From Goodreads:Bridgerton meets Agatha Christie in this dazzling next installment in a captivating Regency-era mystery series with a feminist spin.
21 June, 1815. London may be cheering the news of Napoleon's surrender at Waterloo, but Lady Petra Forsyth has little to celebrate after discovering that the death of her viscount fiancé three years earlier was no accident. Instead, it was murder, and the man responsible is her handsome, half-Scottish secret paramour Duncan Shawcross—yet the scoundrel has disappeared, leaving only a confusing riddle about long-forgotten memories in his wake.
So what's a lady to do when she can't hunt down her traitorous lover? She concentrates on a royal assignment instead. Queen Charlotte has tasked Petra with attending an event at the Asylum for Female Orphans and making inquiries surrounding the death of the orphanage's matron. What's more, the there may be a link between the matron's death and a group of radicals with ties to the aristocracy, as evidenced by an intercepted letter.
Then, Petra overhears a nefarious conversation with two other men about a plot to topple the monarchy, set to take place during three days of celebrations currently gripping London.
As the clock counts down and London's streets teem with revelers, Petra's nerves are fraying as her past and present collide. Yet while all's fair in love and war, she can never surrender, especially when more orphaned girls may be in trouble. And to save their lives, the monarchy itself, and even her own heart, Lady Petra must face her fears with the strength of an army of soldiers and fight with the heart of a queen.
My Review:
This was such a fantastic read! I really enjoyed the first one, and I was excited to see where this one would go! Lady Petra has a lot going on, with her personal life, and with what she's been tasked by the Queen to deal with, yeah, I had to keep reading!
Petra's personal life is in turmoil. The idea that her current lover might have killed her fiancé when it was thought to be an accident, yeah, that's a horrible thought. But given that her instigation into the death of a orphanage matron tied into his looking into a group trying to take down the monarchy, things are messy.
The Napoleon War might just have been settled for good (the internet told me that he stayed in exile until he died this time) but it was a time of upheaval, and now that it's over, society has to find it's footing again. But many don't want to go back to the way that it was, leading to plots against the monarchy that Petra gets tangled up with.
Absolutely loved the mystery, it was so intriguing to read, and I love following Petra as she investigates. This book had a lot going on, and it was all so great! And I'm glad that this is a series, so we'll get more time with her, and more mysteries to solve!
Loved reading this book, and I can't wait to read more by Celeste Connally!
Author: Celeste Connally
Series: Lady Petra Inquiries #2
Read: June 26th, 2024
Source: NetGalley
Reason Why: Loved the first book, and it's a Historical Fiction 2024 Book, Prequel & Sequel Challenge 2024 Book and a WoW Book!
Publisher: Minotaur Books
Expected Publication: November 12th 2024
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| 5/5 Stars |
