Bridge to Belle Island

Isabelle has lost her whole family except her niece. Fear of dying keeps her on her island in the Thames, even as her niece plans to marry in London. But when her uncle and trustee is found murdered, her world begins to fall apart.
Ben has been taken in by a beautiful woman he defended and is now wary of his attraction to Isabelle. When the former housemaid of the uncle is also found dead of the same poisoned wine, Ben isn't sure who to trust.

The Bridge to Belle Island by Julie Klassen is a stand-alone historical novel. Fooled and humiliated by his beautiful client, lawyer Benjamin Booker vows never to trust a beautiful woman again. When the senior law partner asks him to travel to Belle Island to investigate the death of a friend, Ben agrees. The main suspect is beautiful Isabelle Wilder, who hasn’t left the island in ten years. I thought the story started a little slowly. The two lawyers seemed to just wander around to me. About five chapters in the story picked up and I could hardly put the book down. The way that Isabelle protected Rose was so sweet. The love between them was almost a mother/daughter feeling instead of an aunt/niece. The danger level was there in the story but it was subtle, not overbearing. I really enjoyed this book. The island sounds like a beautiful place to take a vacation.

I received this book from the author for my honest review. ( )

super slow. Did not like at all. ( )

The Bridge to Belle Island by Julie Klassen is a fascinating historical novel. I believe this is Julie Klassen’s best novel yet. The story contains rich, developed characters. The authors vivid descriptions made the characters come alive for me. I enjoyed the depictions of their clothing along with the scenery and homes. I thought Julie Klassen captured the time period. It was fascinating to learn more about the Thames. Living on Belle Island when there are heavy storms is like living in Florida when a hurricane approaches. The water level rises subjecting the inhabitants to flee to the mainland and hope that their homes will still be there when they return. The mystery was fascinating and fun to solve. Someone with access to Percival Norris’s home must have done the evil deed and we get to follow the clues to discover which individual committed the crime. The romance plays out slowly which I liked. Ben is understandably hesitant to trust any woman and Isabel has her own reasons for distrusting men. Julie Klassen’s writing is compelling and drew me right into the story. The pacing is languid which suits the time period and story. The Bridge to Belle Island has romance and mystery in Regency England which is a fabulous combination. ( )

“The Bridge to Belle Island” features both a mystery and a romance. Beginning with a suspicious death in the first chapter and ending with a dangerous situation, this book continually engages readers with action and suspense. The romance between Isabelle and Benjamin adds another dimension to the story. These main characters appear human and fallible, as each possesses a hidden characteristic that prevents them living a full and rich life. Overcoming these difficulties presents an underlying lesson and source of encouragement for readers.

The opening quotations provide some insight and foreshadowing of themes. Discussion questions at the end of the book also draw attention to key ideas and serve as fodder for discussion groups. The Christian aspects of the story are overt, but not preachy. Readers who enjoy Christian fiction with romance and a touch of danger will enjoy this novel by a well-read and well-known Christian writer.

I received this book from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are entirely my own. ( )