my time with the book. This is historical fiction at its absolute finest with a stunning writing, a slow burn romance, a hint of the supernatural, and a murder mystery are the main elements that make up this remarkable story and it is one that I will not soon forget. I could not recommend The Unknown Beloved highly enough!

Many thanks to Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for the gifted e-copy!

This is one of my favorite time periods to read in historical fiction and Harmon brought it to life, but overall, this is probably my least favorite novel by the author.

I loved the characters and setting, but it moved a little too slow in the first half or so. Some of the scenes felt prolonged and I could have done with less description of mutilated bodies. I also didn't care for the heroine's supernatural ability.

The second half picked up considerably and I found it quite exciting. The May/December romance was nicely portrayed, as well, and I was comfortable with the age difference.

This usually isn't my go to genre but this author is a favorite of mine. I didn't read much of the description so I didn't know while reading that this is based off actual events. The story was a little slow in spots but I loved Mike and Dani as characters. If you're a fan of historical fiction with a dash of romance, you need to read this book!

What a beautifully sad historical fiction novel. This story revolves around the Cleveland Torso Murders and we get a good taste of history twisted in with a murder mystery. The writing was superb and I listened on audiobook gifted to me by Brilliance Publisher. The narrator was a man with a strong voice that did wonders for the detective Michael Malone. Michael with his love interest Dani Flanagan go about trying to solve these murders in unique fashion. I enjoyed this novel.

Inspired by the sensational and intriguing unsolved mystery of the infamous Kingsbury Run Murders of Cleveland in the 1930s, author Amy Harmon crafts an eerily evocative story weaving fictional characters into the real life horror that occurred.

Cleveland 1930s, a time when the city was beginning to improve economically, a serial killer is on the loose distracting the city and its citizens from its pride and prosperity. Safety Director, Eliot Ness, brings in Michael Malone, a special agent for the Treasury Department (and one of the Untouchables who helped bring down Capone), to assist with solving the crime. Boarding at the home/tailor shop of Dani Flanagan and her elderly aunts, Malone learns that Dani has a special ability to read the story of a persons life a by touching the fabric they wore. Dani offers to use her talent to help Malone solve the murders and they ultimately fall in love.

Amy Harmon never disappoints. Part mystery and part love story, the Unknown Beloved is an fascinating look at the 1930s. Beautiful writing, interesting settings and memorable characters make it easy to get lost in her stories. I absolutely devoured this one.

Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the opportunity to read an advance reader copy of The Unknown Beloved in return for my honest review. Opinions expressed are my own.