Witty, dark and disturbing

 Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Lord (Lady Petra Inquires #1) by Celeste Connally     

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Lady Petra Forsyth is a lively, secure woman whose fiancée, Emerson, Viscount Ingersoll, died just before they were to be married. Petra and Duncan Shawcross, who’d introduced her to Emerson, had been friends from an early age. After Emerson’s death they’d not spoken. Ever since, Petra’s gone about in society, secure in the knowledge that she’s loved by her father, has access to her own monies, and will remain a spinster.

Back home she rides astride, helping to care for her father’s string of hunters. Her father, the Earl of Holbrook breeds horses, and whilst he’s recovering from a broken ankle Petra has been assisting more than usual.

Petra returns to London for her godmother’s annual ball to find her childhood friend, turned enemy, Duncan has returned from Continent where he’d been for three years securing and improving the Duke of Hillmorton’s lands.

Duncan had been the one to rescue her after Emerson’s death where they’d been trysting together. Petra had written him letters whilst he was away but he never answered. Their relationship has been cut off.

When Petra is given the news of a close friend’s sudden death and is burial she’s shocked. She’s even more dismayed when her friend’s footman Martin tells her he’s seen his supposedly dead mistress in London. Then when Martin’s found dead and Petra herself comes under attack, the ghastly truth about women being sent to an asylum because they’re husbands or family desiring them to be out of the way for various and nefarious reasons, she’s shocked. During Regency times, such happenings were frequent. When Petra and her father come under attack from her dreadful Uncle Tobias, and Petra is incarcerated who will save her? Who will help these women.?

Petra is far too independent for the time and that is both the source of her joy and her sorrow.

A page turner and sleep depriver, I really enjoyed the characters met within the pages, even as I loathed and detested some.

The ending, poised on a troubling knife’s edge means there’s more to come but what, I can’t imagine.

A Minotaur ARC via NetGalley.                                              

Many thanks to the author and publisher.