Wickedly, joyous Lady Detective!

The Mayfair Dagger: A Novel by Ava January      

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

After her father, an Earl and renowned scientist dies followed by her brother Algernon, Albertine Honeycombe is left to the mercy of cousin Franklin, who’s always considered her as uncontrollable. When Franklin decides to marry her off to a farmer with fifteen children, Albertine decides to flee in the kitchen dogcart, along with her friend Joan.

She’s come to London to become a detective. A dream she and her brother Algernon always had.

Albertine (or Bertie) takes on the personae of Countess Avon Dagga, whose husband the Count is supposedly still abroad.

Breaking into the detecting business is not easy. She takes on some small tasks, but is never paid. When one of those tasks has her being arrested for murder Albertine has no-one to turn to, except maybe the Scotland Yard Inspector.

Albertina had taken on the case of retrieving some ill advised letters written by a prominent ton member Lady Roche to Lord Grendel from his study. Lady Roche is now being blackmailed by the powerful Lord. Albertine has a close call when Grendel finds her there during a masquerade ball. She manages to drug him and escapes. Unfortunately the next morning Grendel is found there dead! Not only that, but Albertine’s been accused by Baron Wallop (a vindictive man who Albertine had dealings with in a prior case) of theft, and possibly murdering both Lord Grendel and her non existent husband!

After Lady Roche cannot or will not pay Albertine for her services, she and Joan decide they need a man to assist in their detecting business. Particularly the payment part.

Sweetman, Marquis of Reading, has recently inherited the family business. He’s now the Duke of Everleigh. Spencer is bowed down with responsibilities he doesn’t enjoy. Laughter has fled his soul. That is until he gets to know the utterly, lovely, and unruly Countess. He’d answered her advertisement as part of his cover to investigate her.

The problem is his dual occupations (Inspector and Duke) haven’t been disclosed to Albertine. When they are it’s in dire circumstances. Can Sweetman save her and thus himself. Will she forgive him his duplicitousness?

A giddy, thoroughly enjoyable mystery romance with heart and lightness. A story that zings and sings with all the tensions and delights.

(I so enjoyed this novel I’m off to discover more by works Ava January!)

A Crooked Lane ARC via NetGalley.                                              

Many thanks to the author and publisher.