Grace Burrowes

I absolutely love this series. It has a unique premise in that the protagonist has come home from the Napoleonic wars as a very broken man – mentally and physically. He holed himself up in a darkened house for almost a year after his return. He was taken prisoner and tortured by the French and somehow managed to escape but wandered injured and helpless through the Pyrenees until he reached friendly territory. His hair has turned pure white, his eyesight is poor and cannot tolerate bright light, he is emaciated, and . . . worst of all . . . his fellow citizens have branded him a traitor and accused him of leaving his older brother to die in the prison camp. He is not a traitor – but the rumors persist nevertheless. I believe that you should read the whole series, in order, so you get and follow the entire background of the characters and their relationships.

Lord Julian, who has solved several mysteries lately, has been summoned to the estate of Osgood Banter to solve the disappearance of a large, prized, foxhound named Thales. Yes, we have the case of the Purloined Puppy. However, when he arrives at the estate and meets all the players, Lord Julian realizes there is much more to solve than a missing canine. Tensions are high – both on the estate and in the surrounding village. It seems the dog’s owner is not greatly esteemed by any of the residents – at home or in the village. So, if Thales's owner – Anaximander (Nax) Silforth (I know, it is a mouthful, right?) is so disliked by everyone, why is Osgood Banter leaving Nax in total charge of his vast, wealthy estate while he travels the continent? Hmmmm – you will just need to read the story to see, but it is a doozie!

In this book, we have a bit less page time with Arthur, the Duke of Waltham (Julian’s brother), Hyperia (Perry) West (Julian’s love interest), Lady Ophelia (Julian’s Godmother), and Atticus, Julian’s pint-sized outspoken Tiger. They were there but just didn’t have a lot of page time. I really love it when Julian and Perry are bouncing thoughts and ideas off each other.

Trigger warnings – the Duke of Waltham and Osgood Banter are male lovers. I love their relationship as it is longstanding, true, mature, and thoughtful – and that is what is focused on. I also love that the author depicts what a same-gender couple had to deal with during that time rather than writing like it was all buttercups, unicorns, and roses with everyone accepting and celebrating the relationship. Being in a same-gender relationship during that time often got you hanged, but if it didn’t, you were socially ostracized by all levels of society. This author shows that without being preachy about it.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and all of the others in the series. I am already anxiously awaiting the next book, A Gentleman In Search of A Wife . Happy Reading!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.… (mehr)

I loved the first book in this series so much that I was really fearful this book couldn’t live up to it. WRONG! This was an intriguing mystery filled with enough twists and turns to make it interesting. Couple that with just the right number of suspects and clues and – well, you’ve got another great entry into the series. I love seeing Julian grow and begin to come to grips with the outer and inner wounds from his captivity during the recent war. As you read the books, you can’t help but come to admire Julian for his strength of character, fortitude, self-deprecating sense of humor, and resilience. And – add to that – he’s becoming a great sleuth.

Julian has avoided the family seat as much as possible since his return from French captivity – mostly because, for him, it is haunted by his brother Harry. However, when he is summoned by his brother Arthur, the Duke of Waltham, he goes. It seems Lady Clarissa Valmond has set her cap for Arthur and he’s running scared. Lady Clarissa is one of the most exasperating and annoying females to ever be – but, is there more to her than meets the eye? What about her missing brother? Where are her parents – shouldn’t they be involved in helping to find her missing brother? Oh! My!

As readers, we made a pact with Julian to follow him through the events that unfolded during the story and to solve the mystery with him. That turned out to be an entertaining journey because the plot had plenty of twists and turns to keep us wondering and the surprising resolution bloomed before our eyes. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and am already anxiously awaiting the next book in the series. I love Julian, but I also love the supporting cast members such as Hyperia (slow-burn romance there I hope), Lady Ophelia (Julian’s Godmother), and Arthur (Julian’s brother, the duke).

If you are looking for a great mystery with a wonderful cast of characters, then give this one a try. I hope you will enjoy it as much as I did.… (mehr)