Category: Victorian Era (1837-1901)

In the history of the United Kingdom, the Victorian era was the period of Queen Victoria’s reign, from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. The era followed the Georgian period and preceded the Edwardian period, and its later half overlaps with the first part of the Belle Époque era of continental Europe.
Preceded by: Regency era
Followed by: Edwardian era
Monarch: Victoria

A Murder in Mayfair by Magda Alexander

On By BarbaraIn Audiobook, Barb's Reviews, Historical Mystery, New To Me Author, Part of a Series, Victorian Era (1837-1901)Leave a comment

A Murder in Mayfair (Rosalynd and Steele Mysteries #1)Barbara’s rating: 4.4 out of 5 Stars
Series: Rosalynd and Steele Mysteries
Publication Date: 5/31/25
Period: Victorian London
Number of Pages: 266

Although this author has published several books, this is the first one I’ve read, making her a new-to-me author. I thoroughly enjoyed the mystery, the pacing, the writing, and the characters. In fact, I have already read the second book in the series because I wanted to see whether the female main character continued exhibiting a particular trait I noticed in this installment. She did, and I’ll discuss that below.

I should also mention that this is a very slow-burn romance. Having read the first two books and the blurbs for the third and fourth, I haven’t seen any indication of a wedding on the horizon. Personally, three books is about my limit for a slow-burn romance, so after the fourth book I’ll decide whether I want to continue the series.

The story follows the Duke of Steele and Lady Rosalynd as they investigate the murder of Rosalynd’s cousin-in-law. No one is particularly saddened by the victim’s demise—he was a thoroughly unpleasant man—but when Rosalynd’s cousin and Steele’s brother become not only suspects, but the primary targets of an inept Scotland Yard inspector, Rosalynd and Steele know they must uncover the truth themselves.

The mystery is filled with red herrings, potential suspects, and unexpected twists. While I suspected the culprit and motive fairly early on, I still thoroughly enjoyed watching the story unfold to see whether my suspicions were correct.

Now, about Lady Rosalynd. I absolutely adore her family. She is the second oldest of nine children, and they are all precocious, boisterous, well-loved, and genuinely happy. Following the deaths of her parents, Rosalynd decided she would never marry because she believed her younger siblings needed her care and guidance. No one asked her to make that sacrifice—she simply assumed the responsibility herself. She is also deeply committed to social reform, and her older brother grants her the freedom to pursue the causes she believes in. Her devotion to both her family and her principles is admirable.

What I find less admirable is her tendency to be foolhardy. It seems to be a trait many authors assign to female characters intended to be perceived as “strong.” Rosalynd repeatedly places herself in obviously dangerous situations and then resents being rescued by the hero. To me, true strength includes recognizing genuine danger and taking sensible precautions. Instead, Rosalynd often acts recklessly and then berates the very person who saves her. I had hoped this tendency would diminish in later books, but it appears to continue. It isn’t enough to stop me from reading the series, but it does leave me wondering why authors rely on this particular character trope so often.

The Duke of Steele is a compelling hero. Handsome, intelligent, and influential, he takes his responsibilities in Parliament very seriously and understands how to wield his power effectively. A widower who lost both his wife and child in childbirth years ago, he has sworn never to marry again. He has two brothers: Philip, the youngest, who takes center stage in the next book, and Nicholas, the middle brother, who plays a significant role in this one. I’m looking forward to seeing how the family dynamics evolve as the series progresses.

I enjoyed this book both in print and audio format. The narrator has a wonderfully smooth, mellow voice, and her delivery is well-paced and highly expressive. She does an excellent job bringing the story and characters to life.

Overall, this was an enjoyable introduction to a new author, and I’m eager to continue with the series to see where both the mysteries and relationships lead.

Happy Reading!

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A Proud Woman by Sarah F. Noel

On By BarbaraIn Audiobook, Barb's Reviews, Debut Novel, Historical Mystery, New To Me Author, Part of a Series, Victorian Era (1837-1901)Leave a comment

A Proud Woman (Tabitha & Wolf Historical Mystery #1)Barbara’s rating: 4 out of 5 Stars
Series: Tabitha & Wolf Historical Mystery #1
Publication Date: 6/1/23
Period: Victorian London – 1897
Number of Pages: 262
Format: Audiobook Narrator: Vicki-Jo Eva

Sarah F. Noel is a new-to-me author, and I’m glad to have discovered her and this series. It was nice to discover that she has added a new series featuring two characters from this current series. I enjoyed this book well enough that I purchased the book and audio for the first thirteen of the seventeen books in the series. I have already gone through the first four books and will be writing successive reviews for those four. This review won’t be as book-specific as I normally do because I want to share more about the series since it is the first book. I will add that the gist of the story is that Mickey D, a crime lord from Wolf’s past, comes to ask for Wolf’s help in solving a crime that he’s afraid will be blamed on a member of his family. Since Wolf is in Mickey D’s debt, he cannot refuse. Tabitha, of course, demands to help as well.

The series features Tabitha Chesterton, the widowed Countess of Pembroke, and Jeremy Chesterton, the new Earl of Pembroke, who is a long-lost cousin to the former Earl. We will follow these two main characters as Jeremy (Wolf) is called upon to solve mysteries (murders) because of his former profession as a thief taker. We will also follow these two characters as their relationship develops. I have looked ahead, and I can tell you the romance is a very slow-burn that has tried my patience through the four books I have already completed. I think the wedding comes somewhere around book eight.

There is a growing coterie of characters who seem to show up in the books. I’m sure some will enter and leave as the storylines require, but it seems most are featured from book to book.

• Dowager Countess of Pembroke: She is one of the most onerous, aggravating, and annoying characters I have ever read. She also seems to be featured prominently in every book, and I cannot fathom why. I’ve tried to view her as the comic relief, but that doesn’t usually work for long before I’m wishing she’d fall into a hole. However, to provoke that strong reaction in me, she must be a very well-written character.

• Bear: Wolf’s best friend and business partner from the thief-taker days. He’s a gentle giant who loves drawing and his mother. He’s large with lots of dark hair, which gave him his name. He’s struggling to find his place in Wolf’s new world.

• Melody and Rat: Four-year-old Melody and eight-year-old Rat (Mat) are brother and sister street urchins who are taken in by Tabitha. Note: The second series, The Continental Capers of Melody Chesterton, features Melody and, I assume, Rat after they are older. I think ALL of the adults in the series kowtow too much to these children. Just another note: all of these nicknames drive me nuts, but I still like the series.

• Other characters are added as the series progresses, but I’ll list those as we go through them.

The narration was good. I enjoyed the narrator’s voice, and the pacing was well done. That said, there wasn’t much differentiation between character voices. I couldn’t always tell whether Tabitha or Wolf was speaking. I could, however, always tell when the Dowager Countess was speaking. Another thing I noticed was the narrator sometimes changed words from what was written – using ‘but’ rather than ‘however’. She also used the word ‘okay’ in the narration when it wasn’t in the text of the book. Still, an enjoyable listen throughout the series.

I enjoyed this book; it was an excellent mystery with a surprise ending. I could have done with less of the Dowager Countess, but I still enjoyed Tabitha, Wolf, Bear, and the children. If you are looking for a longer historical mystery series to try, I can recommend this one. Happy reading and listening!