Verity on the trail!

A Lark's Flight (Verity Lark Mysteries #2) by Lynn Messina   

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

What joy it is to make Verity Lark’s acquaintance again. Shrewd, with an Holmsian intellect, an ingrained sense of honor, and able to think every way which on a problem. No straight lines for this woman. Working incognito using three major personas there’s newspaper gossip columnist, Mr. Twaddle-Thum, as a serious writer masquerading as her non existent brother, Robert Lark. Holding these together plus being herself is incredible.

When Colson Hargreaves throws down the gauntlet, (or at least that’s how Verity sees it )by inelegantly asking her to spy on an Arnold Fitch for him just using her“girlish laugh,” Verity is incensed into action. She refuses Colson but determines to investigate secretly without knowing. When she presented her information he would know her abilities,

This leads her to a reform movement which consisted of the Blanketerring movement and the Yarwellians protesting over machinery taking away people’s livelihood, and an involvement with a murder. All the while Verity is searching for evidence of Arnold Fitch’s involvement under the auspices of the Home Office spying against the Movement in these matters and simultaneously managing to enlarge his own coffers. And then there’s the Duke of Kesgrave! Now Verity had  always known they shared a mother, the courtesan Duchess La Reina, but the Duke was unaware of Verity’s existence. Happenstance or something else’s leads the Duke and Duchess to Fortescue’s Asylum for Pauper Children, just as Verity is exiting. Mr Twaddle-Thum  inside Verity’s head composes various scenarios for what might be. But for Verity,

“It was utterly bewildering, his presence at Fortescue’s, the way he had suddenly appeared, like Banquo at the banquet, an inexplicable figure, so ghostly and strange. In all her imaginings, she had never pictured him there, in the shadow of that crumbling old pile of stones she used to call home…

But for Damien, Due of Kesgrave, it’s a different type of mystery,

Damien “assured himself again that the woman whom he had seen on this very threshold a few days before was not his sister. The resemblance was only a coincidence or—and he considered this prospect to be the more likely one—a mistake on his part.” Still Damien is disturbed enough to keep searching.

Verity’s alter egos are on their job, Twaddle-Thum and Robert Lark. Not to mention her 101 other useful, often hilarious and frustrating disguises

Her ability to make herself into someone else, from a less than respectable boarding house madam to a footman or intrepid business man is breathtaking. I’m thoroughly besotted with Verity.

The link with the Duke and Duchess of Kesgrave is becoming even more fascinating.

I left her with a whole lot of suppositions about what could be and I’m definitely wanting more.

A Book Whisperer ARC via NetGalley.                                              

Many thanks to the author and publisher.

Please note: Quotes taken from an advanced reading copy maybe subject to change

(Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.)