A Knife In The Fog

A Knife In The Fog by Bradley Harper is not the type of book I would normally pick up.

As much as I love historical fiction, I am always nervous about mysteries. Some are a bit too close to thriller and they make me anxious to read.

What drew me into this book, was learning that it revolved around catching Jack the Ripper.

I've mentioned Greg and I have been making our way through History's Monsters by Simon Sebag Montefiore (we finally finished). One of the 101 monsters profiled in the book is Jack the Ripper!

I was excited to read a book where I could connect some of the history I just learned with the story. And since Jack the Ripper was never actually caught, I was more than intrigued to read a possibility for what could have happened.

I'm embarrassed to admit that at first I didn't connect that Arthur Conan Doyle is the author of Sherlock Holmes. The name didn't jump out at me, but then again I've never read it, I've only watched the movie with Robert Downey Jr.

Actually, I'm not embarrassed. I'm always telling others that they should read what they think they will enjoy and not worry about reading classics or whatever is trendy. So I won't be embarrassed for not having read Sherlock Holmes.

I will say though, reading this has gotten me interested in reading the classic. While reading A Knife In The Fog, I learned about Doyle and was introduced to the inspiration for his stories. I'm especially excited to learn more about Margaret Harkness who is absolutely kick ass!

I've read a few books this year where there are many characters who I don't like, or can't stand. In this story, every character was likable! It was so refreshing. When characters are likable you easily want to get lost in the story, because your guides are well written and great company.

The chapters were short, but I feel like that helped break up the story and the scenes. It felt like the story was constantly moving forward without giving me whiplash. I guess the pace felt slow enough that I could really appreciate the details in the investigation, but fast enough that I didn't get bored. And even though there were murders going on, I really enjoyed the read, and didn't feel any anxiety the way I was expecting to.

I just happened to be incredibly excited for fall as well, so finding myself dropped in the middle of a chilly London fall was perfect. I was even lucky enough to have it rain some of the days as I was reading.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book! I don't want to just recommend it though. I want to give you an experience. So without further ado:

Recommended Book Pairings!

Summer is winding down. Fall is approaching. Outside there's a small chill that creeps up as the sun sets, earlier and earlier each day.

It's evening and you're curling up with A Knife In The Fog after a long day's work.

You're wrapped up in a yak wool blanket from Curious Yak. These are the warmest and lightest blankets, and so soft! There's nothing itchy or scratchy about them, the way you might imagine when you hear the word 'wool.'

Beside you, on your end table, in your Ron Swanson mug, (or any mug of your choice, but honestly, that quizzical brow is just the kind of questioning you need while trying to solve a murder), you have a hot London Fog.

A London Fog is essentially a latte, but with earl grey tea, instead of espresso.

I made this using Cream of Earl Grey from David's Tea. You can get it here!

Fill your mug half way with hot water, and add twice the tea you would normally add to a full cup. For a regular sized mug, I used two Tbsp. Steep the tea for 4-5 minutes depending on how strong you like your tea. You do not want to leave it in too long, because the tea leaves can start to taste bitter. You also don't want the water too hot, because the leaves can burn.

In the meantime, bring some milk to a boil in a saucepan on the stove. If you want to get fancy, you can use a frother to add foam to your latte. I skipped that and it was still enjoyable.

When 4-5 minutes have passed, strain the tea leaves from the hot water. Pour in the hot milk, aiming for equal parts tea and milk. You can adjust this to your taste if you like. I used skim milk, but if you're using whole milk and find it's too creamy, use more tea and less milk. I also added one splenda to mine, even though the touch vanilla in this blend adds a little sweetness already.

Last but not least, what's a relaxing evening without dessert? I absolutely love biscottis and Aldi has these amazing almond and dark chocolate biscottis. They're perfect to dunk in a hot London Fog.

Disclaimer: Earl Grey teas are typically high in caffeine, so maybe you want this for a weekend afternoon, rather than an evening. Either way you should definitely add A Knife In The Fog to your fall festivities. It's such an enjoyable book, and I can't think of a cozier way to spend chilly fall days then falling headfirst into this book!

I enjoyed this book so much, that I will be giving away a copy! Visit my Instagram for your chance to win!

If you're interested in a second opinion on this book, check out reviews from other bloggers who have posted their reviews as part of the 'A Knife In The Fog' blog tour!