Lucy Lawrence #5
The Carver Affair is the fifth book in the Lucy Lawrence mystery series, and the first in the series that I’ve read. The story follows Lucy as she travels to Ireland for her husband’s work, settling in for the summer in a charming rented house with her staff and kids. Shortly, though, things go awry – her loyal housemaid, Mary, reports that her nieces Peggy and Bridget have gone missing looking for work in the city. The reader already knows, however, that Peggy has been murdered and that Bridget is nowhere to be found.
Lucy, naturally inquisitive, jumps immediately into the investigation, where she meets the honest Detective Ryan and timid neighbor the widow Olivia. She and Mary quickly learn that Peggy is dead, and the pressure is on to find Bridget before she meets the same fate. However, Olivia won’t break her father-in-law, and lead suspect’s, alibi, and time is running out fast. Peggy had been forced into prostitution before her death, and a shady madame, her animal-like enforcer, and an aggressive pub owner might all be involved.
Though there is surely a lot of Lucy lore to be found in the other books, I was never confused by starting off with this one. For example, Lucy has been out of the investigating scene for about five years raising her twins and is itching to get back to work in this one. It isn’t clear if there were any books set during this time skip, but it doesn’t affect the story any. Lucy herself is a great character, with a likeable cast around her, like brave Mary and loyal George, and it was easy to sink into the story. They all felt like old friends very quickly.
It’s not a deep dive into the actual history of Ireland, though. There is more of a general feeling of petticoats and carriages, alongside a system that keeps women from inheriting property or holding most jobs. The opening scene is a little upsetting – Peggy’s death is brutal – but this is otherwise a fun, adventurous romp that any historical mystery fan would enjoy. — Margaret Agnew