The Unknown Beloved by Amy Harmon - Book Review

The Unknown Beloved by Amy Harmon

Publication Date: 19th April 2022

Genre: Historical Fiction, Mystery 

3.8 Stars 

One Liner: A few hits and misses; mixed feelings 

Chicago, 1923: Dani Flanagan comes home to find her parents dead and police handling the crime scene. It’s her tenth birthday the next day, and Dani is overwhelmed by the loss of her parents. A young beat constable, Michael Malone, is assigned to take care of her and keep her away from the scene. 

Cleveland, 1938: Twenty-five years later, Dani is living with her aunts (her mother’s sisters). They are a family of seamstresses with royal connections. But the tough times have made it hard for everyone, including them. People are scraping by, and things would have been better if not for a mysterious Torso Murderer or The Butcher on loose. 

It seems that the Butcher likes to kill people at random and chop them into neat pieces. Eliot Ness is on the case but with not much progress. When Malone goes to Cleveland on personal business, Ness convinces him to stay back and help solve the case. 

Malone and Dani’s paths soon cross. Malone is attracted to Dani and her unexplainable connection with fabrics. He can’t help but notice that she is now a beautiful young woman with many talents. With the Butcher still hacking his victims, Malone takes Dani’s help to solve the case. 

Will the duo be able to find the killer, or will they end up as victims? What does the future hold for Dani and Malone? 

What I Liked: 

• The book seamlessly blends history and fiction. Ness, David Cowles, Fronek, Dr. Edward Peterka, Al Capone, Mysterious Mike (our Malone), and a few other characters are real people. The Torso Murder is a true crime that was never solved despite so many people working on it for months. 

• The characters are well-etched, no matter how small their role is. Derby is one such example. The setting, too, is clear and easy to visualize. 

• Dani’s psychic talent has been beautifully presented. I loved the scenes where she 'feels' the clothes to read more about the people who wore them. 

• The romance between Dani and Malone progresses over time and doesn’t feel rushed. The vibes of reading a historical romance are apparent. Despite the age difference, the romance works very well. 

What Didn’t Work for Me:

The book is slow… I mean, very slow. It feels like placing one foot in front of another and taking baby steps toward a far away ending. I finished it in 4 days because I speed-read more than half of it. 

It’s not until 50% that things start to make little sense. Moreover, the murders (and bodies) are described in detail. That wasn’t a problem for me. I’m used to it, and the tone is a matter of fact. However, sensitive readers might have a hard time reading about so many hacked bodies as the list goes on and on. 

The climax might feel a little disappointing for those who aren’t aware of the real story. The author did take a few liberties to provide a satisfying ending, but she still had to stay true to the details. Reading about the Torso Murders will prepare the readers to understand the ending. It fits if you know what happened. The author’s note is detailed and helps to a great extent. Since it comes after the book ends, better be prepared in advance. 

Some reviews ask readers not to read about the actual crime before starting the book. That’s a valid point if you want to focus on the mystery element. The suspense keeps you hooked but only if you aren’t put off by the slow pace. You’ll have to decide based on how you feel after reading the first 40%. That’s what I did. 

To sum up, The Unknown Beloved is a good book with interesting elements but fails to work its magic on me. It leaves me with mixed feelings. 

Thank you, NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing, for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. 

#NetGalley #TheUnknownBeloved 

PS: I love the details on the cover. They make more sense after reading the book.