The Bridge to Belle Island

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.