Month: August 2019

Murder At Kensington Palace by Andrea Penrose

On By BarbaraIn Barb's Reviews, Historical Mystery, Regency Era (1811-1820), Top Pick - Highly RecommendedLeave a comment

Murder at Kensington Palace (A Wrexford & Sloane Mystery Book 3)Murder at Kensington Palace by Andrea Penrose

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Series: A Wrexford & Sloane Mystery #3
Publication Date: 9/24/19
Number of Pages: 304

Yet another book in the Wrexford & Soane series that I couldn’t put down once I’d started reading. I mean, really, when you have science, art, murder, and romance all in one lively, compelling, intricately woven story you just absolutely cannot put it down. You COULD read this as a stand-alone, but I wouldn’t recommend it simply because the first two books lay the groundwork for the relationship between the main characters and the secondary characters – besides, they are just darned good reads!

Charlotte’s life is about to change – totally – not from her desire, but from a need to save the life of her closest childhood friend, her cousin Nicholas. Charlotte will sacrifice most anything, even her hard-won independence, to free her cousin, but the decision fills her with trepidations. Can she do it? What if she makes the sacrifice and she’s still not successful?

The romance between Wrexford and Charlotte Sloane is a tenuous one. Well – perhaps tenuous isn’t the right word – they are each denying it to themselves, but it comes out in the actions they take, in their thoughts and their terror when the other is in danger. They are about to get on my last nerve! They need to get on with it already! I’m ready for them to be a real team – living and working together.

The weasels (Hawk and Raven) are as entertaining as ever – and dressing them up in fancy clothes doesn’t change them one whit. They have been my favorite secondary characters (shux – they are almost primary characters) from the beginning. We also get to spend time with Kit Sheffield and Basil Henning and I love that. Maybe we have a love interest for Sheffield – I’d really like that. Aunt Alison, the Dowager Marchioness of Peake, was a delightful addition to the cast and I hope we see more of her in future books.

Most of the villains get their just desserts, but one was left standing. Granted, he wasn’t hands-on, but he definitely knew what was going on and enabled its happening – so – I wanted to see him go down in some way or another.

The gist of the story – and it is a really good one – is that Cedric and Nicholas were Charlotte’s best friends (and cousins) as they were growing up and she loved them like brothers. They encouraged her to be the independent, strong woman that she is. However, she hasn’t seen them for several years and when she finally hears something about them, it is to learn that Cedric has been murdered and Nicholas has been arrested for it. Charlotte knows, in her heart, that there is no way Nicholas would murder his twin brother. However, knowing something in your heart and being able to find evidence to prove it are two entirely different things. Charlotte and Wrexford are up against some very sly and devious murderers – with not a hint of who they might be or why they did it. Charlotte and the weasels engage their extensive network of informants, but information is still scarce. Time is running out. Can Charlotte and Wrexford save the day? Can Wrexford save Charlotte?

I absolutely love how the author weaves details of the science of the times into these tales. That time was such an important one for the science and achievements we have today and all of that is seamlessly woven into the story.

This author is a master storyteller and I highly recommend this story and this series in total.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

A Duke A Dozen by Shana Galen

On By BarbaraIn Barb's Reviews, Regency Era (1811-1820)Leave a comment

A Duke a Dozen (The Survivors, #6)My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Series: The Survivors #6
Publication Date: 9/3/19
Number of Pages: 249

The Survivors are the twelve remaining members of a suicide squad formed to help defeat Napoleon at any cost. Eighteen members of that squad didn’t return and those who did have vowed to assure they aren’t forgotten. They also still protect each other.

Phineas Leopold Duncombe (Phin) is, unexpectedly, the ninth Duke of Mayne. He should never have been a duke. He never wanted to be a duke. He still doesn’t want to be a duke but knows he has no choice. Although the mantle chaffs a bit, he fully intends to do his duty to the estate and his tenants. Phin had four older brothers, there was certainly no reason for him to suspect that he’d ever be a duke – but here he is. This dukedom is doomed – cursed – because each of his brothers died because of some stupid, totally preventable accident. His sisters seem to be the only safe ones – he has two of those – one who hasn’t made her come out and one who is married with two daughters and a son.

Annabel, Lady Longstowe, was married off at barely eighteen to a cold, cruel man who was old enough to be her grandfather. He abused her in every way possible until he finally did her the favor of dying. After all of those years of sexual, mental and physical abuse, she didn’t know what to do with herself and made a couple of mistakes in the friends she chose. Even though she wasn’t promiscuous or wanton, she earned the nickname – the Wanton Widow and was ostracized from society. If she goes out, women avoid her and gossip about her while the men ogle her. One of the cruelest things her husband ever did to her was taking her baby daughter away and not telling her what he’d done with her. Annabel has looked for the baby – who would now be twenty – for years and has been totally unsuccessful. She needs help – powerful help.

Phin’s brother Richard died only a few weeks ago and he’s still trying to come to grips with it. He’d spent weeks shadowing Richard trying to keep him from suffering a freak accident like his other brothers – the one night he wasn’t there – the unthinkable happened. Phin is floundering a bit and decides to go to the home of the Wanton Widow to see what happened on his brother’s last night alive. At least, that is what he told himself when he showed up at her door. She quickly put him in his place and he left with his tail between his legs assuming he’d never see or hear from her again.

Annabel quickly realizes that the powerful help she needs might have just walked out her door. She decides that she’ll approach him, offer him anything – including herself if he’ll help her find her daughter.

I loved Phin. He is one of the most honorable, loving, sweetest heroes I read in a while. I also liked Annabel and could feel her pain. As a bonus, we also get an additional romance that is lovely.

I could have easily said this was a 5-star book had it not been for the glaring inaccuracy that the villain/plot was based upon. The sad thing is – it could so easily have been fixed with just five minutes worth of research. There is absolutely no way that Phin’s title could have been inherited by the one mentioned in the story.

It is definitely a good read – lighthearted, romantic, exciting – I enjoyed the story.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.