Murder in Masquerade

Lady of Letters #2

By Mary Winters

ISBN 9780593548783

Author’s website: marywintersauthor.com

Brought to you by OBS Reviewer Jeanie

Synopsis:

Extra, extra, read all about it! Countess turned advice columnist Amelia Amesbury finds herself playing the role of sleuth when a night at the theatre turns deadly.

Victorian Countess Amelia Amesbury’s secret hobby, writing an advice column for a London penny paper, has gotten her into hot water before. After all, Amelia will do whatever it takes to help a reader in need. But now, handsome marquis Simon Bainbridge desperately requires her assistance. His beloved younger sister, Marielle, has written Amelia’s Lady Agony column seeking advice on her plans to elope with a man her family does not approve of. Determined to save his sister from a scoundrel and the family from scandal, Simon asks Amelia to dissuade Marielle from the ill-advised gambit.

But when the scoundrel makes an untimely exit after a performance of Verdi’s Rigoletto, Amelia realizes there’s much more at stake than saving a young woman’s reputation from ruin. It’s going to take more than her letter-writing skills to help the dashing marquis, mend the familial bond, and find the murderer. Luckily, solving problems is her specialty! (From Goodreads)

Review:

Welcome to London in 1860, early in the Victorian era! I enjoyed this second Lady of Letters mystery. The primary characters were defined well in the series debut, and the author grows their personalities in this mystery. The setting in some of London’s finest homes sounds lovely; I could almost picture and smell the gardens at the Amesbury home. The mystery was a challenge, and kept me guessing. I especially enjoyed the humor woven in; one scene in particular was an incredibly funny situation for a Lady and a Marquis to be found in!

Amelia was widowed after only a couple months of marriage to Edgar, one of the wealthiest men in London. He had chosen her to marry and to raise the niece he was guardian of, as he knew his genetic disorder would take his life long before Winifred, now twelve, was of age. Neither Amelia nor Winifred would ever have need of employment, but Amelia’s old friend Grady had asked for her help answering what were called “Agony” letters (think of Dear Abby) when in need of a new responder at the magazine. She brought a fresh, young viewpoint, but her responses were considered too progressive. Because of her position as Edgar’s widow, nobody could know she was Lady Agony, especially her late husband’s great aunt Tabitha, a pillar of society, and Winifred.

Amelia and Marquis Simon Bainbridge became friends in recent months, especially while they helped solve a series of local murders. He learned by accident of her secret identity as Lady Agony. His younger sister had been causing a bit of agony to him in recent months, and he turned to Amelia for help in how to handle her since their mother passed away years ago.

Marielle had been seeing George, a stableman who made a name for himself training Derby-winning horses. George was a womanizer and a gambler, someone who would do anything to get money and a title. Marielle has both, and her father learned, almost too late, that they planned to elope. The scoundrel had been doing his charming best to hide his temper and bad habits to win Marielle’s heart.

Simon invited Amelia to the opera one night after learning Marielle and George would attend. George stepped out when the opera was almost over, but Marielle did not know where he went. Simon, Marielle, and Amelia walked to the carriage, and Amelia tripped over a pair of legs sticking out from the alley. They were George’s legs; he had been murdered moments before. Marielle was devastated.

Simon wanted Amelia’s help to find George’s killer and try to salvage his relationship with Marielle. Her late husband’s Aunt Tabitha did not want anything going on between the two. Since Amelia was charged with raising Winifred, with whom she had established a loving mother/ daughter relationship, Tabitha took the responsibility of guarding the family’s good name. Simon was very well liked and respected and had been best friends with Amelia’s husband. Tabitha didn’t want them to be more than friends.

Simon and Kitty, Amelia’s best friend, are the only people who knew her Lady Agony persona. They are also the two people who helped her solve a recent series of murders. Kitty’s knowledge of local people and their backgrounds, as well as her talent at helping Amelia consider various scenarios, were vital to finding George’s killer.

Each character is designed with care as demonstrated through their conversations and actions. My favorites are Amelia and Winifred, Amelia sees the time passing quickly, knowing that her time enjoying Winifred will go by in a blur. It will be only a few short years before Winifred makes her debut in society. They had grown close when they mourned Amelia’s husband / Winifred’s uncle soon after the teen lost her parents and grandparents. Amelia also struggles to maintain the decorum required of society ladies and still celebrate life.

Finding the bad guy was not an easy task. Amelia, Simon, and Kitty learned enough about George to know he was worse than they thought. Simon suspected that his father could have been behind the murder so Marielle could not elope with him. The killer was not a complete surprise, as I had a growing suspicion about the person. All was resolved to this reader’s satisfaction, and I am looking forward to the next mystery in the series. I highly recommend this historical/ cozy mystery!