Barbara’s rating: 5 of 5 Stars
Series: Bow Street Duchess Mystery #5
Publication Date: 10/21/23
Period: Regency

Talk about an exciting read! We have another great mystery that will keep you guessing from page to page – perhaps not guessing about the who, but certainly the why. Then, there is Audrey and Hugh’s romance – there is lovely movement there, but I’m still apprehensive that Phillip will mess things up. That man just needs to REALLY die because pretending just doesn’t solve the moral issues for me.

This story picks up about four months after the last book ended. They received word about three months prior that Phillip had died after being lost in the sea after a storm. Audrey has spent the months since with Phillip’s brother and his wife – the new Duke and Duchess. Phillip’s family is mourning him deeply and, as usual, Phillip has left Audrey to clean up the mess and feel the guilt of not telling his family the truth.

The new Duke and Duchess are having a house party as the first entertainment since they were elevated, so Audrey is leaving their estate and heading back to Fournier. Not long after she leaves the estate, her driver discovers an abandoned coach on the side of the road – not only abandoned, but the driver is dead – shot. The passengers are missing, so Audrey decides to use her ‘gift’ to see if she can determine to whom the coach belongs and perhaps what happened. Shocker! The coach belongs to her estranged older sister, Millie, Viscountess Redding, and she’s been abducted – and . . .

Luckily, Hugh is attending the house party. Even though he is now a Viscount, he still has his sharp investigative talents – and besides – he misses it. Despite what is deemed appropriate and proper for a grieving spouse, Hugh and Audrey work together to find and hopefully rescue Millie from whoever has abducted her. They fear the worst when there is no ransom note and Millie’s maid is found floating in a nearby river.

Why would someone kidnap Millie? Why is there no ransom note? What does a ring with a very rare and valuable diamond have to do with it? Will they find Millie? Will she be alive if they do? Oh! My! Goodness! You’ll just have to read the book to find the answers to all of those questions – and more.

I can definitely recommend this book and this series. I will say that this probably wouldn’t be best read as a standalone book as you would be missing some very pertinent facts. I loved that we had more page time with some of the recurring characters and it was great to spend time and get to know them a bit more. Should you choose to read the book, I hope you will enjoy it as much as I did. Happy Reading!

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

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Barbara’s rating: 4 out of 5 Stars
Series: Bow Street Duchess Mystery #4
Publication Date: 6/3/23
Period: Regency London
Number of Pages: 238

I have been totally smitten by this author’s virtuoso performance in creating mysteries that perplex and characters that endear. Each book in the series has provided us with a pulse-pounding fast-paced mystery and a further look at the slow-burn romance between Audrey and Hugh. How smitten am I? Well, I’m still reading the series even though I have very strong feelings about adultery no matter the reasons behind it.

We’ve met – and not loved – Hugh’s estranged, dysfunctional family. In this book, we are dealing with them directly because Hugh’s half-sister has been murdered – and Hugh is the accused. Well, WE all know Hugh didn’t do it – and Hugh’s close friends know he didn’t do it – but Bow Street is another matter. They are looking for him everywhere. Can he keep out of their clutches and find his sister’s murderer – and also track down the truth of the story she told him shortly before she was murdered?

Audrey, Duchess of Fournier, and her husband Philip discovered the body of Hugh’s sister Eloisa just after her death. When Audrey learns Hugh is being sought for the murder, she knows she has to help him. She also knows Bow Street will be watching her every move because of her friendship with Hugh. How can she escape them and find Hugh? How can she help him? Can she solve it on her own?

You’ll be holding your breath throughout the fast-paced, spine-tingling tale that has plot twists that spin the whole narrative on its head. Audrey and Hugh must work together to thwart Bow Street, find a murderer, and untangle a web of lies and deceit that has been almost 30 years in the making.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and this series. By the way – I highly recommend you read the series in order to get the full feel for Audrey, Hugh, Philip, Sir, and Audrey’s secret that she must keep hidden from the world. However, as much as I’m loving it – I’m also questioning where it is going. I have strong feelings about infidelity of any sort, for any reason, and in my view, Hugh and Audrey are just there – right on the edge. So, how is this author going to manage to deal with the duke in a way that will allow Hugh and Audrey to have a true HEA? The duke makes a suggestion in this book – but, for me, it wouldn’t work. Neither would him dying because that would hurt Audrey. So, I’m anxious to see what is going to happen in the next book.

Anyway – this is a finely told tale and I hope you will love reading it!

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