A Novel Disguise
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4.2 • 13 Ratings
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- $13.99
Publisher Description
Bridgerton meets Deanna Raybourn in this cozy historical mystery of crime, love, and mistaken identity in 18th-century England.
When librarian Miss Tiffany Woodall assumes the identity of her late half-brother, she realizes she isn’t the only one with a secret to hide.
1784 London. Miss Tiffany Woodall didn’t murder her half-brother, but she did bury him in the back garden so that she could keep her cottage. Now, the confirmed spinster has to pretend to be Uriah and fulfill his duties as the Duke of Beaufort’s librarian while searching Astwell Palace for Uriah’s missing diamond pin, the only thing of value they own. Her ruse is almost up when she is discovered by Mr. Samir Lathrop, the local bookseller, who tries to save her from drowning while she's actually just washing up in a lake after burying her brother.
Her plan is going by the book, until the rector proposes marriage and she starts to develop feelings for Mr. Lathrop. But when her childhood friend, Tess, comes to visit, Tiffany quickly realizes her secret isn’t the only one hidden within these walls. The body of a servant is found, along with a collection of stolen items, and someone else grows mysteriously ill. Can Tiffany solve these mysteries without her own disguise being discovered? If not, she’ll lose her cottage and possibly her life.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Larsen (The Invention of Sophie Carter, under the pseudonym Samantha Hastings) launches a series with this delightful historical mystery headed by 40-year-old spinster Tiffany Woodhall. Tiffany is facing a grim future in 1784 London when she discovers her half-brother, Uriah, the duke of Beaufort's librarian, dead and covered in foul-smelling fluids. Uriah's death doesn't distress Tiffany so much as her fate as a penniless woman soon to be cast out of the duke's estate. After disposing of Uriah's body, Tiffany dons his clothing and powdered wig and assumes her late half-brother's position as palace librarian. An untimely visit from Tiffany's childhood friend—now the duchess—and the murder of a palace maid soon complicate Tiffany's double life. The maid's death, identical to Uriah's, drives Tiffany to investigate, which eventually threatens not only her Shakespearean gender swap but also her life. Rich with detail about life in the 18th century and starring a unique, well-drawn sleuth, this frothy whodunit is wildly enjoyable. Mystery fans should keep their eyes peeled for future Lady Librarian entries.
