I miss the feisty Keira. ( )

I was perhaps a bit less invested in this mystery, but with each book I'm a bit more invested in the characters, so overall still 4 stars. ( )

An Artless Demise
4 Stars

London is all aghast after a gang of "Burkers", who kill people and sell the corpses to medical schools, are arrested. Lady Kiera Darby and her husband, private inquiry agent Sebastian Gage, become embroiled in a new case when a young man is killed in front of them, and his death is staged as a "burking". To compound matters, Kiera receives a blackmail letter threatening to accuse her of actively participating in her late husband's dealings with the resurrectionists. Can Kiera and Gage uncover the truth before her reputation is ruined beyond repair?

A solid mystery, but it is the character development that makes this book, and the series as a whole, so appealing.

Kiera ad Gage's investigation has some compelling twists and turns as the true nature of the victim is slowly revealed. Nevertheless, the identity of the culprit and their motive is rather convoluted and the resolution falls somewhat flat as the killer is more pathetic than villainous.

Much of the book's focus is on the events of Kiera's past. While some readers may find the details redundant and unnecessary, for me, they contributed to the evolution of Kiera's character as well as her relationship with Gage. Not only do the reminders highlight the extent to which she has grown into a strong, resourceful and resilient heroine, but also illustrate the depths of Sebastian's feelings for his wife and the lengths he will go to to protect her.

There are also developments in Kiera's relationship with her disagreeable father-in-law, and readers finally learn more about the origins of Gage's valet, Anderly, whose backstory is quite the surprise, but in a very intriguing way.

Finally, Huber's attention to and incorporation of historical facts in her works is excellent as always and adds another layer of enjoyment to the series. I also appreciated the fact that the blackmail subplot avoided the annoying keeping secrets trope.

In sum, an entertaining read and I look forward to the next installment. ( )

"I thoroughly enjoy this series, and I enjoyed this one too, but I think it might be the one I liked least.

Anyone who has read the earlier books in the series will readily agree that Lady Darby has had an unarguably difficult and painful past. Her first husband, a famous anatomist, forced her to attend his human dissections to draw the illustrations required for his planned masterwork on the human anatomy. When her part was revealed upon his death, she was vilified and run out of London. Now she's back, in love, married, and pregnant, and her timing is awful; burkers have been caught attempting to sell the body of a dead boy to anatomists, and it's obvious he did not meet his end naturally. Then the nobs start getting killed in the streets of Mayfair and everyone is looking at Lady Darby again.

It's a great story, but unfortunately, Kiera's wallowing just a bit. Not as much as your average historical heroine cliche, but more than what I'd expect from this strong and talented character. Call it a justifiable response to the equivalent of PTSD, but she became a victim, and it was a bit disappointing, given all the adventures she's had. Usually, this wouldn't be as big of a stand out as it is this time, but the murderer was obvious to me from the start, so I had nothing to distract me from Kiera's sudden-onset mousiness. She gets her mojo back in the end, so that's something.

In spite of my nit-picking, it was still an enjoyable read overall, and I look forward to the next one." ( )

This is yet another delightful and thoroughly engrossing installment in the Lady Darby mystery series. Author Anna Lee Huber writes with elegance and a strong understanding of human social interaction. Her characters feed off the emotions of one other, whether it be passion, pride, arrogance, insecurity, fear, or unbridled joy - truly a dramatic read. Huber's grasp of the historic record is spot on. She skillfully and deftly weaves the fictional accounts through the given historic record. Her writing is atmospheric and quite painterly as one is wrapped in an early London fog or summoned to the sumptuous and palatial residence of a duke or lord. I admire Huber's ability to weave the historic headlines of grave robberies (known as "burking"), human trafficking, and snatched children from the streets with the murders of three members of the ton. It's one big pretzel of a mystery and as the clues fall into place the tension is heightened and the action accelerated.

Among the most charming aspects of this series is the maturing relationship between investigators Sebastian Gage and Kiera, his lovely wife (formerly Lady Darby). As they await the arrival of their precious child, his care and protection of her is fierce and their love does not falter. (Would that all husband's were this caring and loving.)

There is so much more to this story but to share it would give too much away. Though the book can stand on its own, I would recommend reading the series in order. This particular book draws heavily on the story of book one (The Anatomist's Wife).

It's definitely a lovely read for those who enjoy historical mysteries as much as I. ( )