Review - Murder at the Merton Library

Author Andrea Penrose is the acclaimed author of Regency-era historical fiction, as well as Regency romances written under the names Cara Elliott and Andrea Pickens. Published internationally in ten languages, she is a three-time RITA Award-finalist and the recipient of numerous writing awards, including two Daphne Du Maurier Awards for Historical Mystery and two Gold Leaf Awards.

I have been a fan of this series since the beginning, check out the prior reviews of books in the series.

1)  Murder on Swan Lake (review here) 

2)  Murder at Halfmoon Gate (review here)  

3)  Murder at Kensington Palace (review here)   

4)  Murder at Queen's Landing (review here) 

5)  Murder at Royal Botanic Gardens (review here) 

6)  Murder at the Serpentine Bridge (review here) 

Author interview (click here) 

The author uses scientific inventions of the time period to base her stories on and this outing we have the race to invent the steam engine and propellor system for ocean travel woven into the story.

Author: Andrea Penrose

Copyright: Sept 2023 (Kensington Books) 370 pgs

Series: 7th in Wrexford & Sloane mystery series

Sensuality: mild

Mystery Sub-genre: Historical mystery, Historical Suspense

Main Characters: 

Charlotte Sloane, a satirical cartoonist under the name A.J. Quill

Setting: Regency Era, London England

Obtained Through: Publisher for an honest review, Netgalley

 

Book Blurb:  "Responding to an urgent plea from a troubled family friend, the Earl of Wrexford journeys to Oxford only to find the reclusive university librarian has been murdered and a rare manuscript has gone missing. The only clue is that someone overheard an argument in which Wrexford’s name was mentioned.

 

At the same time, Charlotte—working under her pen name, A. J. Quill—must determine whether a laboratory fire was arson and if it’s connected to the race between competing consortiums to build a new type of ship—one that can cross the ocean powered by steam rather than sails—with the potential to revolutionize military power and world commerce. That the race involves new innovations in finance and entrepreneurship only adds to the high stakes—especially as their good friend Kit Sheffield may be an investor in one of the competitors.

 

As they delve deeper into the baffling clues, Wrexford and Charlotte begin to realize that things are not what they seem. An evil conspiracy is lurking in the shadows and threatens all they hold dear—unless they can tie the loose threads together before it’s too late . . ."

MY Thoughts:

Lady Charlotte and Wrexford, Wrex for short, are great as a married couple.  Charlotte's adopted sons, Raven and Hawk, are front and center in this book along with their brilliant friend nicknamed Peregrin.  Wrex's best friend, Kit Sheffield, Lady Cordelia, Aunt Alison, Henning the anatomist, and McClellan are all on hand for this adventure.

The plot is solid with some intrigue and murder.  London is always portrayed vividly and this is no exception, from research labs, manufacturing warehouses, docks, and eleaborated balls with international guests.  Each book in the series covers an invention of the era. Details on the steam engine research is interesting but does slow the story a little bit in places.

This series consistently has exciting killer confrontations and this one is spot on with a ticking clock and thrilling chase.  This series makes the characters feel like dear friends. 

Rating:  Excellent - Loved it! Buy it now and put this author on your watch list

Thank you for reading this blog and please recommend to friends and family who will enjoy it.

Here is an interview with author Andrea Penrose on this book.

https://youtu.be/lxY1yK-69UA?si=DArBqhHOygUyhpqe

Review - Murder at the Serpentine Bridge

 One of my go-to, immediately acquire historical mystery series.  I love the Regency era and this series is one of the best set in Regency.

1)  Murder on Swan Lake (review here) 

2)  Murder at Halfmoon Gate (review here) 

3)  Murder at Kensington Palace (review here)  

4)  Murder at Queen's Landing (review here) 

5)  Murder at Royal Botanic Gardens (review here) 

Author interview (click here) 

This is reputedly perfect for fans of Deanna Raybourn and Anne Perry, but I have to confess I love this series more than Deanna Raybourn's--and that's saying a lot.

Author: Andrea Penrose

Copyright: Sept 2022 (Kensington) 368 pgs

Series: 6th in Wrexford & Sloane Mysteries

Sensuality:  Era innuendo

Mystery Sub-genre: Historical mystery, Historical Suspense

Main Characters: Widowed Charlotte Sloane, a satirical cartoonist under the name A.J. Quill

Setting: Regency Era, London England

Obtained Through: Publisher for honest review

Book Blurb: "Charlotte, now the Countess of Wrexford, would like nothing more than a summer of peace and quiet with her new husband and their unconventional family and friends. Still, some social obligations must be honored, especially with the grand Peace Celebrations unfolding throughout London to honor victory over Napoleon.

But when Wrexford and their two young wards, Raven and Hawk, discover a body floating in Hyde Park’s famous lake, that newfound peace looks to be at risk. The late Jeremiah Willis was the engineering genius behind a new design for a top-secret weapon, and the prototype is missing from the Royal Armory’s laboratory. Wrexford is tasked with retrieving it before it falls into the wrong hands. But there are unsettling complications to the case—including a family connection.

Soon, old secrets are tangling with new betrayals, and as Charlotte and Wrexford spin through a web of international intrigue and sumptuous parties, they must race against time to save their loved ones from harm—and keep the weapon from igniting a new war . . ."

My Thoughts:  Ms. Penrose is at her best with these characters that you enjoy spending time with.  Lady Charlotte is a believable independant and strong woman for the era and Wrexford, Wrex for short, turns out to be a great romantic match.  Charlotte's adopted sons, Raven and Hawk, are rescued street waifs that she loves dearly and in this book they make close friends with another boy that they bestoy the name Falcon.  Falcon is a heart-tuging addition to the characters and I already adore him.   A subplot involves Wrex's best friend, Kit Sheffield, and his conflicted feelings over his business partner, Lady Cordelia.  This has been developing for a few books and gets a little resolution in this book.  

The interactions and undercurrents between all the characters is rich and layered.  The plot is two fold again:  find the weapon, but be wary of who could be the killer before they strike at Charlotte and Wrex.  Combined with the spot-on pacing makes this a page turner.  This series has a high bar of exciting climaxs and this new book keeps that record in tact.  I was swept up in the tense save-the-day culmination.  Perfection!

Rating:  Near Perfect - Buy two copies: one for you and one for a friend. 

Review - Murder at Kensington Palace

My apologies for being absent the last few months.  I have many reviews to write and post because I have been reading a good bit.  I just haven't had the time to write the reviews.  Plus I was in a car accident on icy roads and totaled my car back in November.  Although I only had some bruising, the experience left me a bit unsettled and I am just now getting back to the blog.
I truly love this series.  I reviewed the first in the Wrexford and Sloane series, Murder on Swan Lake, (click here) and the second in this new series, Murder at Half Moon Gate (click here). Read on to find out how the third novel in this new historical mystery stacks up.  

Author: Andrea Penrose   Copyright: Sept 2019 (Kensington) 298 pgs   Series: 3rd in Wrexford and Sloane Mystery series   Sensuality: Mild   Mystery Sub-genre: Historical Cozy   Main Characters: Widowed Charlotte Sloane, a satirical cartoonist under the name A.J. Quill teams with Earl of Wrexford, former military man and amateur chemist   Setting: Regency era, London England   Obtained Through: Publisher (via NetGalley) for honest review   Book blurb:  "Wrexford and Sloane must unravel secrets within secrets—including a few that entangle their own hearts—when they reunite to solve a string of shocking murders that have horrified Regency London . . .   Though Charlotte Sloane’s secret identity as the controversial satirical cartoonist A.J. Quill is safe with the Earl of Wrexford, she’s ill prepared for the rippling effects sharing the truth about her background has cast over their relationship. She thought a bit of space might improve the situation. But when her cousin is murdered and his twin brother is accused of the gruesome crime, Charlotte immediately turns to Wrexford for help in proving the young man’s innocence. Though she finds the brooding scientist just as enigmatic and intense as ever, their partnership is now marked by an unfamiliar tension that seems to complicate every encounter.    Despite this newfound complexity, Wrexford and Charlotte are determined to track down the real killer. Their investigation leads them on a dangerous chase through Mayfair’s glittering ballrooms and opulent drawing rooms, where gossip and rumors swirl to confuse the facts. Was her cousin murdered over a romantic rivalry . . . or staggering gambling debts? Or could the motive be far darker and involve the clandestine scientific society that claimed both brothers as members? The more Charlotte and Wrexford try to unknot the truth, the more tangled it becomes. But they must solve the case soon, before the killer’s madness seizes another victim . . ."   Charlotte Sloane and the Earl of Wrexford, Wrex for short, team up again for this complicated and dangerous case.  Their relationship is tense at times and the reader is in the middle of it.  The two street urchins Charlotte has officially adopted, Raven and Hawk, are being tutored while still maintaining some of their street habits.  They are a joy to watch blossoming.  This story also provides more of Charlotte's background story.

The setting of Regency London provides great atmosphere and is one of the strong aspects of the series.  I enjoy how the scientific advances of the era are spotlighted.  Add a vicious serial killer, the Bloody Butcher, to the foggy mists of London and you have Gothic gold.  The plot and subplots immediately grabbed hold of me and didn't let go though a few twists and turns.  Ms. Penrose's writing style also contributed to create a page-turning suspenseful tale.
The killer reveal lived up to the standard set by the two previous books with nail biting tension and harrowing danger.  Excellent!  The wrap up left me wishing for the next book.
I enjoy the sharp dialog between Wrexford and Charlotte and how she is respectable yet has a network of street people who feed her information.  Her character is complex and layered.  Wrexford isn't so much brooding as disinterested with the typical superficial interests of the nobility and grouchy.  The two play off each other believably and with wry humor.  The era of scientific exploration adds realism along with the visceral descriptions of everything from Newgate prison to the ball rooms.  To sum it up, this novel is another gem in the series crown.  If you enjoy historical mysteries, this isn't to be missed.   Rating:  Near Perfect - Couldn't Put it down. Buy two copies, one for you and one for a friend.