By Anna Dean, Minotaur Books, $24.99, 335 pages
Anna Dean certainly has the Regency touch down pat! This series has everything the devoted Regency reader could want: mystery, a touch of romance, the language, the fashions, the locales – marvelous!
In Regency England, Dido Kent sometimes dreamily envisions herself as a ‘professional solver of mysteries’ complete with engraved brass plaque on the doorframe. In reality, however, she is a 35-year-old spinster, who utilizes her experience and education plus an enlarged curiosity bump to get to the bottom of things. She could be that era’s Miss Marple, although she embroiders more than knits – and, is quite taken with Mr. William Lomax, a fine figure of a man, indeed.
Unhappily, Mr. Lomax is very much the early 19th century man – women should stay home out of danger, not stirring up things she might not understand.
However, there is just TOO much going on in Richmond for Dido to ignore. Was the elderly Mrs. Lansdale murdered or not? If so, who did it? Will Miss Bevan accept young Mr. Lansdale, nephew of the deceased? How can a break-in be executed from inside the house? This is the second in a very engaging and highly- recommended series. I loved it!
Reviewed by Kelly Ferjutz