Posted on by Maureen

The Case of the Missing Marquess by Nancy Springer

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I first listened to the audiobooks of Nancy Springer’s Enola Holmes series when my girls were very young. Now that they are older, I thought it would be a good time to introduce them to this delightful series.

The Case of the Missing Marquess is the first book in the Enola Holmes series. As you may have guessed from the surname, Enola is Sherlock and Mycroft’s sister. At fourteen, she is much younger than her brothers, and in fact, has not seen them in over ten years. But when her mother disappears mysteriously, Enola summons them to the Holmes countryside estate. There are very few clues as to where Mrs. Holmes may have gone, and Sherlock and Mycroft determine that the best course of action is for Enola to enroll in a boarding school. She has been raised quite unconventionally, and does not know any of the social graces that she ought to know by the age of fourteen.

Enola objects to this plan, so she runs away. She stumbles, quite unexpectedly into the disappearance of a young marquess. She proves to be quite astute at determining where a young aristocrat might bolt if he grew weary of his pampered life. Things look quite dicey for awhile, but Enola is a fighter, and is much more clever than her brothers could have possibly imagined. Read more

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Murder on Black Swan Lane by Andrea Penrose

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I received a digital copy of this book from Netgalley/the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Murder on Black Swan Lane was written by Andrea Penrose. This mystery, set during the Regency era, is the first in a new series featuring the delightfully dynamic duo of Wrexford and Sloane.

When the charismatic Reverend Josiah Holworthy is found murdered in a church, it is a shocking crime. Suspicion falls on The Earl of Wrexford, who has been known to be one of the targets of Holworthy’s sermons against debauchery. Wrexford didn’t do it, of course, but can he convince Bow Street of his innocence? Read more

Posted on by Maureen

Duke with Benefits (Studies in Scandal) by Manda Collins

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I received a copy of this book from Netgalley/the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Duke With Benefits is the second book in Manda Collins’ Studies in Scandal series of Regency romances.   I enjoyed the first book in the series- Ready Set Rogue; Daphne and Maitland had some delightful interactions as secondary characters, so I was very excited when I found out that they were the main characters in the second book of the series.

Daphne is a mathematical genius, and her arrival at Beauchamp House provides her with the opportunity for independence from her n’er do well father. Daphne also has a secret that she has been keeping from her new friends- it appears that Celeste Beauchamp wanted her to solve a cipher. As legend has it, the solution to the cipher leads to an enormous treasure. Read more

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Do You Want to Start a Scandal by Tessa Dare

 

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I recently listened to the Audible edition of Tessa Dare’s Do You Want To Start a Scandal after purchasing the Kindle edition and adding the audiobook at a discounted price.

Even though the basis of the plot utilizes a fairly common trope- the forced engagement- it is apparent even from the beginning that this is going to be a rather unconventional story. To begin with, a young child claims that he heard noises coming from the library in which our hero and heroine are discovered. But wait, there’s more- the aforementioned child then proceeds to imitate the noises he heard. This, of course, shocks the house party guests, but it had me doubling over with laughter.

It should be noted that although Charlotte and Piers were in the library together, they were not, as Piers so eloquently puts it, the “mystery tuppers”. However, he declares his intention to marry Charlotte to preserve her reputation. Charlotte is less than pleased with this development; her mother is a known schemer, and the consensus is that Charlotte has tricked/trapped Piers into marriage. Read more

Posted on by Maureen

Murder Between the Lines by Radha Vatsal

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I received a digital copy of this book from Netgalley/the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Murder Between the Lines is the second book in Radha Vatsal’s Kitty Weeks mystery series. These books take place during World War I- but before the United States has entered the war. Kitty is a young woman who works as a newspaper reporter for the Ladies’ Page of The New York Sentinel. She doesn’t intend to become a detective, but her dedication to discovering the truth compels her to pursue irregularities until victims receive the justice they deserve.

In this book, a routine story about a girls’ boarding school places Kitty back in investigator mode. At the school, Kitty meets a bright girl named Elspeth. They arrange to get together when Elspeth returns home for Christmas vacation. She is excited about something she wants to tell Kitty, but the next morning, Elspeth is found outside- dead. The death is labeled a tragic accident, a side effect of Elspeth’s childhood sleepwalking. Naturally, Kitty is suspicious, and as she probes deeper, she realizes that she has every reason to feel that way. Read more

Posted on by Maureen

Duels & Deception by Cindy Anstey

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I received a digital copy of this book from Netgalley/the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Duels & Deception is a YA novel written by Cindy Anstey. I thoroughly enjoyed reading her first book- Love, Lies and Spies– so I was looking forward to returning to the Regency era and reading this book.

Miss Lydia Whitfield is an heiress. She does not harbor very many romantic sentiments, and plans to marry the baron whose estate borders her own. This is far from a love match, but aligning her fortune with his ancient name seems to be the best possible outcome. Read more

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I Dared the Duke by Anna Bennett

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I received a digital copy of this book from Netgalley/the publisher.

I Dared the Duke is a historical romance novel by Anna Bennett. It’s set during the Regency era, which is one of my favorite eras.

Beth Lacey is working as a companion to the Dowager Duchess of Blackshire. Her days are not terribly exciting, but that changes when the Duke of Blackshire decides to take up residence in his London home- the same home where the Dowager Duchess and Beth are currently living. The Dowager Duchess is thrilled to see her precious grandson, but Beth is wary of the grumpy duke with the fierce disposition. Read more

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Where the Dead Lie by C.S. Harris

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I received a copy of this book from Netgalley/the publishers in exchange for an honest review.

When it comes to the mystery genre of fiction, I prefer historical settings to contemporary. I have not read any of C.S. Harris’ Sebastian St. Cyr mysteries, but I’m always pleased to discover new authors/series.

Where the Dead Lie is the 12th book in the Sebastian St. Cyr series. Sebastian finds himself immersed in London’s sordid underworld after the body of a boy turns up in a hastily dug grave. The boy has not just been murdered; he has been brutalized, and Sebastian becomes obsessed with finding out who would be depraved enough to such horrible things to a child. As he progresses with his investigation, Sebastian discovers that multiple children have gone missing from some of London’s poorest neighborhoods. Did these street children simply leave in search of better opportunities or is there something more sinister at play? Read more

Posted on by Maureen · 2 Comments

The Best Mistake Mystery by Sylvia McNicoll

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I received a copy of this book from Netgalley/the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

The Best Mistake Mystery is a middle grade novel written by Sylvia McNicoll. Stephen Nobel doesn’t really fit in with the other kids at school, especially after his best friend moved away last year. Stephen tends to hyperfocus on his mistakes, but he takes pleasure in helping his father with the family dog walking business. Read more

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Sherlock Sam and the Sinister Letters in Bras Basah by A.J. Low

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I received a copy of this book from Netgalley/the publishers in exchange for an honest review.

Sherlock Sam and the Sinister Letters in Bras Basah is the third book in A.J. Low’s Sherlock Sam series. Sherlock Sam is a young boy who lives in Singapore and solves mysteries with his friends and robot sidekick. In this book, Sam and his friends participate in an exchange program and spend a week attending an international school. This coincides with Sam being tasked with finding out who is sending threatening letters to an author via his son who attends the international school.  Of course, the island is in the middle of a chain mail letter game, so it seems almost impossible to figure out who is sending the threatening letters! Read more