One thing about maintaining social distance is that you can get as close as you want with all of the wonderful characters the world of fiction offers. Today I’m reviewing a Regency mystery that takes place in 1832. Wouldn’t it be fun to go to a party, and everyone gets an assigned role and a costume to wear? Better yet, what if everyone drew a mystery character or an author to portray? I would, of course, be Jessica from Murder She Wrote or possibly Dr. Ogden from Murdoch Mysteries. Who would you want to be?

Here’s some more information about my latest read, A Stroke of Malice.

Description:

Lady Kiera Darby and her husband Sebastian Gage are looking forward to celebrating with new friends at an exciting yearly soiree, but they soon learn that murder never takes a holiday in the latest riveting installment in this national bestselling series.

January 1832. After enjoying a delightful few weeks with her family, expectant mother Kiera and Sebastian Gage have been invited to the Duchess of Bowmontʼs Twelfth Night party in Traquair, Scotland. Though she normally avoids such fashionable, rambunctious events, Kiera is ready to join in the festive merrymaking. But upon their arrival at the opulent estate, it becomes obvious that all is not merry in their hostess’s home. The family appears to be under a great strain, and someone seems determined to cause mayhem among the guests with a series of forged notes.

Matters swiftly turn from irksome to downright deadly when the partygoers stumble upon a decomposing body in the castleʼs crypt. The corpse is thought to be the duchessʼs son-in-law who had purportedly traveled to Paris more than a month earlier. It is evident the man met with foul play, and Kiera and Gage soon realize that a ruthless murderer walks among them—and may well be a member of the duchessʼs own family. And when the investigation takes a treacherous turn, Kiera discovers just how deep the killer is willing to dig to keep their secrets from ever seeing the light of day.

My Review: 4 Stars

It is 1832, and Lady Kiera Darby, who is a portrait painter and six months pregnant, attends a Twelfth Night Party with her husband, Sebastian Gage. All of the attendees dress up in costume after being assigned roles while drinking and carousing. Keira and Gage have a reputation for solving crimes along with their maid and valet, which comes in handy when they discover a party in the Doom, which is the crypt of the castle. There are many characters and many layers to the mystery. This is mostly because being married in this aristocratic society didn’t mean you had to be loyal to that person. I enjoyed the mystery, found it easy to pick up on the clues and the unraveling of the motives. If you like Regency romance and mystery, you might enjoy this one.

I hope you are staying safe and healthy. ~Teresa