Murder at the Brightwell - Ashley Weaver

Murder at the Brightwell by Ashley Weaver
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I found this a wonderful historical mystery that surprised me several times. I love it when I don't guess the murderer, not from lack of clues but from not seeing how they all fit together until the end. It lets my mind stay busy with suspecting everyone, and I don't feel cheated when I'm surprised by the pieces of the puzzle clicking together.

I also very much enjoyed the drama of Amory's marriage troubles, which gave it more emotional depth than is often present in these types of mysteries. Those who prefer their mysteries without any romantic distractions may not enjoy it so much, but I tend to prefer mine with a good dose of character development outside of the mystery itself.

Another positive for me is that although there was romance, it was not about people just meeting and falling in love. Instead it dealt with the much more complex issues of an established relationship on shaky ground. I found Amory's state of mind to be realistic in the circumstances and was completely engrossed in her struggles to find the truth of her own heart. I want to know what happens to her next, and that's what will drive me to pick up the next book.

A Useful Woman - Darcie Wilde

A Useful Woman by Darcie Wilde
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A Useful Woman had a bit of a ponderous start and was in serious danger of getting bogged down in too many details of propriety and drawing room niceties. The Regency era is one of my comfort settings, but something needs to happen within that setting for me to stay interested, and that needs to happen pretty quickly. Here, it did set the stage for the tightrope that Rosalind is walking, but I wish the touch had been a bit lighter and the action had started sooner.

Thankfully, a murder did change all that. Once Rosalind focused on plumbing the depths of the currents around her, watching her try to hold together her own social position as well as that of her friends and charges was much more interesting. Who knew what could be hiding under that veneer of respectability? I found the answer satisfyingly shocking in the end.

I loved the premise of Rosalind as an unprotected woman trying to stay acceptable to the ton after her father's financial disaster years ago. I loved her cleverness at eking out a living from them, and her strength under that intense pressure. I definitely want to see more of the characters who appreciate her intelligence instead of using her while forcing her to hide it. One in particular was very intriguing...

I do have one more minor quibble. I was irritated a couple times when Rosalind realized something about the mystery and it was not shared with the reader. She suddenly knew what had happened, but I had to stay in the dark until the end. I appreciate the suspense that kept me in, but I would rather have followed her thought process more. That's one reason I like to read mysteries, so I can be working it out in my own mind. If I don't have all the same information the sleuth has, I can't do that.

Still, I felt this was a strong start to a new historical mystery series, especially as it's the first mystery by this author. I'm definitely looking forward to the next installment. I just hope we don't dwell on the correct order of paying compliments for too long before the next murder breaks.