Darcie Wilde: The Matter of the Secret Bride
Rosalind Thorne #8
The Matter of the Secret Bride is Darcie Wilde’s eighth novel in her Regency series featuring Rosalind Thorne (but see below, on series numbering). Rosalind is a gentlewoman whose family has fallen on hard times after her father’s abandonment and later, his death. To make a living, she assists aristocratic women with their difficulties, helping them avoid scandal and, often, solving crimes. At first she was able to do so discreetly, frequently going undercover, but now she has acquired a reputation, as well as several highly-placed patronesses. She shares a house with her friend Alice Littlefield, a gossip columnist turned novelist, and Alice’s lover Amelia, Rosalind’s former maid, who now runs a school for impoverished girls. Rosalind’s love interest is Adam Harkness, who used to be a Bow Street Runner, but has now left because his politically-minded boss considers him a radical. Now he works for the coroner and helps Rosalind in her investigations.