Andrea Penrose: Murder at the Merton Library
Wrexford & Sloane #7
Murder at the Merton Library is the seventh book in Andrea Penrose’s Regency mystery series featuring the Earl of Wrexford, a brilliant scientist, and his wife Charlotte, who, under the name of A.J. Quill, is England’s leading satirical cartoonist. Only a select few are aware of A.J. Quill’s true identity. Their unconventional family includes two street urchins, Raven and Hawk, collectively known as the Weasels, who have been adopted as their wards. Also staying with them is Peregrine, a boy of mixed race who inherited a title from a murdered relative in the previous book. Charlotte’s aunt Alison, a delightful–and feisty–older woman, is also very much a part of their sleuthing team, as are Wrexford’s and Charlotte’s friends, Kit Sheffield and his fiancée Cordelia, a mathematician. Sheffield appears to be an idle wastrel, but, in fact, he has a sharp mind and has come to be the head of a business venture, which he has to keep secret because gentlemen are not supposed to engage in business. Wrexford relies on logic and solid evidence to solve crimes, while Charlotte uses her intuition and her artist’s eye. Together, they make a perfect team.