Audiobook Review: Murder at Queen's Landing by Andrea Penrose

Murder at Queen's Landing
Author: Andrea Penrose
Narrator: James Cameron Stewart
Series: Wrexford & Sloane Mystery (Book 4)
Publication: Tantor Audio (September 29, 2020)
Length: 13 hours and 4 minutes

Description: The many strands of a dark mystery entangle Lady Charlotte Sloane and the Earl of Wrexford in a dangerous web of secrets and lies that will call into question how much they really know about the people they hold dear—and about each other . . .

When Lady Cordelia, a brilliant mathematician, and her brother, Lord Woodbridge, disappear from London, rumors swirl concerning fraudulent bank loans and a secret consortium engaged in an illicit—and highly profitable—trading scheme that threatens the entire British economy. The incriminating evidence mounts, but for Charlotte and Wrexford, it’s a question of loyalty and friendship. And so they begin a new investigation to clear the siblings’ names, uncover their whereabouts, and unravel the truth behind the whispers.

Charlotte and Wrexford also struggle to navigate their increasingly complex feelings for each other. But the clock is ticking—a cunning mastermind has emerged . . . along with some unexpected allies—and Charlotte and Wrexford must race to prevent myriad disasters as they are forced into a dangerous game of wits in an attempt to beat the enemy at his own game.

My Thoughts: The fourth Wrexford and Sloane mystery begins with the murder of a clerk for the East India Company being murdered on the docks. At first this doesn't seem like a case that would be of interest to Lady Charlotte or the Earl of Wrexford, but when Charlotte's friend Lady Cordelia and her brother get involved, Charlotte and Wrexford become determined to find out the truth. 

When Cordelia and her brother Lord Woodbridge disappear, the hunt is on. This time they have a lot of allies to call on from Charlotte's young wards to her great-aunt and all of the contacts Charlotte has made in her career as political cartoonist A. J. Quill. Wrexford has a wide variety of allies too from a Scottish surgeon to a Bow Street runner. 

The more they search and the more they learn the more they feel that this will be their most difficult case. This time there seems to be a conspiracy working within the East India Company who are smuggling opium to China and hatching arbitrage schemes to gain vast wealth. And math genius Lady Cordelia and a retired inventor are being blackmailed into working on a calculating engine to help the conspiracy carry out their crimes. 

This was an excellent entry into the Wrexford and Sloane series. I like the historical detail. I also like that Wrexford and Charlotte have finally acknowledged their love for each other which ends in a proposal of marriage. 

I bought this one at Chirp October 22, 2022. It is also available in the Audible Plus catalog. You can buy your copy here.