Review by Booklist Review
When the London Metropolitan Police seem stymied in their search for the Ten Commandments Killer, Lady Katherine Bascomb joins forces with Caroline Hardcastle to offer the public a female's perspective on crime through their newspaper column, "A Lady's Guide to Mischief and Mayhem." While pursuing their journalistic investigation into the murders, the ladies discover a clue that leads to the arrest of a suspect and to Inspector Eversham's removal from the case. However, when another murder occurs, it would seem that the wrong man may be behind bars, thus leaving Katherine with no other option than to team up with Andrew to find the real killer. While this smartly plotted, superbly executed, and splendidly witty Victorian-set novel is tagged as romantic suspense, it can also be recommended to mystery readers, especially fans of Sherry Thomas' Lady Sherlock series or Amanda Quick's Lavinia Lake and Tobias March books, who, along with romance fans, will find themselves succumbing to the many literary charms of Collins' latest, the start to her Lady's Guide series.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Collins (One for the Rogue) kicks off her Lady's Guide series with this quippy Victorian romance, which sees a sweet relationship bloom during the hunt for a serial killer. Lady Katherine Bascombe, a happily widowed London newspaper owner, chafes at sexist restrictions on women's speech, leading her to devote a column to informing women of criminal activities in their city, most notably the actions of the mysterious, biblically inspired Commandments Killer. But with her amateur sleuthing into the murders, she accidentally gets principled detective Andrew Eversham kicked off the case, and his pompous replacement promptly arrests an innocent man. The case is considered closed--until, on vacation in the countryside, Katherine stumbles upon a body apparently killed by the Commandments Killer. Andrew is called back into the fold to investigate and soon they are tackling the mystery together, and their sparks of attraction are fed by respect for each other's intelligence. They both have baggage--Andrew distrusts the upper classes and Katherine is traumatized by her marriage--but the real threat to their love comes when the killer makes things personal. Both romance and mystery fans will find this a treat. Agent: Holly Root, Root Literary. (Nov.)
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Review by Library Journal Review
In Victorian England, Katherine Bascomb has the audacity to enjoy being a widow. Free from the restraints of an arranged marriage, she has control of her late husband's vast newspaper empire. Katherine and Caro, her new cohort in crime reporting, decide to get the female perspective from crime scenes of a serial killer and discover an eyewitness Scotland Yard failed to interview. When an innocent man is arrested, Katherine comes face to face with DI Andrew Eversham, the man whose career her column might have destroyed. Thrown together at a country estate house party after another murder, Katherine and Andrew begin to untangle their sudden attraction to each other and the motivations of a murderer. VERDICT Librarian Collins (One for the Rogue) blends historical romance and mystery with characters who embody a modern sensibility. While the ending seems a little too neatly resolved and coincidental circumstances abound, the protagonists and setting of this first in a promising new series are thoroughly enjoyable.--Nicole J. Suarez, Frankfort P.L. Dist., Frankfort, IL
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
A newspaper columnist and a detective search for an elusive killer and find love in the process in this historical romance/murder mystery mashup. Lady Katherine Bascomb, newspaper owner since her late husband's death, starts a new column called "A Lady's Guide to Mischief and Mayhem." There's a killer on the loose, and Scotland Yard doesn't seem to be doing their due diligence. Kate publishes the column to provide information to women, who are often left in the dark on these subjects, but it has the unintended side effect of getting Inspector Andrew Eversham kicked off the case. He blames Kate for ruining his career. Then, when Kate discovers a body, Eversham is sent to investigate. Despite misgivings about each other, they decide to work together to solve this case, which could be connected to the other killings. Their passion for justice leads to amorous passion, but their blossoming love is put at risk as the case becomes increasingly dangerous. While there are interesting aspects to both romance and mystery, neither feels fully developed. In the beginning, more attention is given to the mystery plot, so when the leads abruptly shift from enemies to lovers, it doesn't feel quite believable--there hasn't been enough building chemistry. The gradual revelation of clues to the mystery, including some exciting twists and turns, creates intrigue, but the eventual wrap-up, while neat, isn't entirely satisfying. Entertaining elements don't add up to a captivating whole. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
