Join us on a literary world trip!
Add this book to bookshelf
Grey
Write a new comment Default profile 50px
Grey
Subscribe to read the full book or read the first pages for free!
All characters reduced
An Open Verdict - cover

An Open Verdict

Mary Elizabeth Braddon

Publisher: Interactive Media

  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

Summary

An Open Verdict is a Victorian novel of social intrigue, hidden motives, and moral ambiguity. In a close-knit English village, Beatrix Harefield struggles under the shadow of her reclusive father and the expectations of polite society. As matchmaking schemes, romance, and secrets intertwine, suspicion clouds personal relationships. Braddon explores love, reputation, and the uncertainty of truth, where judgment remains suspended between appearance and reality.
Available since: 01/03/2026.
Print length: 200 pages.

Other books that might interest you

  • Impact Zone - cover

    Impact Zone

    Anonymous

    • 0
    • 0
    • 0
    Ride along on the riveting cases of the Tactical Crime Division — TCD. An elite team of FBI agents specializing in high-risk threats.When Grand Rapids falls victim to a serial bomber, the Tactical Crime Division launches into action.Veteran TCD special agent Max McRay is the definition of unflappable. But when a serial bomber wreaks havoc in the town where his ex-wife, Allie, and infant son live, suddenly a high-profile case becomes personal. The bomber is ruthless…and now Max’s family is in his sights. Can the TCD stop this killer’s deadly rampage before Max and Allie pay with their lives?From Harlequin Intrigue: Seek thrills. Solve crimes. Justice served.Discover the lives and loves of the remaining team members in the Tactical Crime Division: Traverse City series:Book 1: Rookie Instincts by Carol EricsonBook 2: Toxin Alert by Tyler Anne SnellBook 3: Impact Zone by Julie Anne LindseyBook 4: Hunting a Killer by Nicole Helm
    Show book
  • The House on the Cliff - A BRAND NEW Gripping Gothic Mystery with Dark Secrets Ghostly Hauntings and a Disappearance That Echoes Through Time - cover

    The House on the Cliff - A BRAND...

    Victoria Scott

    • 0
    • 0
    • 0
    A BRAND NEW, spell-binding historical mystery of forbidden love and buried secrets from the bestselling author of The Storyteller's Daughter 🕯️✨ Perfect for fans of Evie Woods, Kate Storey and Lucinda Riley! 
    On the wild Cornish coast, love and loss echo through the halls of Hallows Abbey, where the past refuses to stay buried... 
    1966: Standing on the rugged Cornish coast, Hallows Abbey can be a lonely place for the boys boarding there. For Theresa, however, it offers an escape from her father’s long shadow, and as the school nurse, she tries to be a comfort to those students struggling to adjust to their remote life. But, before the year is over, Theresa will make a terrible decision – and the consequences for the children in her care will change everything… 
    2025: With her own children having just left home, Amanda’s emotions are in turmoil when she arrives at the isolated school where her husband is to be Deputy Head. When she learns of the school’s tragic history, in which a group of boys went out on a boat trip and disappeared, she becomes obsessed with finding out what happened, even when her research risks upsetting the fragile equilibrium of the school. But when she starts to hear voices in the gardens and crying in the halls at night, she begins to wonder if she’s losing her mind. 
    Only one thing seems certain: this corner of Cornwall could well be Amanda’s undoing. 
    Lose yourself in a spellbinding tale of whispers through time... Perfect for fans of Kate Morton, Barbara Erskine, and The Secret of Crickley Hall. ✨📖 
    Praise for Victoria Scott: 
    'A fabuous twisty dual timeline with a hint of spooky season ghost story. I loved it!' – Rachel Burton 
    The twists and turns revealed kept me turning pages way longer than I was meant to stay awake. The way Meredith's mind gets confused as she learns more and more tugged at my heart, and reading Ellen's experiences with her beau and how his mental health was essentially compartmentalised in an era when there wasn't much knowledge was heartwrenching. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 
    'Within the tale, there are elements of the gothic tradition, with old houses, fog, rising waters, stormy weather and more. The reader's pulse rate rises as we are committed to following the action. I thoroughly enjoyed The House In The Water. It consumed me from the start. It was the first book by Victoria Scott but I certainly she she will write more.' ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 
    'Don't you love a dual time line novel? I do and this one is exceptional – I have read the author's earlier work and this is straying into much darker territory, but I think it only serves to show what a great writer she is… Atmospheric, gripping, with huge heart and impossible to put down – the very best sort of book! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Beautiful captivating prose, kept me totally engaged in both timelines.' ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 
    Wonderful. My first by this author but not the last. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 
    'This is definitely a spellbinding and unsettling tale with a dash of romance set in WW2 and 2013 that might haunt your dreams and leave you with a lot to think about! A riveting read.' ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 
    'I was engrossed in the story from the start. May Day House is a rehab house for soldiers during WWII. They are cared for and sent back to war. Years later a couple buys the house which soon appears to be haunted by the soldiers who had been there. It is a great story.' ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
    Show book
  • Come Shell or High Water - cover

    Come Shell or High Water

    Molly MacRae

    • 0
    • 0
    • 0
    As a professional storyteller, Maureen Nash can't help but see the narrative cues woven through her life. Like the series of letters addressed to her late husband from a stranger—the proprietor of The Moon Shell, a shop on Ocracoke Island, off the coast of North Carolina. The store is famous with shell collectors, but it's the cryptic letters from Allen Withrow, the shop's owner, that convince Maureen to travel to the small coastal town in the middle of hurricane season. At the very least, she expects she'll get a good story out of the experience, never anticipating it could end up a murder mystery . . . 
     
     
     
    In Maureen's first hours on the storm-lashed island, she averts several life-threatening accidents, stumbles over the body of a controversial Ocracoke local, and meets the ghost of an eighteenth-century Welsh pirate, Emrys Lloyd. To the untrained eye, all these unusual occurrences would seem to be random misfortunes, but Maureen senses there may be something connecting these stories. With Emrys's supernatural assistance, and the support of a few new friends, Maureen sets out unravel the truth, find a killer, and hopefully give this tale a satisfying ending . . . while also rewriting her own.
    Show book
  • By Appointment Only - cover

    By Appointment Only

    Sandra Kess-Fields

    • 0
    • 0
    • 0
    By Appointment Only marks the thrilling return of Grace, Sam, Maria-Teresa, and Margot—the fearless, wacky sleuths we’ve come to love. Thanks to Grace, the ladies can now proudly call themselves professional investigators. While three of them are content handling routine cases at the newly formed Liu Jones Group Investigations Agency, Grace Liu craves more to fuel her adrenaline.
     
    Grace’s ambition leads her to pursue a high-profile murder case, one she hopes will cement the agency’s reputation as one of the best in Mesa, Arizona. But as the women soon discover, you should be careful what you wish for. They’re hired by an unusual client to solve the murder of local celebrity author Ainsley Chao.
     
    The case pulls the team into a labyrinth of psychological and emotional motives behind Chao’s death. At the same time, Grace privately wrestles with unanswered questions about the reported death of Rhys, her long-time black ops handler and former lover.
     
    Amid the twists, turns, and shocking revelations of the Chao murder, the women face personal growth, forge deeper bonds, and experience heart-pounding excitement that will keep you on the edge of your seat. This second installment masterfully continues the series’ signature blend of intricate mysteries, engaging character narratives, and unwavering honesty.
    Show book
  • The Secret of Chimneys - cover

    The Secret of Chimneys

    Agatha Christie

    • 0
    • 2
    • 0
    At the request of George Lomax, Lord Caterham reluctantly agrees to host a weekend party at his home, Chimneys. A murder occurs in the house, beginning a week of fast-paced events with police among the guests...
    
    The Secret of Chimneys, by master-author Agatha Christie, introduces the much-loved characters of Superintendent Battle and Lady Eileen "Bundle" Brent.
    Show book
  • Death Stage Left: A Mike Atwell Mystery: Book 4 - Mike Atwell Mysteries - cover

    Death Stage Left: A Mike Atwell...

    Steve Higgs, Penelope Cress

    • 0
    • 0
    • 0
    When the curtain falls, so does the body… 
    In the picturesque village of Ashbury, Kent, the local amateur dramatics group is ready to bring *Hamlet* to the stage. But the performance takes a deadly turn when one of their own is found stabbed behind the arras, just like Polonius. Veteran actor and former Hollywood heartthrob, Gerald Temple, now fights for his life in a very different type of theatre - the operating theatre! 
     
    But who would want him dead? It’s not long before rumours of sabotage, secrets, and spite take centre stage. 
     
    Mike Atwell steps into the world of stage lights and scripted lines, to defend the stage manager, Lulu, who has been caught literally red-handed. Lulu also happens to be Mike’s ex-wife Sharon’s cousin - what could go wrong? 
     
    Everyone is playing a part, but someone is hiding a killer role. As Mike navigates feuding actors and hidden rivalries, he must unravel the truth before the final act leads to another deadly encore. 
     
    In this thrilling cosy mystery, where Shakespearean drama meets small-town secrets, nothing is as it seems. Can Mike catch the real murderer or is it curtain’s up for Lulu?
    Show book