Murder at Queen's Landing (Wrexford & Sloane Series #4)

by Andrea Penrose

Overview

The many strands of a dark mystery entangle Lady Charlotte Sloane and the Earl of Wrexford in a dangerous web of secrets and lies that will call into question how much they really know about the people they hold dear—and about each other . . .

When Lady Cordelia, a brilliant mathematician, and her brother, Lord Woodbridge, disappear from London, rumors swirl concerning fraudulent bank loans and a secret consortium engaged in an illicit—and highly profitable—trading scheme that threatens the entire British economy. The incriminating evidence mounts, but for Charlotte and Wrexford, it’s a question of loyalty and friendship. And so they begin a new investigation to clear the siblings’ names, uncover their whereabouts, and unravel the truth behind the whispers.
 
Charlotte and Wrexford also struggle to navigate their increasingly complex feelings for each other. But the clock is ticking—a cunning mastermind has emerged . . . along with some unexpected allies—and Charlotte and Wrexford must race to prevent myriad disasters as they are forced into a dangerous game of wits in an attempt to beat the enemy at his own game.
 
Praise for the Wrexford & Sloane Historical Mysteries
 
“Penrose deftly combines a Regency romance with a tricky mystery that delves into social unrest and the darker side of this storied period.”
—Kirkus Reviews

“Its complex story line and authentic historical details bring the early days of the Industrial Revolution vividly to life. Bound to fascinate readers of C.S. Harris and even fans of Victorian mysteries.”
—Library Journal, Starred Review

 

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781496722867
Publisher:	Kensington
Publication date:	09/29/2020
Series:	Wrexford & Sloane Series , #4
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	NOOK Book
Pages:	304
Sales rank:	30,401
File size:	2 MB

About the Author

Andrea Penrose is the USA Today bestselling author of Regency-era historical fiction, including the acclaimed Wrexford & Sloane mystery series, as well as Regency romances written under the names Cara Elliott and Andrea Pickens. Published internationally in ten languages, she is a three-time RITA Award finalist and the recipient of numerous writing awards, including two Daphne Du Maurier Awards for Historical Mystery and two Gold Leaf Awards. A graduate of Yale University with a B.A. in Art and an M.F.A. in Graphic Design, Andrea fell in love with Regency England after reading Pride and Prejudice and has maintained a fascination with the era’s swirling silks and radical new ideas throughout her writing career. She lives in Connecticut and blogs with a community of historical fiction authors at WordWenches.com. She also can be found at AndreaPenrose.com and on Instagram @AndreaPenroseBooks.

Editorial Reviews

08/24/2020

The murder of Henry Peabody, a clerk with Britain’s East India Company, whose throat is slashed in London’s dockyards, kicks off Penrose’s strong fourth Regency mystery featuring the Earl of Wrexford and Lady Charlotte Sloane (after 2019’s Murder at Kensington Palace). Several days later, Lady Cordelia Mansfield and her brother, Jameson Mansfield, the Earl of Woodbridge, vanish from London, about the same time Woodbridge’s bloody knife is found near the crime scene, and after he took out huge bank loans for unspecified purposes. Cordelia, a brilliant mathematician, is secretly involved in the development of a groundbreaking and therefore valuable mechanical calculator. Wrexford and Sloane use their undercover skills and diverse contacts to pursue the siblings and untangle a conspiracy that touches the heart of Britain’s commercial power. The author captures the Regency era’s complexities in vivid settings, contrasting milieus, and a wealth of fascinating details, though she overdoes the archaic diction and tries to develop too many plotlines. This thoughtful blend of derring-do and intellectual discussion should win Penrose new fans. Agent: Gail Fortune, Fortune Talbot Agency. (Oct.)

Publishers Weekly

"Stewart presents many memorable portrayals, including those of the street urchins adopted by Lady Charlotte, who have Cockney accents and spirited, bright voices. His Scottish characters are also flawlessly rendered." ---AudioFile

From the Publisher

2020-07-14
A quarrelsome pair of sleuths share danger and romance in Regency England.

Encouraged by her great aunt Alison and the enigmatic Earl of Wrexford, her partner in several murder investigations, Lady Charlotte Sloane is finally resuming the place in society she’d cast off in a runaway marriage. The secret that she’s the satirical cartoonist A.J. Quill is safe with Wrexford and several other people, including the street urchins Raven and Hawk, whom she’s taken in to raise as gentlemen. Asked by his friend Christopher Sheffield for a loan to start a business enterprise, Wrexford agrees even though Sheffield has no experience and refuses to reveal his partners. Thus begins Charlotte and Wrexford’s involvement in another round of murder and malfeasance. But there’s much, much more. Jameson, the brother of Lady Cordelia Mansfield, Charlotte’s math-genius friend, is a suspect in the murder of an East India Company clerk at Queen’s Landing who died whispering “argentum.” Wrexford’s Bow Street Runner friend asks for his help, but only after Cordelia and her brother vanish does Sheffield reveal that she was his partner. More investigations uncover pieces of the problem, but because someone high in the powerful East India Company may be blackmailing Cordelia and her brother in order to run a dastardly scheme that could affect Britain’s standing in the world, they must proceed with caution in their most thorny, dangerous case to date.

Scientific discoveries combine with a complex mystery to provide an action-packed brainteaser.

Kirkus Reviews