ALL'S FAIR IN LOVE AND TREACHERY

A free-spirited noblewoman solves multiple crimes in Regency England.

Lady Petra Forsyth, unmarried daughter of the Earl of Holbrook, lives an enviable life. In her father’s house off Berkeley Square, a small complement of servants keeps her free from prying eyes as she entertains her lover, Duncan Shawcross, illegitimate son of the late Marquess of Langford and grandson of the Duke and Duchess of Hillmorton. Her relationship with Shawcross is pretty much an open secret among London’s elite. It is in fact his grandmother who brings Lady Petra to brunch with Queen Charlotte. But one day the Queen, who seems to entertain her subjects at home quite regularly, has a special request for Petra: She wants her to investigate the sudden death of the matron at the Asylum for Female Orphans, where noblemen of the realm routinely stash daughters born of their irregular liaisons with housemaids. Although she’s preoccupied by the recent revelation that Emerson—Viscount Ingersoll, her late fiance—may have been murdered, Petra can’t deny her majesty’s request. At the orphanage, she finds a tangled skein of deception, stolen inheritances, and murder. As a bonus, she also discovers a plot by a band of subversives to overthrow the monarchy. Although its haute ton setting nods at Bridgerton, Lady Petra’s story owes more to Sex and the City. She and gal pals Lady Caroline and Miss Charlotte Reed carouse to their heart’s delight, unburdened by financial constraints. They do solve those puzzles, but their brand is joie de vivre.

A light and lively romp.