Friday, April 3, 2020

Murder Roils a Twelfth Night House Party


Kiera, Lady Darby, and her husband, Sebastian, have been invited to the Twelfth Night Party at Sunlaws Castle, the home of the Duke and Duchess of Bowmont. Although Kiera prefers to avoid large parties, particularly one reputed to be as raucous as the one at Sunlaws Castle, she’s looking forward to seeing her new friend the Duchess of Bowmont and finishing her portrait.

When they arrive at the castle the atmosphere seems strained. This feeling is amplified during the festivities when the Lord of Misrule proposes a tour of the castle dungeons. The dungeons are suitably eerie for a ghost tour, but no one expects to find an actual ghost or in this case a decomposing body.

Because of the state of the corpse, it is impossible to make an identification, but Lady Eleanor’s husband has been in Paris and hasn’t communicated for weeks. Could this be Lord Helmswick, and if so how did he get back to the castle unnoticed?

This is another delightful mystery where Kiera and Sebastian have to overcome obstacles, including the reticence of the family, to discover the identity of the murdered man. I love these characters. Sebastian is very solicitous of Kiera, particularly since she’s pregnant, but he listens to her ideas and treats her as a full partner.

The descriptions of the castle are opulent but also unsettling. It’s a great setting for a ghost walk. Bree and Anderly, Kiera and Sebastian’s personal servants, play role and a romance is brewing. If you’re a fan of this series or of historical mysteries, this is a good one.

I received this book from Net Galley for this review.

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