Charlotte and Wrexford are drawn into a new investigation when Charlotte’s cousin, Cedric, is murdered and his twin brother, Nicholas, is arrested for the crime. Charlotte is convinced that Nicholas is innocent and dives head on into the investigation even though it requires her to return to society and an identity she thought she left behind. But this mystery may stymie both Charlotte and Wrexford, and time is running out if they want to save Nicholas from the gallows.
A lot of the focus in this book is Charlotte and her concerns about the changes going on in her life. At the end of the last book, Charlotte reveals her past to Wrexford, though she asks him to keep it a secret until she figures out how she wants to tell their friends about it. However, the choice is sort of taken out of her hands as she needs to be able to move around in high society. There’s also the fact that both she and Wrexford has admitted to having romantic feeling for one another, neither of them seem to know what to do with this information or be willing to make the first move in regards to their relationship.
The mystery itself is a good one with interesting twists. It was also a case where Wrexford and Charlotte are struggling to figure things out compared to the two earlier mysteries. It makes for what feels like higher stakes given that they are trying to find the murderer before Nicholas can go to trial. It also keeps it from feeling like Wrexford and Charlotte are too good at figuring out these mysteries, making the two of them feel more human and fallible. Both of their frustration is palpable in the story, and it definitely adds to the urgency as we get to the end of the book.
We now have almost as many female supporting characters as male which was a fantastic addition; Charlotte has needed more female friends. Both Lady Cordelia and Aunt Alison bring new skills and perspectives that help round out Charlotte and Wrexford’s allies, and it seems like they will be sticking around for future books. I really love all of these characters. They feel so human, and the way their relationships develop feels genuine. I also really appreciate that the author doesn’t let things get stagnant, even if there are some things that are consistent book to book. Between all of that and the way the author weaves the history of science throughout the books, it really makes for a fantastic reading experiences. So far all of these books have left me satisfied at the end but eager to see where the next story takes the characters, and this one was no different. Five out of five stars.