Barbara’s rating: 5 out of 5 StarsSeries: Lord Julian Mysteries #3
Publication Date: 9/5/23
Period: Regency
Number of Pages: 236

This author has delivered another intriguing mystery featuring the very engaging and wounded Lord Julian Caldicott. Lord Julian is still recovering from the wounds he received while in captivity during the Napoleonic wars. Those visible, external wounds are getting somewhat better, but those internal wounds to the heart and soul are taking much longer. Those internal wounds may never completely heal because – well – both Julian and his brother Harry were spies during the war – both were captured by the same torturer – but only Julian survived. The case Julian is about to be asked to undertake will definitely try his limited emotional resources because he is going to learn things about his much admired slightly older brother that he’d rather not know – or maybe he would.

Lord Julian’s older brother, Arthur, the Duke of Waltham, tasks Julian with determining the parentage of a young boy who could be the salvation of the Waltham duchy. For personal reasons, Arthur won’t marry, and Julian isn’t sure he can sire children, so this child being a legal heir would be a boon. How will Julian ever go about proving it? The mother died shortly after delivering the child into the hands of Mrs. Davenport and Harry was tortured to death by one of Napoleon’s elite torturers. No clues. No witnesses. Oh! My!

This was a fun an exciting rollercoaster ride with ups, downs, twists, turns, and finally a nicely satisfying ending. I love all of the characters, their relationships, and their interactions – but that is a hallmark of this author. I know this is a mystery series, but there is a hint of a slow-burn romance for Julian and I cannot wait to see what it heads. So, I can definitely recommend this book and I truly hope you’ll give it a try and love it as much as I did. The only problem is – I now have to wait for the next book!

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Barbara’s rating: 5 out of 5 Stars
Series: Lord Julian Mysteries #2
Publication Date: 11/3/23
Period: Regency
Number of Pages: 238

I loved the first book in this series so much that I was really fearful this book couldn’t live up to it. WRONG! This was an intriguing mystery filled with enough twists and turns to make it interesting. Couple that with just the right number of suspects and clues and – well, you’ve got another great entry into the series. I love seeing Julian grow and begin to come to grips with the outer and inner wounds from his captivity during the recent war. As you read the books, you can’t help but come to admire Julian for his strength of character, fortitude, self-deprecating sense of humor, and resilience. And – add to that – he’s becoming a great sleuth.

Julian has avoided the family seat as much as possible since his return from French captivity – mostly because, for him, it is haunted by his brother Harry. However, when he is summoned by his brother Arthur, the Duke of Waltham, he goes. It seems Lady Clarissa Valmond has set her cap for Arthur and he’s running scared. Lady Clarissa is one of the most exasperating and annoying females to ever be – but, is there more to her than meets the eye? What about her missing brother? Where are her parents – shouldn’t they be involved in helping to find her missing brother? Oh! My!

As readers, we made a pact with Julian to follow him through the events that unfolded during the story and to solve the mystery with him. That turned out to be an entertaining journey because the plot had plenty of twists and turns to keep us wondering and the surprising resolution bloomed before our eyes. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and am already anxiously awaiting the next book in the series. I love Julian, but I also love the supporting cast members such as Hyperia (slow-burn romance there I hope), Lady Ophelia (Julian’s Godmother), and Arthur (Julian’s brother, the Duke).

If you are looking for a great mystery with a wonderful cast of characters, then give this one a try. I hope you will enjoy it as much as I did.

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