Murder at Kensington Palace (A Wrexford and Sloane Mystery): 3

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Word is,” continued the boy, “the victim looks to be one of the guests. But Lilly said Bow Street’s being tighter than a flea’s ars—” He stopped and flashed an apologetic grin. “This is, the Runners are being closemouthed about any further details.” As usual I had an idea who the murderer was and as usual I was wrong. I like this. I hate it when I can guess too early on who's done the deed. Charlotte’s alter-ego, the artist A.J.Quill, reappeared but not much as I would have liked to have seen. Another character, similar in scope to Charlotte, was introduced. I would guess this person becomes one of the earlier-mentioned player’s sounding board and possible romantic interest in future stories. Wrexford has a good working relationship with Mr. Griffin, a Bow Street runner with an excellent reputation. Over tea, Wrexford passes on the details Griffin imparted, like where the body was found and how he was killed, down to what was sliced from his body. The earl, no stranger to false accusations of murder, is relieved that he “can’t be accused of having any connection to the fellow,” since he hadn’t met him.

Frequent trips to the theatre, daily rides in the gardens and her favourite dog Dash punctuated Victoria's early days. The prosecution alleged that 48-year-old George, of Fulham, was obsessed with celebrities and guns, and the jury heard from a series of women who claimed to have been approached by him. But it took the eight female and four male jurors less than two days to return the verdict after an eight-week trial. Tall, golden-haired, and gifted with faces that mirrored the fine-boned masculine beauty of a Botticelli painting, they were fast becoming the darlings of the Royal Institute for both their boyish charm and scientific acumen since arriving from the North to take up residence in London several months ago. Just to recap, usually the Earl of Wrexford and Charlotte Sloane and their small circle of unlikely and very likeable characters are drawn into the depths of the rookeries and dark places of London when pursuing a crime. This time however the pursuit will lead into the tonnish limelight.

Caz Owens

The weasels (Hawk and Raven) are as entertaining as ever – and dressing them up in fancy clothes doesn’t change them one whit. They have been my favorite secondary characters (shux – they are almost primary characters) from the beginning. We also get to spend time with Kit Sheffield and Basil Henning and I love that. Maybe we have a love interest for Sheffield – I’d really like that. Aunt Alison, the Dowager Marchioness of Peake, was a delightful addition to the cast and I hope we see more of her in future books. Penrose’s other great strength, other than the yummy romance, is the love of friends and family Charlotte and Wrexford built around them: “She had somehow gathered a mismatched circle of friends around her during the past few years. They had become very dear to her. Once again, she was aware of how frighteningly vulnerable she felt because of it. A solitary existence was far safe, uncomplicated by the complexities of emotions. Danger now held more consequences than the question of her own measly survival. The boys depended on her … ” Ah, the boys, Wrexford’s beloved “Weasels” (how tender is it that he has found them a tutor? how loving is Charlotte’s heart-weakness for them? teaching them to draw, muttering motherly threats about “no jam tarts,” which McLennan affectionately bakes for them, hugging them and giving them a world of love and care and knowledge where they had none). Raven and Hawk are funny, smart, and vulnerable in how much they love Charlotte and both love and are in awe of Wrexford. In the end, the most winning aspect of Penrose’s wonderful series is the conclusion Charlotte and Wrexford come to together and apart, that love is primary, makes life worth living, and deserves our greatest care and protection. And why I await the next Perhaps you should stop thinking of this transformation as the death of your old self...the essence of who you are isn’t changing a whit. You’re merely taking on new plumage...After all, one of your street monikers is Phoenix, a bird who rises from the ashes with bold, beautiful new feathers with which to fly into the future." As always Penrose's research on emergent technology during the Regency days is solid and fascinating.

It’s not enough; to prove Nicholas did not commit fratricide, Charlotte is forced to re-enter the world of her birth. Only Wrexford knows that she is Lady Charlotte Sloane, “the daughter of an earl, who had tossed away a life of privilege and comfort to elope with her drawing master.” I liked several of the new characters, especially Cordelia and Charlotte’s aunt Lady Peake. I hope we see more of them in future books. Andrea Penrose added more secondary characters that surrounds the life of Earl of Wrexford and Charlotte Sloane in this third installment of her historical mystery series, Wrexford & Sloane. The mystery was clever, with a school of red herrings strewn about to befuddle the reader. The science element, which was essential to the plot, was the hot-topic of the era: electricity! The reader gets a nice refresher course on the early efforts to generate, in a laboratory setting, this force of nature.The retrial jury was told George claimed to be the cousin of Freddie Mercury, the lead singer of the band Queen, and to have served in the SAS. Charlotte and Wrexford's relationship is progressing just as I thought it would. Charlotte's life takes a different turn and I do wonder how long it will take for people to realise she's AJ Quill and if she'll continue with this persona. Despite one of the biggest murder inquiries in Britain, no one has been brought to justice for the killing. Andrea Penrose masterfully weaves the numerous plotlines of Murder at Kensington Palace into a scintillating whole. It’s a pleasure to watch the former guttersnipes Raven and Hawk transform themselves into gentry-coves (Regency slang for gentlemen). Bright boys, their abilities in scientific deduction (Raven) and acute observation (Hawk) serve the cause of proving Nicholas’s innocence. Charlotte’s collaborator, Lord Wrexford, has the entrée denied to Charlotte into “the highest circles of Society.” He’s also a passionate devotee of science. During their most recent case, Murder at Half Moon Gate, Wrexford learned of Charlotte’s secret profession, and they came perilously close to developing a personal relationship. She’s reluctant to call on him for help. Needs must, however, and she sends the boys to Wrexford’s residence with a note.