“Scotland, 1830. Following the death of her husband, Lady
Kiera Darby has taken refuge at her sister’s estate, finding solace in her
passion for painting. But when her hosts
throw a house party for the cream of London society, Kiera is unable to hide
from the ire of those who believe her to be as unnatural as her husband, an
anatomist who used her artistic talents to suit his own macabre purposes.
“Kiera wants to put her past aside, but when one of the
houseguests is murdered, her brother-in-law asks her to utilize her knowledge
of human anatomy to aid the insufferable Sebastian Gage—a fellow guest with
some experience as an inquiry agent.
While Gage is clearly more competent than she first assumed, Kiera isn’t
about to let her guard down as accusations and rumors swirl. When their search leads them to even more
gruesome discoveries, a series of disturbing notes urges her to give up their
inquiry. But Kiera is determined to
protect her family and prove her innocence, even as she risks becoming the next
victim…”
This book was another Pinterest find and I devoured it in
the matter of a couple of days on my vacation (I read a lot…). I wish I’d had the opportunity to do some of
my RAIR (reviewing as I read) process, but, alas, my memory will have to serve
here.
I’ve been on a bit of a kick with new
genres/authors/subjects and this one looked right up my alley—especially with
my tendency as of late to be drawn toward anything remotely Sherlock-esque (just
take a look at my Pinterest account). I
was right. This book was AMAZING! Anyone who even spares a glance at my reading
history will instantly realize that I gear toward period books (specifically
1800s Great Britain). Not only was the
setting perfect for my tastes, but I have a think for quirky, intelligent
female leads. What I didn’t expect to
find was a very palpable romantic undercurrent—what a pleasant surprise!!! This made the book perfect for someone with
similar tastes to mine, but wants to branch out into other genres (it’s a good
“segue”).
There are murder and intrigue, tension and mystery,
elegantly crafted settings and vibrant characters. There’s a rich backstory which seamlessly
collides with the present setting of the book, creating powerful clashes and
intense tension. Kiera, herself, is an
extremely strong character—an excellent female lead. She is witty and fiery, all while retaining
something uniquely feminine that one would expect of a well-bred woman of this
era. She’s also extremely talented and
intelligent, things which other guests at the house party overlook in favor of
their own prejudices. She navigates
their malice and suspicion with enough strength and determination to make any
reader proud. Her sister and brother-in-law
are well-developed, excellent secondary characters. Amidst the turmoil following the murder of
one of their houseguests, they suffer their own concerns and fears, which is a
good part of Kiera’s intense determination to solve the mystery (along with her
understandable desire to clear her own name).
We are first introduced to Gage as a handsome rake of a
houseguest whom Kiera looks down upon for his dissolute ways and—seeming—claim
to fame while riding his father’s coattails as a prominent investigator. Along with Kiera, we soon learn that not all
of the hype is for naught. While Kiera
assists in the investigation, the two of them come to an uneasy truce of sorts,
both of them bringing their own set of talents, knowledge, and strengths to the
table. It turns out that Gage is not
quite who Kiera expects him to be. Were
this a “traditional romance novel,” he would be considered the male lead;
however, this is not your average book and it’s not your average story. The narrative style lends to a certain sense
of mystery about Gage and the other characters and this was a refreshing point
of view. It keeps the tension (both
romantic and otherwise) very high and makes it nearly impossible to put this
book down. The attraction between Gage
and Kiera becomes nearly as palpable as another person in the room as they work
together to solve the gruesome crime.
All of this is set against a stunningly crafted backdrop of
the Highlands. Kiera’s sister’s home is
a beautiful castle nestled in the striking wilds of Scotland; the characters
are surrounded by the natural beauty and wonder of the place, lending an air of
beauty to an otherwise rather dark novel.
I appreciate very little more than I do a good setting and this book
certainly delivered. For me, at least,
the mark of a good book is one where I become utterly immersed in the setting,
characters, and plot. A bad or boring
setting will only throw the veil off of the imagination (perhaps even more so
when the narrator is first-person; there’s nothing more difficult when one
cannot picture herself in the narrator’s shoes).
I absolutely, wholeheartedly recommend this book. It’s a mystery filled with intrigue, gruesome
murder, and nefarious plots, all with twists and turns that kept me
guessing. The setting and the characters
really make this story something special.
While it’s absolutely a mystery, there’s definitely enough romance in it
for someone looking for a bit of a different dimension to this genre (or for
someone like me who is more used to reading romance than mystery and needs a
way to help her “branch out.”) This is a
period mystery with all the tension and drama one could hope for. I am tickled pink that there are more books
in this series and I’m looking forward to seeing more of Lady Darby and Gage.
Side Note: I didn’t
realize it when I picked up this book to pack away for my vacation that Huber
resides in Nashville, Tennessee. This
just so happens to be where I went on my vacation, so it seemed rather
apropos. What a happy coincidence!
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