Welcome! Read my review of this new release below...
The Matter of the Secret Bride
(A Useful Woman Mystery #3)
By Darcie Wilde
Historical Cozy Mystery, Romance
Audiobook, Hardcover & eBook, 448 Pages
December 24, 2024 by Kensington
Summary
Jane Austen meets Fleabag in Regency London, as a resourceful young woman with a talent for helping ladies of the ton with their most delicate and pressing predicaments finds herself facing a task of royal proportions. Literally.
King George IV is petitioning Parliament for a divorce from his queen on the grounds of her adultery. But rumor has it that the king secretly married Maria Fitzherbert—long before he married the queen. Now Mrs. Fitzherbert has been robbed—and she’s frantically calling on Rosalind for help.
Because what those thieves took is proof that she and King George did really marry. That single piece of paper could destroy Mrs. Fitzherbert and her family—or it could prove the king guilty of bigamy.
Rosalind races to investigate. With her is ex-Bow Street officer, Adam Harkness, with whom Rosalind shares a complex and rapidly intensifying bond. But a case of theft soon turns to murder . . .
Josiah Poole, a disreputable attorney specializing in helping debtors—and who was seen entering Mrs. Fitzherbert’s house—is found brutally murdered. Mrs. Fitzherbert has debts. Could she have staged the theft, and employed Mr. Poole to sell the marriage certificate? Or is the truth even more complicated? Mrs. Fitzherbert’s daughters have secrets of their own. And Poole himself had no shortage of enemies.
With suspicious coincidences mounting, and more danger encroaching, Rosalind and Adam must move quickly to unravel a history-making mystery that might just lead them straight to the palace itself . . .
(Affiliate links included.)
My Review
THE MATTER OF THE SECRET BRIDE is about a women investigator and her friends as they seek to discretely find a woman's missing document. A controversial document that has the power to influence the political and social structure through England's monarchy. With various suspicious characters and plots, the mystery unfolds and intensifies to its climatic, and somewhat humorous, end. Readers who enjoy both historical romances and cozy mysteries will enjoy following these lovable characters.
This is the first book I've read from this series. It took me a little bit to figure out who everyone was and their roles, but I had that all worked out by the time the investigation was truly on and the mystery started to unfold. I really liked these characters! I felt like they were all well draw with their own personalities and relationships. I also liked that even the characters who had short appearances as well as those secondary characters with a lot more page time felt unique and well suited for the historical period. The relationships all had depth and maturity, even the sweet romance that included some swoon worthy parts. The mystery itself and plot definitely kept me engaged. I was completely invested in finding out what would happen and how everything would turn out. I thought the resolution that Rosalind, the leading heroine, developed was fantastic, entertaining, and a perfectly fitted ending for this story. For those who have read the previous books, there was a nice arc resolution in this book.
There were a few things here and there that needed some tidying up. There were a lot of characters for new readers and hardly any introduction or background recap important to understand this new story. None of this information needs to be long or repeated, but there was a lot more emphasis on repeating information about the cultural and social rules and environment that didn't need to be quite so pointed (readers would easily draw similar, while also their own, concussions). Some of the investigative practices weren't consistent, such as some places being watched but not others, or a delay in some pertinent information versus others. The story felt long, which it was, and did drag or felt stretched out in some spots. There were a few phrases, including a couple of the references at the start of each chapter, that were repeated.
In the end, was it what I wished for? I enjoyed stepping into this investigation in historical England. The characters were delightful with a plot that was entertaining and intriguing. Definitely one to pick up if you enjoy generally sweet romance set during this time period and cozy mysteries.
Content: References to unmarried relations of the same and opposite genders but not detailed or overly specific. Some violent murders, but also not overly gruesome in their descriptions. I would consider this clean.
Source: I received a complimentary copy from the publisher through Austenprose PR, which did not require a positive review. All opinions are my own.
Other Books in the Series
(Linked to Amazon affiliate links.)
About the Author
No comments
Post a Comment
I love comments! I try to read and reply to them all. Feel free to agree or disagree and generally share your thoughts with me.