Murder at the Opera

October 1, 2019
A chance to get back at an old enemy puts a principled sleuth in a difficult position. Atlas Catesby has never been truly happy since the older sister he adored fell down a staircase and died. Phoebe was in a loveless marriage with Malcolm Lennox, Marquess of Vessey, and Atlas is convinced that her husband murdered her. Lennox never remarried but kept Wendela Pike as a mistress for many years, and her fatal shooting in a crowd outside the opera house in Covent Garden--where Atlas was coincidentally also emerging from the performance--gives Atlas the opportunity to investigate and perhaps get justice for his sister. Atlas' companion the night of Wendy's death was Lady Lilliana Sterling Warwick, whose connections and intellect make her a perfect partner for solving mysteries (Murder in Bloomsbury, 2018, etc.). Atlas loves Lilliana but is convinced that his modest wealth and lower social position make him unworthy of her. Before her death, Wendy bore Vessey two young daughters whom Atlas knew about, but he's surprised to learn that she also bore him a son, Francis, who's older than Phoebe's son, Nicholas, Viscount Beaumont, who will inherit the title and estates. Wendy seems to have been loyal to Vessey, but her life was more complicated than it appeared. Her excellent singing voice had garnered her offers from several theatrical managers that would have allowed her to leave Vessey, who refused to settle on her a sum of money that would have protected her and her children. She's rumored to have had an affair with a Russian diplomat, and a clergyman obsessed with her insists that she was about to marry him. Lilliana pursues a friendship with Atlas, who seeks to protect her from unseemly gossip but is forced to accept her help in keeping track of the many members of the aristocracy who might be involved--especially his nephew, Nicholas, who may have hated Wendy enough to kill her. A multifaceted mystery/romance with plenty of believable motives for the likable sleuth to investigate.

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October 14, 2019
At the outset of Quincy’s superior third Regency mystery (after 2018’s Murder in Bloomsbury), Atlas Catesby is helping Lady Roslyn Lilliana Warwick into a carriage after a Covent Garden opera performance when they hear screams amid the crowd. Rushing to help, Atlas finds a woman dead from a pistol shot. The victim is Wendela Pike, the longtime mistress of Atlas’s former brother-in-law, the Marquess of Vessey. Long suspecting Vessey of causing his sister Phoebe’s fatal fall down a staircase 20 years earlier, Atlas sees the marquess as the likely culprit. But Vessey has an alibi, and other suspects abound. With Lilliana’s help, Atlas investigates the turbulent lives of Wendela’s illegitimate son, clergyman Samuel Brown, and her jealous rival at Covent Garden, Juliet Jennings. Meanwhile, Atlas’s love for Lilliana deepens, though her status as the daughter of a duke makes him afraid to declare his feelings. With its well-plotted mystery, nuanced depiction of London society, and appealing characters, this entry is the series’ strongest to date. Regency fans will be rewarded. Agent: Kevan Lyon, Marsal Lyon Literary.

January 10, 2020

Atlas Catesby has just helped Lady Lilliana Warwick into the waiting coach after a night at Covent Garden when there are cries of murder. He runs to help, only to discover a woman has been shot in the face. The victim, a courtesan, was the mistress of Catesby's former brother-in-law, the Marquess of Vessey. As a boy, Atlas swore Vessey had pushed Atlas's sister, Phoebe, down the stairs and killed her. Now, the adventurer-turned-amateur sleuth vows to find Mrs. Pike's killer. He's certain Vessey killed a woman for the second time, but there's something about Vessey's actions upon learning of her death that bothers him. Together with Lilliana, Atlas questions his way through 1815 London, talking to gunsmiths, fruit vendors, and nobility. Despite a plea from Phoebe's son to prove his father's innocence, Atlas is determined to find the solution to the latest puzzle hidden behind the façade of polite society.

VERDICT This third "Atlas Catesby" mystery (following Murder in Bloomsbury) ties up several story lines. Fans of the series will welcome the latest developments, while readers of novels set in Regency England will relish the atmosphere of the period and well-developed characters.--Lesa Holstine, Evansville Vanderburgh P.L., IN

Copyright 2020 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

November 1, 2019
Atlas Catesby, a minor noble in the hierarchical Georgian London society, and his friend Lady Roslyn Lilliana Stirling are just leaving the opera when shots ring out. Atlas puts Lilliana into her brother's carriage and runs to offer assistance. He doesn't recognize the victim, as the shot destroyed her face, and only gets a glimpse of the assailant. But at the inquest, Atlas learns that she was Mrs. Wendela Pike, a courtesan kept by the Marquess of Vessey. Even if he hadn't had a visit from a rural preacher claiming to be Mrs. Pike's fianc�, who requests help with the investigation, Atlas would have been drawn to the murder in hopes of pinning it on Vessey, whom he believes killed his sister by pushing her down a flight of stairs some 20 years earlier. Atlas pursues them all, somewhat brashly, but it is in that persistence that he uncovers the truth, learning more about his own family along the way?as well as understanding his feelings for Lilliana, their differences in societal rank notwithstanding. Satisfying reading for fans of English historical mysteries.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)