"Curtain Call" by Jennifer AlLee & Lisa Karon Richardson

About this book:

  “After the loss of her right leg from the knee down, Emily Forbes has focused on becoming a renowned opera singer. When at last it seems her dream is within reach, she ignores the concern of her detective brother and heads off to New York City, where she lands the lead role in a performance. While promoting the production, she hears a familiar name: DeKlerk. Soon she's digging through the only case her brother never closed.
  Samuel DeKlerk is a respected physician. After serving in the Civil War and witnessing the devastating effects of privation and war on fellow soldiers' physical and mental well-being, he shifts his clinical interests to diseases of the mind. He's now an alienist a doctor to the mad with little time for frivolity. He agrees to invest in the opera, in the memory of his sister, Sarah, who was murdered by a yet nameless killer. When he catches Emily Forbes prying into the past, his life is upended again.
  As they work to solve a case gone cold, determined to bring Sarah's killer to justice, tolerance for each other turns to mutual respect. Might love be waiting for them in the final act?”


Series: The final book in the “Charms and Deceit” trilogy. Reviews of Book #1 Here! and #2 Here!


Spiritual Content- A few Scriptures are remembered & mentioned; Prayers & Thanking God; Talks about God; ‘H’s are capital when referring to God; Mentions of God; Mentions of prayers & praying; Mentions of those, events, & places in the Bible; Mentions of thanking God; Mentions of blessings; Mentions of when Emily doubted God; A few mentions of Emily’s singing sounding like an angel; A couple mentions of sins; A mention of a miracle;

             *Note: A mention of Venus; A mention of Medusa; A mention of a godforsaken city; A mention of a devil-may-care attitude.

Negative Content- Minor cussing including: a ‘drat’, a ‘dumb’, an ‘idiot’, a ‘shut up’, and a ‘stupid’; Some eye rolling; Pain, Being shot, Held at gunpoint, Threated, Slapped, Passing out, & Blood/Bleeding (up to semi-detailed); Almost being hit by a statue & a carriage accident (barely-above-not-detailed); Many mentions of murders, murderers, & how they happened (barely-above-not-detailed to semi-detailed); Mentions of a war, fighting, deaths/murders, doing doctor stuff, injuries, & blood/bleeding (up to semi-detailed); Mentions of poisons, being drugged, & being murdered; Mentions of thieves, being robbed, & when Emily was shot and her parents killed; Mentions of pain, being tied-up, shot, gunfire, & blood/bleeding (barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of suicides, attempted suicides, how they did/tried it, & blood (barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of a falling statue, almost being hit, & a carriage accident; Mentions of violence; Mentions of being held at gunpoint & an intruder; Mentions of duels, shooting someone, & prison; Mentions of crimes; Mentions of threats & bribes; Mentions of alcohol, drinking, & drunks; Mentions of lies & lying; Mentions of gossip & rumors; A few mentions of gangs & their wars; A few mentions of domestic abuse & injuries; A few mentions of tobacco & smoking; A few mentions of tattoos; A few mentions of throwing up; A few mentions of nightmares; A couple mentions of hangings; A couple mentions of jealousy; A mention of cheating.

Sexual Content- three hand kisses, two forehead kisses, a few not-detailed kisses, and a semi-detailed kiss; Touches, Warmth, & Blushes (barely-above-not-detailed); Noticing; Mentions of a girl running away with her beau to elope; Mentions of reputations, virtues, & chaperones; A few mentions of hand kisses; A few mentions of jealousy;

             *Note: Mentions of a man’s bare chest & muscles (border-line barely-above-not-detailed // semi-detailed); A couple mentions of lingerie; A couple mentions of Emily being hooted & grabbed at.

-Emily Forbes

-Samuel DeKlerk
                                P.O.V. switches between them

                                              Set in 1868
                                                        254 pages

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Pre Teens-

New Teens-

Early High School Teens-

Older High School Teens-

My personal Rating-

While I didn’t enjoy this one as much as the first or even the second book, I did enjoy reading about Emily and Sam, but especially liked the last few chapters. I liked that Emily was different from most heroines.

This was a fun series that had a mystery in each book with a bit of suspense here and there, but also had some pretty good Spiritual Content. :)

See y’all on Friday with a new review!

*BFCG may (Read the review to see) recommend this book by this author. It does not mean I recommend all the books by this author.