Synopsis

Jane Austen meets Sherlock Holmes in this new Regency mystery series

Newly returned from finishing school, Lady Juliette Thorndike is ready to debut in London society. Due to her years away, she hasn’t spent much time with her parents and sees them only as the flighty, dilettante couple the other nobles love. But when they disappear, she discovers she never really knew them at all. They’ve been living double lives as government spies–and they’re only the latest in a long history of espionage that is the family’s legacy.

Now Lady Juliette is determined to continue their work. Mentored by her uncle, she plunges into the dangerous world of spies. From the glittering ballrooms of London to the fox hunts, regattas, and soirees of country high society, she must chase down hidden clues, solve the mysterious code her parents left behind, and stay out of danger. All the while, she has to keep her endeavors a secret from her best friend and her suitors–not to mention the nosy, irritatingly handsome Bow Street runner, who suspects her of a daring theft.

Can Lady Juliette outwit her enemies and complete her parents’ last mission?

Best-selling author Erica Vetsch is back with a rollicking, exciting new series destined to be a hit with Regency readers who enjoy a touch of mystery in their love stories. Fans of Julie Klassen, Sarah Ladd, and Anne Perry will love the wit, action, and romance.

The book releases on December 7, 2021, pre-order it today

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Read an excerpt of the book here

Review

This is an engaging mystery that kept me guessing until the end. I love to try and solve the crimes but will admit that I didn’t even come close to guessing who was behind the desire to unearth those working for the crown. I had a few suspicions but I wasn’t correct, but that is ok because that is the fun in trying to decipher a mystery!

I’m not sure which character I liked the most, they all had redeeming qualities and added depth to the story. Juliette is a debutante that is pulled into the spy world, but at what potential cost? Is it something she wishes to pursue? She does dive headfirst into learning some of the tricks of the trade from Uncle Bertie since her parents are away. She definitely takes to this world like a duck to water and proves to be adept at cyphering codes, pickpocketing (those piano lessons help with nimble fingers), and with a few lessons, she learned how to transform herself and even protect herself from nefarious criminals. However, her aversion to blood could be her downfall but only time will tell.

Juliette has a best friend, Agatha, but I don’t feel like we got to know her as well as we could have but mostly because she was a cover for Juliette whether she knew it or not. I hope that if this becomes a series that we see their friendship continue and perhaps she becomes involved in some capers, but unwittingly. Of course, Agatha does have a penchant for saying too much and it is her revelations that caused me to look in other directions for the guilty party.

Uncle Bertie is a hoot, he might be my favorite character…but I’m not 100% sure. Detective Daniel Swann is a morally upstanding man and I know he has to wrap his head around the situation when all is revealed. Plus there is a bit of chemistry between Juliette and Daniel even if they haven’t given in to it…yet.

Overall, this was a different twist in the mysteries I normally read but I loved it all the same and look forward to another book in this series and it looks like one will be out next year. yeah!

We give this book 5 paws up.

About the Author

Erica Vetsch is a New York Times best-selling and ACFW Carol Award-winning author. She is a transplanted Kansan now living in Minnesota with her husband, who she claims is both her total opposite and soul mate.

Vetsch is the author of many novellas and novels, including the popular Serendipity & Secrets Regency series and the new Thorndike & Swann Regency Mystery series

Vetsch loves Jesus, history, romance, and sports. When she’s not writing fiction, she’s planning her next trip to a history museum and cheering on her Kansas Jayhawks and New Zealand All Blacks.

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