Author: Ava January
Publication: Crooked Lane Books (April 23, 2024)
Description: A witty, feminist mystery set in the heart of nineteenth-century London, this daring adventure featuring an intrepid woman detective will thrill fans of Deanna Raybourn and Katharine Schellman.
London, 1894. Albertine Honeycombe never wanted a husband and certainly not the one with fifteen children that her cousin, Aubrey, is trying to marry her off to. She reinvents herself as Countess Von Dagga, a private detective aiding the upper echelons of women in society. As the Countess, she is a married woman, with a conveniently absent husband who doesn’t exist, which allows her far more freedom than being single.
When Lord Grendel, from whom she has recovered blackmail letters, is murdered, Albertine is suspect number one—having been the last person to see him. And when the Duke of Erleigh comes looking for her utterly fictitious husband, she realizes she has landed herself in hot water, without a tea bag. When Albertine also becomes the prime suspect in her fictional husband’s death, things are looking grim.
My Thoughts: Albertine Honeycombe has fled an unwanted marriage along with her maid Joan. They have come to London to follow up on dreams held by Albertine's brother Algie before his death. His goal for the two of them was always to set up a detective agency like that of Sherlock Holmes and Watson.
In order to begin this, Albertine has made up a new name and a new fake husband so that she can claim a place in society and begin working. However, jobs are infrequent and generally the society women who asks for her help doesn't see any reason to pay for it. Her latest job is retrieving some blackmail letters from the safe of an unscrupulous gentleman. She finds the letters but is disturbed by the gentleman and is forced to use a sleeping potion developed by her father in order to get away.
Unfortunately, someone else came upon the sleep aristocrat and strangled him. This murder brings her to the attention of Scotland Yard in the person of Spencer Sweetman who, after a successful career at Scotland Yard, has inherited the title of Duke of Erleigh after the unexpected death of his brother. Spencer had never wanted to be the Duke. He preferred the relative freedom he had without the burdons of the dukedom.
Spencer finds himself the new public face of Albertine's detective agency as he investigates the possibility that she murdered Lord Grendel and possibly her spouse too. Aiding in throwing suspicion Albertine's way is Lord Wallop, a gambling cheat whose crimes Albertine exposed.
Neither Spencer nor Albertine were looking for love when they met, but love found them anyway. Before they can live happily ever after, they will have to deal with accusations of murder, false imprisonment, and lies each has told.
This was an entertaining historical mystery/romance with interesting characters.
Favorite Quote:
Favorite Quote:
"I run a somewhat...that is...it's a detective agency." She didn't sound too certain. There was a long pause and she met his gaze. "There are times when we require the assistance of a man person.""A man person," Spencer repeated, schooling his features.
I would like to read this. Pity it’s archived already.
ReplyDelete