Victorian mystery / romance—the Scotland Yard Detective and a Woman of Independent Means!

-

The Matchmaker's Lonely Heart by Nancy Campbell Allen          

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️





I so enjoyed this! Amelie Hampton is a columnist for the Marriage Gazette, a respectable Lonely Hearts publication that introduces perspective couples. Amelie is keen to see how two people she’s put together might hit it off. So, against all the Gazette rules, she decides to observe their meeting. Imagine her surprise when the man turns out to be not the Mr. Dashing he’d  presented himself as, but Mr. Radcliffe, the handsome widower who attended her book club, whose presence turns her knees to jelly and her thoughts to mush. When asked about this, Mr. Radcliffe gives Amelie a host of smooth and plausible answers to cover his subterfuge, at least to Amelie’s ears—but not for at least one of her cousins. 

Detective Michael Baker notices the young woman standing outside the restaurant in the rain, for at least thirty minutes, spying on the couple. He’s here because he believes the solicitor, Harold Radcliffe may have killed his wife. He’s gathering proof. Intrigued, Michael follows Amelie to question her which turns into something not quite that simple.

After a rocky beginning Michael manages to persuade Amelie to take him to the next book club event to meet Radcliffe socially, as her guest. The book club features a host of interesting characters, including two rather risqué elderly sisters.

Somehow Michael finds himself deputising Amelie and her cousins. This is all rather hilarious as Detective Baker’s world is turned on it’s head—and much to her dismay so is Amelia’s. Amelie is absolutely committed to being a working woman, a Woman of Independent Means.

I love the depth of characterisation that Allen brings to her leads. Both Detective Baker and Amelie Hampton are well rounded, and as the plot progresses we learn so much more about them. They are alive and engaging. Similar growth happens with the secondary characters.

We watch Detective Baker’s relationship with his new partner, Detective Nathaniel Winston develop, the small moments of them becoming a team. Michael’s former partner had not only been his long time friend, but also his brother-in-law. He’d  been killed in pursuit of criminal. Michael is still grieving. And now a new partner. This is a huge step! How to move forward and trust someone you don’t know. Allen really capture Michael’s hesitancy. Nathaniel slowly wins Michael’s appreciation—and he wins me!

Murder and nefarious doings lead to a highly charged last few chapters. Taut plot formation pushes the action along.

A rather unexpected Victorian romance mystery that well and truly delivered.


A Shadow Mountain ARC via NetGalley 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Things aren’t as they seem!

-
Image
A Murderous Tryst  (Beatrice Hyde-Care Mystery #11) by Lynn Messina    ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Oh my! Bea certainly has a lot to contend with. Bea’s rattled! The Duke has been missing from their bed for a night. When a distraught Bea come downstairs the next morning she finds her beloved husband Damien clasped in the arms of a glamorous female. A female who turns out to be Kesgrave’s first mistress, Mrs. Penelope Taylor! What?! Of course Bea’s heart sinks and she falls back on her painful memories of Aunt Vera’s responses to such a situation. Bea is both shaken and traumatised, but determined not to show it.  It seems Penny has been accused of murder. Actually  Penny’s desperately trying to avoid Newgate.    As a former mistress Penny does the unthinkable thing in society’s eyes. She asks for help from Bea. Bea’s response is just as shocking. She says yes. Kesgrave is as usual inscrutable. Of course this is the beginning of a harebrained chase, complications between Bea  and Amien,  and an investiga
Read more

Women in war—Internment by the Japanese 1942-45.

-
Image
Sisters Under the Rising Sun  by Heather Morris    ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ A fitting tribute to the women interred by the Japanese in Indonesia and Malaya during 1942 until liberation in 1945. Amongst the internees are a group of Australian Army nurses who were not given recognition by the Japanese as members of the armed forces and therefore not prisoners of war according to the Conventions of war.  Sister Vivian Bullwinkle is the only survivor of the massacre of a group of soldiers and nurses on Radji Beach, Bangka Island near Sumatra  in 1942, after the sinking of  HMS Vyner Brooke. There are a number of civilian prisoners in the camps like Norah Chambers and her sister Ena.  Combined, the story of these women interred under terrible conditions, their struggles and achievements are monumental.  Their gifts to their fellows beyond speech. Music plays an important part in uplifting the prisoners’ spirits. It’s truly a privilege to read about their plight, their vows to each other, and their braver
Read more

The Three Muscateers—three widows, three sets of different circumstances

-
Image
The Widows' Wine Club  by Julia Jarman    ⭐️⭐️⭐️ Different enough to be interesting but I kept losing which character was which. I almost feel I need to read it again to follow who’s who. I do know that three women came together to form a support group, going to the pub for lunch etc. Better than the local widow’s group in the church hall.  All three had recently lost their husbands and now had to find a way to face their new lives. Viv Halliday is a knowledgeable gardener. Zelda Fielding is setting herself up with internet dates and searching the web for her unknown father. Janet had a controlling husband who it turned out was having affairs, and their son is just as controlling. How their lives unfold is the new challenge. A Boldwood Books ARC via NetGalley.                                               Many thanks to the author and publisher.
Read more