Amidst the heraldry of Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee celebrations, a string of brutal murders rocks Britain’s upper crust—and could threaten the realm itself—in the spellbinding debut of Patricia Marcantonio’s Felicity Carrol mysteries.

Felicity Carrol is interested in everything—except being a proper young matron of Victorian society. Brilliant and resourceful, Felicity took refuge in science and education after her mother died and her father abandoned her to servants. Now, all he wants is for her to marry into a family of status and money.

Felicity has other ambitions—but her plans shudder to a halt when her mentor is murdered at the British Museum and his priceless manuscript of King Arthur lore is stolen. Tapping into her photographic memory and the latest in the burgeoning field of forensic detection, Felicity launches an investigation. Handsome Scotland Yard Inspector Jackson Davies is also on the case, and finds Felicity as meddlesome as she is intelligent. But when more nobles are murdered and their King Arthur relics stolen, Felicity must journey on her own into the dark underworld of antiquity theft, where she uncovers a motive far more nefarious than simple profit.

As the killer sets his sights on a new victim—a charismatic duke who has captured Felicity’s imagination—the stakes rise to impossible heights. It’s a case that could shake the kingdom in Patricia Marcantonio’s series debut, Felicity Carrol and the Perilous Pursuit.

320 pages approx.

Out Feb, 2019

MY THOUGHTS:

I received this book in exchange for my honest review.

Firstly, let me just say that I love the covers for these books, very era specific.

Set in the time of Queen Victoria, in the Victorian age, during the Queen’s Golden Jubilee, this book is well-researched and read authentically.

When reading this book, keep in mind that women of this era were expected to be refined, silent and married off as soon as possible to save the family the burden of cost in providing for them. The reaction Felicity Carrol receives from men is believable and interesting.  Not only did Felicity have to overcome sexism, patronizing, and being tolerated, she also chose to step into a ‘man’s world’ and solve a crime.

I enjoyed Marcantonio’s style of writing and her character development was well-fleshed out and meticulous.  The story paced well and the author threw in many twists and turns to challenge the main character’s resolve.

The relationships in the novel were intriguing, especially the one between Felicity and her father and you couldn’t help but wonder how he would act if she were male, and hte author seemed to hint at many issues unresolved by the father through his interactions with his daughter.

The characters were relatable and genuine.

The setting is crafted expertly and at times, I felt immersed in the created society. I am impressed with Marcantonio’s voice and style of writing.  Her finely tuned main character was layered and emotionally complicated, yet funny and determined. You could feel her conflicted nature regarding her relationship with her father and that managed to tug at you throughout the book.

I gave this book: