The Counterfeit Heiress

August 18, 2014
In Alexander’s puzzling ninth Victorian mystery (after 2013’s Behind the Shattered Glass), Lady Emily Hargreaves and her husband, Colin, investigate the stabbing murder of Mary Darby, a middle-aged woman who was posing as reclusive heiress Estella Lamar at a costume ball hosted by the Duke of Devonshire in London. The Hargreaves’ quest for answers takes them to Paris, where their search for Estella becomes much more crucial than finding Mary’s killer. The villain of the piece considers himself a basically decent man who had been overwhelmed by events, but he never feels like more than a shadowy presence. Alternating chapters relating Estella’s story suggest a kidnapping, and more than a hint of mental illness. It helps to be familiar with the works of Dickens, to which there are frequent references, but most of the action seems like much ado about very little. Agent: Anne Hawkins, John Hawkins & Associates.

Two personable people, Colin and Emily Hargreaves, encounter some serious scoundrels in the ninth mystery in the Lady Emily series. Thanks to Bianca Amato's exceptional performance, this engaging piece of fluff takes on the necessary gravitas to keep listeners engaged. A woman posing as Estella Lamar, an eccentric heiress who hasn't been seen in years, is murdered, and the Hargreaves are called upon to unravel a tangled web of deceit. Amato's reading heats up when delivering each flirtatious exchange between the elegant, well-matched Hargreaves. She makes each voice unique, brings verisimilitude to each event, and is completely convincing as the search for the real Estella intensifies. Kidnapping, madness, unsavory characters, murder most foul--none of it proves too much for Amato. A fun listen. S.J.H. © AudioFile 2015, Portland, Maine