Review - Murder in Bloomsbury

Last month I reviewed the first in this series, Murder in Mayfair (click here).  So I was excited to get the review copy of the next book so quickly after discovering this author.  If you enjoy Charles Finch and C. S. Harris, give this new series a try.

Author: D.M. Quincy

Copyright: Feb 2018 (Crooked Lane) 304 pgs

Series: 2nd in Atlas Catesby Mystery series

Sensuality: Mild

Mystery Sub-genre: Historical Cozy

Main Character: Atlas Catesby, youngest son of a Baron

Setting: 1815, London

Obtained Through: Publisher (Netgalley) for honest review

From cover:  "Aristocratic adventurer Atlas Catesby has spent the last year trying to forget Lady Lilliana Warwick, but when she reappears in his life imploring him to help her solve a murder, Atlas feels compelled to say yes.

The ner’re-do-well brother of Lilliana’s maid died of arsenic poisoning. Authorities are ruling his death an accident, but his sister suspects he was murdered. As Atlas and Lilliana investigate, they discover that the victim had a mysterious lover?a high-born lady he threatened with scandal after she spurned him. When they finally uncover her shocking true identity, the case blows wide open and it turns out there is a whole string of women who had reason to kill the handsome charmer. Now, as Atlas fights his growing feelings for Lilliana, they must work together to catch the assassin before the killer gets to them first."

Atlas Catesby is stuck in thinking that society's rules make it impossible for he and Lilliana to ever be more than good friends, which tortures him.  Still he agrees to look into the death of her maid's brother never imagining it would become such a tangled tale.  Lilliana may be the highest ranking noble in residence, but she is strong-willed, smart, and doesn't care what society thinks. She inserts herself into the investigations and clearly is partial to Atlas's company.  Gabriel Young, the Earl of Charlton is Atlas' good friend and quite smitten with Atlas's married sister.  Thea Palmer is Atlas' sister and an avid mathematician who lives in town while her husband does the lordly farmer life.  The Bow Street Runner, Endicott, from the prior book is back and his character is growing on me. The more you learn about the victim, the more you feel sad for the young ladies he was using for social advantage.

London is always a great setting and it is used well in this outing.  The plot starts as a rather clear cut investigation, but that soon grows more complicated.  The pacing kept my attention and I looked forward to getting back to the book. 

The climax is deliciously tense and provides a surprise twist or two.  The wrap up was satisfactory and a yearn for the next book in the series.  

I enjoyed the twisting mystery and I enjoyed the sub plot of Lilliana and Atlas dancing around their mutual growing attraction.  Atlas is oblivious at points!  It provides a touch of light-hearted in the midst of the mystery.  The subplot of the Earl of Charlton's infatuation with Atlas's married sister provides another engrossing thread.

Rating:  Excellent - Loved it, it had a good grip on me! Buy it now and put this author on your watch list