The Secret of the Lost Pearls
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- 13,99 €
Description de l’éditeur
This captivating Regency-era mystery inspired by the novels of Jane Austen is perfect for fans of Andrea Penrose, Lauren Willig, and Deanna Raybourn, as readers venture beyond the glittering ballrooms and elegant parties of Regency London to the dark side of the city and its unexpected dangers.
Rosalind Thorne may not have a grand fortune of her own, but she possesses virtues almost as prized by the haut ton: discretion, and a web of connections that enable her to discover just about anything about anyone. Known as a “most useful woman,” Rosalind helps society ladies in need—for a modest fee, of course—and her client roster is steadily increasing.
Mrs. Gerald Douglas, née Bethany Hodgeson, presents Rosalind with a particularly delicate predicament. A valuable pearl necklace has gone missing, and Bethany’s husband believes the thief is Nora, Bethany’s disgraced sister. Nora made a scandalous elopement at age sixteen and returned three years later, telling the family that her husband was dead.
But as Rosalind begins her investigations, under cover of helping the daughters of the house prepare for their first London season, she realizes that the family harbors even more secrets than scandals. The intrigue swirling around the Douglases includes fraud, forgery, blackmail, and soon, murder. And it will fall to Rosalind, aided by charming Bow Street officer Adam Harkness, to untangle the shocking truth and discover who is a thief—and who is a killer.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In Wilde's well-crafted sixth Rosalind Thorne mystery (after 2021's A Counterfeit Suitor), Rosalind again gracefully navigates the snares of the haut ton of Regency London to resolve a problem rooted in family secrets. When Rosalind's old friend Bethany Hodgeson requests her help in locating a missing pearl necklace, Rosalind takes up residence in her home. There, under the guise of assisting Bethany's two sisters and her sister-in-law in making their debut into London society, Rosalind discovers an array of scandals and secrets, including a botched elopement, bigamy, and various machinations by overbearing parents and sly servants. The chapter headings include quotes from Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice; and like Elizabeth Bennet, Rosalind seeks to know the truth of characters' motivations and feelings through acute observation of small actions that border on the private—a sudden flush, a hesitation, an overheard conversation, a brief disappearance. A sweet romance involving the handsome Adam Harkness of the Bow Street Runners enhances the complex puzzle surrounding the pearls. Fans of Dianne Freeman and Anna Lee Huber will find much to enjoy.
