Dressed for Death (A Drew Farthering Mystery Book #4‪)‬

This is part of a “true” series. You should read the books in this series in order. There are definite references to things that happen in the previous books in this one.

I really love the depth of development for the characters in this story. Their backgrounds and personalities are so clear and easy to relate to. The main characters have a deep belief in God which I thoroughly enjoyed. At the same time they do at times question their understanding of what is going on and why God is allowing it. This is just part of human nature in my mind and it makes the story more realistic.

This is a time period that I haven’t read very many books set in so I did have to take my time to understand some of the terms and words used. I did find it very interesting to take some time in a new era for me.

The scene was set beautifully from the very beginning of the book and then the mystery slowly developed. As Drew and his friends tried to unravel what was going on and who was behind it there were a lot of fascinating twists and turns. It really kept me guessing right up to the end of the book.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion.

Dressed for Death
Julianna Deering
Book Summary: This Traditional British Cozy Mystery gets a Regency Twist: Drew and Madeline Farthering celebrate their six-month anniversary by attending a fancy Regency era costume party. Drew is glad to see Talbot Cummins, an Oxford classmate, and his fiancée, Alice Henley, though many present seem worried about the couple. Everyone's concerns are realized when, at the concluding grand ball, Alice dies of an overdose of cocaine. Tal refuses to believe she took the stuff intentionally, and Drew is determined to find out if her death was an accident or murder. Drew is shocked and disillusioned when the police arrest Tal's father and reveal that the man has been smuggling drugs into the country for the past twenty years. Reeling from the death of his fiancée and the revelation about his father, Tal begs Drew to find out what's going on. Drew, now questioning his own ability to see people as they really are, does so reluctantly, not ready for the secrets he's about to uncover--or the danger he'll bring down on everyone he holds dear.

Review: I really love mysteries. This one starts a little slow for me. It was about 35% in when the story started rolling. So much happens that twists the beginning into a different picture. I found the beginning to be forced to me. I get the Regency part, but all the quoting of Austen was wasted on me. I like a more subtle method. I found the mystery to be interesting and was thinking about who was behind the murders and who was the least obvious. That led me to the real culprit and the how of the second murder was clever. To me the surprise was the undercover agent. That was a nice twits. It is worth reading. The characters were realistically written, this book had a more morose tone and gave a lot of pause for thinking about how fleeting life is. I always love when the truth of the Bible is talked about, although I do not recall as much about Jesus.
I would like to thank Net Galley and Bethany House for allowing me to read and review this book in return for a free copy and I was never asked to write a favorable review by anyone. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.