Basic Summary: Charles, an ex-spy, and his wife Melanie go to a family reunion of sorts and when someone turns up dead, they try to figure out who did it.
Warnings: Many mentions of incest (kissing cousins and worse. Like Game of Thrones but without the detail.), violence.
Review:
Setting
The story takes place in the early 1800’s in Britain. I don’t know much about the historical accuracy but it suspended my disbelief well enough. Mentions of the Napoleonic wars are mentioned. There isn’t too much I have to say about setting. The author does a good job of explaining most of the surroundings but this is also the 7th book in a series and I have a feeling there are some descriptions not mentioned because they were mentioned in other books.
Characters
Charles and Melanie are fleshed out individual characters and their relationship is also well defined through the book. You can feel their love for one another but how they were raised and societal expectations (to a degree) keep them from being too sentimental. Other characters such as Honoria, Quen, and so many more are also given depth. Besides the married relationship, the author does a great job with character relations in terms of friends and family. The complex feelings and history that can go on between different people are well explored.
It’s a good thing to keep in mind that this story takes place in the 1800s where it wasn’t unheard of for cousins to marry one another. It’s discussed a lot and I think some characters are cousins and married to one another in this book.
Plot
It’s a standard type of historical mystery. A murder happens in the beginning and thus leads to other secrets. Everyone has something to hide. There are multiple plot lines the author juggles and I think it is handled remarkably well. There is a thorough explanation at the end of what happened and at the time, it does feel like a Scooby Doo type of rehashing but upon thinking it over, does tie up the plots nicely and gives explanations to what was happening throughout.
Also, though this book is the 7th in a series, I feel it can be read as a standalone. As I was looking through the series, it does seem like this can be considered the first in a trilogy following Charles and Melanie.
Overall
A good historical mystery with complex relationships between people. I recommend it to those who like mysteries.
May you get lost in a book,
Chrissy