Anything Amy Harmon writes is an automatic 1-click for me. Her writing a historical fiction story about a serial killer? Even better!!

This story features several real-life personalities, most namely, Elliot Ness, the man famous for bringing down Al Capone. In this story, he reunites with his friend, Michael Malone, on another big case, capturing the Cleveland Butcher (known IRL as the Cleveland Torso Murders).

It is in Cleveland that Michael meets an unexpected old acquaintance, who he previously met on the night her parents were found dead. Call it coincidence or fate, but Daniela "Dani" Kos, proves to be a vital part of Michael's life very quickly. Not only is he a boarder in her home she shares with her aunts, but when he discovers her special abilities, he finds hope that his challenging case may turn around.

I won't get into what Dani can do, but I loved her as the main heroine. She has a vulnerability to her, but also an inner strength to take on whatever comes her way. I also liked how she didn't shy away from Michael, instead being more forward and persistent in getting to know him.

As for Michael, he hasn't always had an easy life, but he fully commits himself to Ness' mission, and doing what is right to get justice. I can appreciate how he didn't take advantage of Dani given her vulnerability, instead being patient and respectful.

Together, they make a surprise series of discoveries that change everything, adding a layer of suspense to an already intriguing story.

Overall, a fascinating read, perfect for historical fiction and/or true crime fans.

Murder. Mystery. And a 𝘵𝘰𝘶𝘤𝘩 of the supernatural.⁣⁣
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If you're looking for historical fiction that feels like true crime, add 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘜𝘯𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘉𝘦𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘥 to that ever growing TBR. ⁣⁣
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Chicago cop, Michael Malone, finds himself undercover in Cleveland to help investigate an unsolved series of murders with his friend, the famous Eliot Ness. But he also finds another familiar face in Cleveland, a woman from his past who might have the ability to help him solve this murder case.⁣⁣
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I snuck this book in at the last hour for March and it definitely took the month. Once again, Amy Harmon has blown me away with her gift of storytelling. She perfectly crafted her fictional characters into this true crime world. I love how an author can take a true story, think "what if?" and take the reader on a journey that feels like it could be the full truth. ⁣⁣
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The setting was immersive. The romance was slow burn in the best ways. The plot was a bit creepy and unputdownable. And the whole book was overlayed with the idea of being known and how that effects our lives.⁣
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Amy had me online for a few hours researching The Cleveland Torso Murderer once I finished. 😬 Just be aware that this was based on the case of a pretty gruesome serial killer.

This novel is set in the 1930s and told from two viewpoints - Michael Malone, a law enforcement officer who comes to Cleveland to try to help Eliot Ness find a serial killer in the city, and Dani, a young woman whose family he is boarding with who he finds he has a connection with in more ways than one, and who has a gift in that if she touches any kind of cloth, she can sense things about the people who previously wore it/handled it. So it’s got a bit of everything - historical fiction, mystery/thriller, a little romance, a little paranormal, even a little true crime since it is based on a real and very creepy case.

And yet, that mix works - it did not feel like too many elements, I was totally engaged in the story, and had to go on an internet deep dive about the real case after finishing. This is only the second book I have read by prolific author Amy Harmon, but I definitely want to read more!

A little piece of history mixed with what felt like true crime! The Unknown Beloved takes place in Cleveland, Ohio during the Great Depression. Personally, I’d never heard of the Cleveland Torso murders, but how interesting to learn about it through a historical fiction story.

Ms. Harmon does a fabulous job at mixing just the right amount of fiction into a very real event and setting. I was intrigued and found myself rushing through it to find out who the killer was.

True characters like Eliot Ness, known for taking down Al Capone and less known, but still very real, Michael Malone were greatly written characters with interesting lives woven into the pages. Our heroine, Dani Flanagan, was loveable but entirely fictional. And for me, she made the story. She tied the whole thing together. There is romance, but this story is more rich in history and storytelling than the romance. The descriptions of every piece of this story was perfect. I can never get enough of Amy Harmon and The Unknown Beloved is another top read for me!

I received an ARC from the publisher and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.
I didn’t know about the true events that inspired The Unknown Beloved when I picked it up, but I was intrigued to find out as I read about the truth behind it, and it appealed to my love of true crime, as well as for a compelling historical fiction novel with a dash of romance.
Given the nature of the crime, the story is quite intense, and as such, this won’t be for everyone. And given who the story follows, I can understand the approach. I do feel it’s a fine line between retailing the details in a way that is matter-of-fact, without glorifying the manner of death, and while people will likely disagree, I felt that Harmon was able to do the former without teetering over the edge and doing the latter.
The characters, while not the most interesting part of the book, are fairly interesting. Michael Malone is a business-minded police officer with hidden vulnerabilities, and his relationships with both Ness and Dani are wonderful to read. Dani’s relationship with Michael is quite sweet, as they meet for the first time when she’s quite young, and are reunited years later. They’ve both been through a lot of hardship, and it’s lovely that, even in the midst of a case as complicated and bleak as this one, they can find each other.
As for the crime itself, I was intrigued at how it delved into its “unsolved” nature, and the political reasons behind that, with Harmon briefly elaborating on it in her author’s note.
This is an enjoyable read, and while it comes off a little intensely in its descriptions of violence, I love the overall message of hope and light that prevails through Dani and Michael. If you love historical fiction with heavy emphasis on mystery and a generous dose of romance, I recommend picking this up!

DNF @ 62%

Please read this review knowing that I am obviously in the minority of people who loved this book. However, I just couldn't bring myself to pick this one up anymore so I have decided to move on. I was so excited for this one: one of my favorite authors, historical fiction, real life serial killer. This book should have been a success but for me it felt never ending. 100 pages could have easily been taken out and this caused the story to be so slow it felt like nothing was happening. 62% in and all the main character has done was walk around asking questions, there was no suspense. Also the romance angle just didn't work for me at all and it just felt forced.

Above all, The Unknown Beloved was a beautiful story about love. I’ll be the first to admit that it wasn’t a book I would normally pick up, but I love any and everything Amy Harmon writes and I’m so glad I went out of my comfort zone and gave it a chance. The writing was superb and the story kept me guessing.

The story starts in Chicago during the 1920’s when Dani Flanagan loses her parents. She’s only ten years old and is sent to Cleveland to live with her aunts. Michael Malone is a young cop who helps Dani. Fast forward fifteen. years later and Malone is on a case that takes him to Cleveland and to a familiar face, Dani.

Dani is such a special heroine. I loved her heart, her ability to love, care, and to see things others didn’t see. She has a gift and she uses it for good. Michael hasn’t had an easy life and he is the grumpy to Dani’s sunshine. But don’t we all love heroes like this? He was hardened by life but Dani helps to soften him up a bit.

This is a book that transcends just one genre. It’s historical, it’s a romance, it’s a thriller, it’s a mystery… it’s a lot of things all at once. Once again I’ll say, above all, it’s a story about love. I highly recommend this to lovers of romance, as well as readers of suspense/thrillers. Amy’s writing is phenomenal and the story is unique and captivating.

Thanks for letting me review the book to Netgalley and the publisher.
I like this one set in the early part of last century. It was a good historical fiction type read with engaging characters.

5+ "Dani and Michael" Stars!

First of all, I have to tell you, in my opinion, Amy Harmon is one of the best writers of our time and she doesn't get the recognition she deserves. This lady writes a love story- in varying generas like no other. And I may be oversimplifying by simply calling them love stories. There hasn't been one book I've read by Amy Harmon that I didn't come away deeply moved and changed in some way. Her stories are unforgettable.

This time, Ms. Harmon has gifted us with a Historical fiction, true crime, slow burn, age gap romance with the perfect paranormal element that took this story from good to phenomenal. I do love the paranormal.

Set in the 1930s during the time of Elliot Ness, there's a serial killer on the loose in Cleveland, OH targeting the indigent, the lost, the unknown. When Michael Malone goes to Cleveland to investigate the murders, he immediately comes in contact with Dani, a young lady he met 15 years ago when he was a patrolman experiencing his own tragic loss, and 10 year old Dani's parents had just died. Michael never forgot about the special and very unusual little girl. Dani never forgot about the police officer that was kind and escorted her to her new home.

I could go on, but I really don't want to give anything away. No spoilers here! This story was vivid and lyrically written. Michael was stubborn and reserved and resistant. Dani was stubborn and persistent, and the kindest soul. I loved them both so much. These two were special. There was so much more to this story than I can explain in this review. I would just recommend you read it, so you can experience it for yourself.

I cannot wait for the audiobook release so I can be immersed all over again. This will be one I revisit over and over. Happy reading!

Overall, I think this was a good book with an interesting story line and great characters. I was intrigued to read about the time and place the story was set as well as having the main characters interact with real people. I subsequently learned that one of the main characters, Michael Malone, was a real person and that the murders were actually committed in the Cleveland area. I especially liked Dani Flanagan with her interesting ability to "read cloth" and her inherent kindness and overall goodness. However, my main frustration with the book was the fact that Michael struggled nearly all the way through the book with the notion that he wasn't good enough for Dani and this detracted from my enjoyment of the book.

I think that many readers will enjoy this book and I would still recommend it. Thank you to Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for the opportunity to provide my honest review.

3.5 stars. I rarely read straight up historical fiction. I usually need some mystery or romance added in and this book had both of those things, plus it's Amy Harmon so how could I go wrong? Well, to start off I'm going to say that I have never read any of Amy Harmon's historical fiction novels. I've read quite a few of her fantasy and romance ones and loved them. This book had a different feel to it from those books, but that wasn't completely unexpected since it's a different genre.

I think this book is darker than her other books. It's based on a true crime that Eliot Ness was involved in trying to solve, that involved a serial killer that did gruesome killings, so I think that made the book feel even more different than I was expecting. I've read books with gruesome killings before and I don't particularly enjoy them, but this one was pretty mild in the descriptions compared to those. We never get into the head of the killer or have anything described as it's happening, just what's left to be found later. To me that was a good thing.

The investigation was at times interesting, and at times too long and drawn out. I'm always cautious about reading something fictional about someone that was real, but I thought the real people were blended into the story well. The story is very character driven and I like character driven stories. Dani and Malone were both interesting characters and I liked that we were able to slowing peel the layers off of who they were. Their relationship was sweet and slow burn, but at times I found it frustrating because Malone didn't want to involve Dani in his life.

Mostly what I didn't like about this book were the huge coincidences, the fact that there were so many elements in play, and the snails pace the plot moved at. Along with the historical, mystery, and romance elements, Dani also has some psychic abilities, and there is a bit of what feels like fate in play as well. It felt like the author crammed a few too many ideas into the book, but it wasn't bad and I did end up liking this book.

I wouldn't recommend this as the first book to read by this author. While I mostly enjoyed it, I feel like others are better. If you've never read Amy Harmon I would suggest starting with Making Faces, or if you like fairy tale type fantasy, start with The Bird and the Sword.

Thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for providing me with an ARC of this book.

This book has yet again left me in awe of how masterful Amy Harmon's writing is. Her prose never fails to amaze me and hit me in the feelings, and this time has been no exception. I have been thoroughly transported back to the historical moment and place of the story, connected to the main characters and enjoyed all the conversations and thoughts they shared.

The story takes place mainly in Cleveland in the 1930s, when Elliot Ness, as Safety Director of the city at the time, contacts his friend from the Al Capone days, Michael Malone, to help him solve the case of the Mad Butcher of Kingsbury Run, a serial killer that has been murdering people in the area for several years. When Malone arrives in Cleveland, he finds out Dani Flannagan, who he had met 15 years ago when her parents were murdered, lives in the house in which he'll be staying until the case is solved. And she has a gift that might help the investigation.

It was very interesting to see the world through the eyes of Dani and Malone, who despite having both been dealt brutal blows in their lives, have different ways of approaching certain situations. Dani's gift makes her more empathic and compassionate, whereas Malone's experiences and line of work have turned him into a fatalist who keeps people at arms length and avoids experiencing any kind of hope like the plague. Seing Dani slowly breaking the walls Malone has erected was a delight and part of what made this story so special to me.

This has been the first Amy Harmon historical fiction book I have read (up until now I had only read her fantasy ones), but it sure won't be the last.

This book takes you to the 1930s where a serial killer is haunting Cleveland. Coordinated police services with advanced investigation techniques are in their infancy. The story takes a true story and fictionalized it to make a novel. An undercover agent takes a room in a tailor shop falling in love with one of the owners. All kinds of drama ensues. If you are like me and steer clear of anything paranormal, don't worry about this book. The paranormal parts are sensing things through cloth. Nothing really crazy. All in all a very good book. Do read the afterwards where the author separates fact from fiction. I received this book from Netgalley. All of the opinions are my own.
#NETGALLEY #AMYHARMON #LAKEHOUSE

A serial killer! A romance! Elliot Ness! This is well researched and written historical fiction based on real events. Know that the murders are described in perhaps more detail than necessary and that the last third of the book is more or less a love story. That said, it kept my attention. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. A good read.

What a fantastic read The Unknown Beloved was! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher and for Amy Harmon for giving me the chance to read this wonderful novel in advance for a free copy to review.
The Unknown Beloved has romance, realism, magic you could say and history. You get a history lesson here, Al Capone, how the treasury department worked back in the 1930s, the agents behind the killings, the great depression and the effects it had on the people, and the Cleveland Torso killer.
Amys writing has always left me pondering and reflecting and always going back and rereading the passages again and again. She gives feeling and emotions the exact phrases or descriptions that when you go back and read it again your like yes! Exactly!
She is a storyteller of the highest quality and no matter what she writes about she brings words to life.

A genre bending novel that delivers the best of historical fiction/ murder mystery with elements of romance. Amy Harmon delivers a captivating and immersive story that is well written, evenly paced with rich characters. Atmospheric page turner.

A tale of murder and intrigue. A serial killer is out and can not be stopped. An old true crime story that draws in fictional characters and done tastefully.

I didn’t really know what I was walking into when I started this book but I really enjoyed the relationships and respect for humankind that this book showed. Harmon does a beautiful job of bringing love, truth and goodness of humanity that is then mixed with the coldness of a murderer.

I was never truly scared, but chilled, by this story of true events. I absolutely loved our main characters and really connected with them. I felt a sense of joy in pain, desire and want of life, and kindness in sorrow.

A beautiful study of love, and the unknown beloved.

Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the advanced e-copy in return for my honest review.

Ohhhhhh five star book alert! ⁣
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⁣The Unknown Beloveds has something for everyone. It’s a blending of true and made of historical events, a slow burn romance, and a thrilling hunt for a serial killer! This book features Michael Malone- an investigator who helped take down Capone in the 1920s. Michael is sent to Cleveland to help find the famed and feared Torso Killer. Once there he reunites with Dani, a young women he’d first met fifteen years before after the murder of her parents. The unlikely pair work together to find the serial killer plaguing Cleveland. ⁣
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⁣This book is fascinating, suspenseful and atmospheric. I loved both Michael and Dani. I truly enjoyed every second of this book! And now I am truly inspired to take a deep dive into the rest of Amy Harmon’s extensive backlist.⁣
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⁣Perfection! Five stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⁣
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⁣Thank you to NetGalley, Lake Union Publishing and Amy Harmon for a digital ARC in return for my honest review. The Unknown Beloved publishes on April 19, 2022.

Wow, wow, wow. The easiest five stars I’ve given in a while!

Harmon is so insanely talented. When i think of her writing, the first word that comes to mind is thoughtful. I can feel the care that goes into her work and the results are so special! Her 2020 book, Where the Lost Wander, was an instant all time fave and I feel so privileged to have read her latest work early. ♥️

THE UNKNOWN BELOVED is a unique, genre bending story, with fiction woven into very real historical events and characters during the Great Depression. The amount of research put into this book is clear and I find myself doing my own reading on the events now! Every reader will find something to love in this story and I highly recommend it to romance, historical fiction, or thriller lovers!

Michael and Dani are incredible, magical, and unforgettable characters. Harmon has a way of making you fall in love with her characters and I found myself fully invested in their happiness. The main character is a seamstress and there is a special focus on fabric throughout the book - I couldn’t help but think of my own family and what our heirlooms would say if they could talk.

Thank you so much to Amy Harmon for the gifted book! All opinions are my own.

Read for:
• Beautiful writing
• Slow burn romance
• Murder mystery
• Supernatural elements
• Based off real events

“The evocative story of two people whose paths collide against the backdrop of mystery, murder, and the Great Depression.”

Every time I read a new Amy Harmon book I think “okay now this one is my favorite”! She continually amazes me with the stories she tells, the characters she creates, and the genre mashups she manages so well! This book is historical fiction, romance, and mystery and each of those are so spot on.

Harmon’s books always come so alive - reading this you feel like you are on the tough streets of 1930s Cleveland or in the Kos family kitchen. You’ll feel Michael’s anxiety about catching the killer and Dani’s tender heart. You might even want to leave the light on at night because there’s definitely an eerie element to the mystery. There’s a sense of urgency that you feel along with the characters as you race to discover who the killer is. I truly loved these characters; Dani and Michael will stick with me.

There’s a beautiful theme in this book of being known; of allowing oneself to be vulnerable enough to be fully seen and loved.

It amazes me when I finish a book and then read the author’s note and am astonished by how much was based on facts. It’s so impressive when an author can weave together real people and events with fiction like Amy Harmon does here.

TW/CW: detailed descriptions of dead bodies/murder scenes.