Andrea Penrose Kensington Books September 27, 2022
I love this series. Wrexford and Sloan are auto-reads for me; I don’t even have to read the description. I’d recommend reading these in order, or at least read the first in the series. The characters and relationships are quickly established in all the subsequent books, but you’ll enjoy it more if you can appreciate how we got to where we are.
Charlotte, who is secretly a well-known satirist, is now the Countess of Wrexford and has settled with her stern scientist husband and found family Raven and Hawk. Celebrations are unfolding to honor victory over Napoleon when Wrexford and the boys discover a body in Hyde Park’s lake. The late Jeremiah Willis was the genius behind a top-secret weapon, and the prototype is missing from the Royal Armory’s laboratory. Wrexford is tasked with retrieving it before it falls into the enemy hands.
These are always well-plotted and well-researched, a mix of science and feeling, and rich with historical detail that doesn’t overwhelm the story. This one is heavily plot driven, and the plot is intricate. It was a bit of a slow start for me but, as always, the ending as things come together is clever and fast-paced.
I was disappointed to see a person of color’s skin described with a coffee comparison. Are we really still doing that in 2022?
I wish we had just a few more moments between Sloan and Wrexford, especially since this is the first book since they got married. There were some, but their interactions are the soul of these books, and we need more of their strong connection to carry us through the dark mysteries they solve, especially now that the romantic tension is gone.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I’m already eager for the next installment. And Kit and Cordelia need to get together asap. You have to give this regency-set mystery series a try!