Sarah Zettel

Ah! Rosalind Thorne and friends!

Rosalind is asked for discretion and help by the King’s longtime mistress and possible wife Mrs Maria Fitzherbert.
Mrs Fitzherbert’s morganatic marriage to King George could be exposed if it falls into the wrong hands.
George is suing for divorce from Princess Caroline and the two camps are firmly and riotously dividing the nation.
No sooner has Rosalind said yes to Mrs Fitzherbert, one of the main background players is murdered. What follows is more death, secrets, and planned elopements. The game is definitely afoot!
As well, Rosalind is involved with ex Bow Street runner Adam Harkness but marrying him will mean her loss of independence that she’s fought so hard for.
All her gathered put together family of close knit friends play important roles, supporting Rosalind in full—Alice, Amelia, George.
Looming in the background is Lady Jersey and Countess Levine, both of whom could easily destroy Rosalind’s hard won role.
Intriguing and gratifying read!

A Kensington Press ARC via NetGalley.
Many thanks to the author and publisher.… (more)

London is awash in political intrigue with everyone choosing sides in the divorce proceedings between King George IV and his Queen. Some will go to any lengths to help their side win – even murder. Rosalind Thorne, a useful woman who makes her way in the world by assisting ladies with delicate problems, wants no part of any political intrigue. However, it is dumped in her lap and she has to deal with it. If Rosalind is dealing with it, so are her close friends, and it was a delight to visit with them.

I thought the mystery of the disappearance of Mrs. Fitzherbert’s proof of her marriage to the king was good, but things quickly spun out in so many tangents that it was hard to keep up with it all - and I love convoluted mysteries. All the factions pulling one way or another was almost like buckshot – going in every direction. Because there was so much buckshot, I found it difficult to ‘feel’ the stress, doom, and sense of urgency Rosalind felt for herself and her friends.

I enjoyed the page time with Rosalind and Adam and was glad to see there was some movement there – even if it did wait until the epilogue. This romance has been entirely too slow-burn for my taste and it still isn’t satisfyingly settled even after eight books.

I was disconcerted by the portrayal of Stephen Lavender in the book. He was a real-life, renowned Bow Street principal officer frequently in the news because of the cases he solved. This story portrays him in a very unflattering light, so I’m not sure if this author just chose a name from history and didn’t do much research on him – or if she thoroughly researched him and just got a different view. There is another author who writes a historical mystery series based on his real-life cases and the two presentations of the man are very different.

Overall, I enjoyed the mystery and will probably read the next book to see how Adam and Rosalind’s relationship grows (or doesn’t). The mystery had a great premise, but too many tentacles to keep them all straight. It also appeared to me this author might have some sort of hang-up with race, though I fail to see what it might be. Upon introduction, every character is given a race or color, and those labeled ‘white’ get the word with the capital ‘W’. If you are an avid fan of historical mysteries, as I am, you will probably enjoy the basic mystery but will lament the labyrinthine twists and turns it takes. As for me, I wouldn’t read the book a second time and probably wouldn’t purchase it as a gift for a friend without giving explanations.

I voluntarily read an early copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.… (more)