Murder at the Merton Library

A scientific innovation stokes deadly rivalries in Penrose's engrossing seventh Regency-era whodunit featuring the Earl of Wrexford and cartoonist Charlotte Sloane (following 2022's Murder at the Serpentine Bridge). Distraught librarian Neville Greeley summons his family friend Wrexford to Oxford with a cryptic letter. Shortly before Wrexford arrives, however, a mysterious stranger stabs Greeley to death at his desk. After Wrexford discovers Greeley's body, he launches an investigation in London, where his wife, Charlotte, is looking into a mystery of her own: a suspicious fire has destroyed the laboratory of inventor Henry Maudslay, who was on the cusp of building a ship that could cross the ocean powered by steam rather than sails. British naval operatives, German researchers, and Russian spies were all keenly interested in Maudslay's research, but who would want to stop it? And might that same perpetrator be involved in Greeley's murder? Penrose's sprawling cast can be difficult to keep straight, but she rewards diligent readers with a pulse-pounding climax, and her deep dive into early 18th-century technology is a treat. In the crowded field of Regency mysteries, this series stands out. Agent: Gail Fortune, Fortune Talbot. (Sept.)

Regency aristocrats take an unusual interest in scientific inventions, social issues, and murder. Charlotte, Countess of Wrexford, is known to a select few people as satirical cartoonist A.J. Quill, a thorn in the side of the powers that be. With her husband, Wrexford, their friend Christopher "Kit" Sheffield, and Kit's fiancee and business partner, Lady Cordelia Mansfield, a mathematician, she's solved many a mystery with a scientific bent. The Wrexfords' clever wards, former street urchins Raven and Hawk, can easily help them by slipping back into their old roles if need be. A fire in a warehouse housing the research lab of brilliant engineer Henry Maudslay kicks off an investigation that will uncover dangerous secrets. Maudslay is one of many people striving to invent a steam engine powerful enough to propel a ship across the ocean by a method yet to be perfected. Then Wrex gets a letter from Neville Greeley, head librarian at Oxford's Merton College Library and his late brother's best friend, asking him to visit as soon as possible; when he arrives, he finds that Greeley has been murdered, prompting him to investigate. Did a British traitor set up the French ambush that killed Wrex's brother, Thomas? One likely clue is a stolen manuscript that may be involved in the struggle between monied interests and foreign powers to bring the steamship to life. Despite their different paths of investigation, all the sleuths come together to solve a case with surprising ramifications. An excellent mystery bolstered by fascinating information about a life-changing invention. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.