Murder on Black Swan Lane
By Andrea Penrose
A Wrexford & Sloane Mystery
A Wrexford & Sloane Mystery
Publisher: Kensington
Release Date: June 27, 2017
Reviewed by Janga
Andrea Penrose (aka Cara Elliott and Andrea Pickens) introduces a new Regency-set mystery series with this novel. The chilling prologue allows the reader to witness a murder in St. Stephen’s Church on Black Swan Lane in London. The victim, “his face burned by a noxious chemical, his throat cut from ear to ear,” is Rev. Josiah Holworthy. Because the animosity between Holworthy and the Earl of Wrexford, an aristocrat careless of his reputation but exceedingly careful in his scientific work, has been made public through scathing exchanges in the Morning Gazette, Wrexford is the prime suspect. Placing little faith in Bow Street and an investigator who appears determined to see the earl charged with the murder, Wrexford sets out to find the guilty party. His first task is to discover the identity of A. J. Quill, a satirical cartoonist whose latest sketches reveal a detailed knowledge of the crime scene.
Charlotte Sloane took over the role of A. J. Quill upon the
death of the original Quill, her husband Anthony, over eight months ago. More
gifted than her husband and utilizing a network of street urchins as sources, Charlotte
has seen the reputation of Quill soar. All of London eagerly consumes her
cartoons. Charlotte is making enough money for her needs and to provide food,
clothing, and education for two of the urchins, a pair of cheeky brothers known
as Raven and Hawk. The brothers and an old friend, who also feeds her material,
are the only ones who know that Charlotte Sloane and A. J. Quill are one and
the same until Wrexford’s aggressive search oiled by money leads him to
Charlotte’s home where he belatedly realizes that A. J. Quill is a woman.
Wrexford uses a combination of persuasive words and outright
bribery to convince Charlotte to trust him enough to team with him to solve the
murder. The mystery becomes more dangerous and sinuous as the duo uncovers
threads twisting back into the history of alchemy and reaching into England’s
social system and the Regency’s fascination with science. The relationship
between Wrexford and Charlotte is equally complex, developing in increments
from wary partners to friends, with the suggestion that the platonic has the
potential to turn romantic.
I am a fan of historical mysteries, and I would rank this
one among the best. I loved the premise of a female cartoonist and an
unconventional aristocrat as protagonists from the get-go, and Charlotte and
Wrexford exceeded my expectations. They are both complex characters who sustain
interest even without the mystery. Irresistibly engaging as individual
characters, they are even more intriguing as partners in detection. The novel
also offers an abundance of fascinating secondary characters: Tyler, Wrexford’s
remarkably efficient valet/lab assistant; Christopher “Kit” Sheffield,
Wrexford’s close friend since their schooldays; Basil Henning, an acerbic
“medical man” with a soft heart; and the irrepressible Raven and Hawk, who
win—and sometimes break—the reader’s heart. I found the use of Kit, the younger
son of an earl, especially interesting in his role as a foil for both Wrexford
and the chief villain. Penrose wisely wraps the central mystery up with no
loose threads while leaving the mystery surrounding Charlotte herself largely
unresolved, thus leaving her reader satisfied with this story and eager for the
next.
This novel is not a romance, but it is an intelligent,
literate story such as readers of Cara Elliott and Andrea Pickens expect.
Charlotte’s marriage and her relationship with Wrexford should appeal to
romance readers who are not adamantly confined to books with HEA endings. If
you like historical mysteries, Regency settings, or just smart, lucid fiction,
I highly recommend this book.
Thanks for your review. I just picked this up from the library the other day, but haven't started reading it yet.
ReplyDeleteI have this on my TBR list! Love historical mysteries so this sounds right up my alley!
ReplyDeletesounds wonderful
ReplyDeleteThis is another book I am anxious to read. Mysteries are more and more becoming a favorite genre of mine.
ReplyDeleteThanks, all, for the comments. I am excited about this series. I hope you all read it and enjoy it as much as I did.
ReplyDeleteI didn't know they were one and the same. I've enjoyed her historicals but pretty sure this is something I would enjoy too.
ReplyDeleteA belated thanks so much,Janga! So glad you enjoyed it and really appreciate your nice words!
ReplyDeleteGreat novel, great series!
ReplyDelete