Lady Darby #14
Set in 1830s Warwickshire, this installment finds series heroine Keira, Lady Darby, settling into a new home on the grounds of her father in law’s estate, while getting ready to host a long run of large house parties which will culminate in a ball. While she’s repaired her breach with stern father-in-law, Lord Gage (much thanks to her small daughter Emma), there’s new family trouble brewing in the form of her brother Trevor’s planned engagement to a wealthy young woman, Matilda, who has, it turns out, extremely abrasive parents.
Mr. Birnam, the father, owns large factories and would like regulations relaxed, and is apparently attending the house party chiefly to lobby Lord Gage’s upper-class friends in an attempt to get factory bills passed. Despite his constant efforts, he’s not getting anywhere, and Trevor’s engagement seems to be stalling out as well. After an extremely uncomfortable dinner where the presence of Mr. Birnam’s secretary was requested at the last minute, Kiera discovers that very secretary’s body later that night, dead from an acid assault.
Acid attacks were apparently common in the 1830s as the substance was readily available, and often used to disfigure, if not necessarily to kill. As Kiera’s husband, Gage, as well as his father, are licensed agents of the crown, they begin to officially investigate. Kiera works with the two, along with her maid and Gage’s valet, making an impressive team, which works to peels back the complex layers of tension, suspicion and ill feeling that lurk within the Birnam family.
Huber’s matrix is a rich one, delineating the family relationships in a way that helps the reader easily keep track of the different players. Kiera’s siblings have always been a part of the books, but it’s her brother Trevor’s heartbreak as he pursues, perhaps in vain, his lady love, that’s front and center in this one. It’s obvious both Matilda and Trevor are hiding something from the others, which just complicates the investigation.
As she’s a painter, Kiera is excellent at observing details, and pretty fearless, though by the end of the book the pressures of managing a large house party and a ball alongside a murder investigation begin to take a toll even on her. She has a strong relationship with her husband, and loves being a mother, all things which are woven throughout the narrative. Huber’s storytelling is relaxed, and once you as a reader settle into her writing style, you’re transported comfortably back to the 1830s.
She’s an old fashioned author in the best sense, one who obviously loves writing series fiction, and makes a habit of leaving a hanging thread to follow up in the next book. Fourteen books in, Kiera and Gage remain a captivating couple, with plenty of fresh adventures to look forward to. The mystery in this one was pretty tricky, but Huber plays fair and lays the clues for us readers, if we are deft and clever enough to follow them!