Tag: ashley gardner

Murder in the Eternal City by Ashley Gardner

On By BarbaraIn Barb's Reviews, Historical Mystery, Part of a Series, Regency Era (1811-1820)Leave a comment

Murder in the Eternal City (Captain Lacey #16)Barbara’s rating: 5 of 5 stars
Series: Captain Lacey #16
Publication Date: 9/20/22
Period: Regency (1820)
Number of Pages: 314

Goodness, it has been a long dry spell since we’ve had a new Captain Lacey to read – almost two years – 1 year and 10 months actually – but who is counting? The Regency period was much more formal in thought, speech, dress, and actions, and I love how this author holds true to that without the story feeling overly formal or stilted. She really does an outstanding job of conveying the feel of the time without making us feel all prim and starched. This author also writes a great mystery and she’s outdone herself again.

Captain Lacey’s good friend Mr. Grenville has rented a villa in Italy for himself and his family, and he has graciously invited Captain Lacey and his family to join them. The plan is for them all to stay at the villa for a while and then Lacey and Grenville will head south to view the ruins at Pompeii and Herculaneum since the ladies aren’t interested in ruins.

Poor Lacey – he never met a mystery he didn’t want to solve or a person he didn’t want to help. That, of course, always gets him entangled in many troubles. So, that is what happened during their stop-over in Rome. Lacy saw someone he thought he knew, got lost in the backstreets while he was pursuing the man, and then ran smack-dab into another man. Whew! The man he runs into gets Lacey embroiled in his family affairs and the man he thought he knew – well – that man has been dead for over a year. Welcome to Rome Captain Lacey! As if that isn’t enough, Lacey is supposed to make a purchase for Mr. Denis – a major crime boss in London. Whew – again! Things are already so busy you wonder if they’ll ever get to even see the ruins. They do.

There are attempts on Lacey’s life, a man is murdered, the domestic situation still isn’t under control, and everyone keeps wanting Lacey to help them. Danger abounds and Lacey, Brewster, and Grenville are all placed in grave danger at one time or another. Can Lacey figure it all out before someone murders him? Where did all of those antiquities at the murdered man’s house come from? Who was the man he thought he knew? What does a deaf man have to do with any of it?

This was such an interesting and exciting story that I read it all the way through in one sitting. I just couldn’t put it down. You’ll never guess who the murderer is – nor why? It is a tightly woven mystery with many threads to pull and pulling only one thread won’t get you all of the answers.

I highly recommend this book, this author, and this series. It was lovely to visit with all of the series regulars as well – especially Brewster because he always tickles me with his grumbling about Lacey. Yes, it was an exciting, fun read, and I sincerely hope you’ll give the book a read and love it as much as I did. I also sincerely hope it won’t be two years before we get the next book.

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Death at Brighton Pavilion by Ashley Gardner

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

Death at Brighton Pavilion (Captain Lacey Regency Mysteries Book 14)Barbara’s rating: 5 of 5 stars

Series: Captain Lacey Mysteries #14
Publication Date: 12/17/19
Number of Pages:269

Poor Captain Lacey, it seems that everybody is mad at him in this long-awaited, excellently written, well-paced and interesting mystery. I had begun to despair of ever getting to read another Captain Lacey since it has been twenty months since the last one – but – it was well worth the wait. You can read this as a stand-alone, but some of the relationships might not be as filled-in and robust to you as they would be if you’d read all of the books. Besides – it is just a great series and I certainly recommend reading all of the books.

If you have read other Captain Lacey books, you know that he was permanently injured during the wars and because of the constant pain, he’s just a tad short-tempered. He’s also very honorable, very loyal, and totally in love with his family and friends. That uncompromising honor along with his tendency to be short-tempered often gets him into very ticklish situations, especially since he also has a tendency to act first and think later.

The book grabs you from the first scene – where Captain Lacey awakens in a cold room in Brighton Pavilion – with a sword in his hand – and the dead body of an officer who had been his enemy in Salamanca during the war. Then, it keeps you running from scene to scene until the final exciting, breath-holding scene. What a rollercoaster ride!

Visits with all of the wonderful recurring characters were nice. I love that this author provides us with fully developed characters who are consistent from book to book. Anyway, it was nice to see Donata, Gabriella, Peter, Grenville, Marianne, Brewster, Mr. Denis, and even a return visit by Colonel Brandon. I have to wonder how Brewster is going to adjust to his new circumstances – and how that will all work out.

A man is dead and Lacey has to wonder if he is the cause. It is possible because he certainly didn’t like the man, but he has no memory of doing it. He actually has no memory of most of that evening. When he came to in that room, he knew he’d be blamed for the death if he were discovered there, so he managed to leave without anyone sounding the alarm on him. Did he somehow cause the death or is he being set up to take the blame? He has to know the truth. If he did, indeed, cause the death, then he will turn himself in to the authorities and take the punishment for it – if not, he needs to see that the guilty party is punished.

I hope you will enjoy reading this wonderful book as much as I have. I definitely recommend it!

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