Murder at King's Crossing

A Wrexford & Sloane Mystery, Book 8

De: Andrea Penrose

Narrado por: James Cameron Stewart

Celebration is in the air at Wrexford and Charlotte's country estate as they host the nuptials of their friends, Christopher Sheffield and Lady Cordelia Mansfield. The festivities are interrupted when the local authorities arrive with news that a murdered man has been discovered at the bridge over King's Crossing. Lady Cordelia is horrified when the victim is identified as Jasper Milton, her childhood friend and a brilliant engineer who is rumored to have discovered a revolutionary technological innovation in bridge design. That he had the invitation meant for her cousin Oliver, who never showed up for the wedding, stirs a number of unsettling questions.

Both men were involved in the Revolutions-Per-Minute Society, a scientific group dedicated to making radical improvements in the speed and cost of transportation throughout Britain. Is someone plotting to steal Milton's designs? And why has her cousin disappeared?

Wrexford and Charlotte were looking forward to spending a peaceful interlude in the country, but when Lady Cordelia resolves to solve the mystery, they offer their help, along with that of the Weasels and their unconventional inner circle of friends. And when the trail takes a shocking turn, Wrexford and Charlotte must decide what risks they are willing to take with their family to bring the villains to justice . . .

©2024 Andrea DaRif (P)2024 Tantor

Another Great Read From Penrose

I thoroughly enjoyed spending time with Wrex, Sloane, the Weasels, and the rest of "the family." The Weasels never disappoint and always make me laugh. The intelligence of these characters and the variety of ways in which it manifests itself in them enhances the story elevating it above other historical mysteries that I read. The diligent research that went into this book (and others in the series) is obvious. I am always surprised and enjoy knowing that phrases I use or have heard all of my life were in use in Regency England. For instance, who knew that "vent your spleen" was that old? The mystery is a complex one in several ways, and I particularly enjoyed the revelations about Eaton.

That said, a couple of things led to a 4 rather than 5 star rating. First, I confess that the technical aspects sometimes had my mind wandering. I enjoy Wrex's chemistry, Raven and Falcon's academics, as well as Hawk's and Charlotte's art, but the bridge details seemed heavy handed. Also, there is an overabundance of players. I much prefer more action and interaction between the inner circle, including Bas. These two things - following the technicalities and keeping up with a plethora of characters - detract from the flow of an otherwise excellent story. Even with the detractions, this is a well written book that I highly recommend.

Ms. Penrose also left us with breadcrumbs related to our next visit, and I cannot wait to see where they lead.

The narrator is excellent. If you are accustomed to female narrators, you may need to acclimate to a male narrator voicing female voices, but it is an easy adjustment.

Excellent novel

The writing is excellent, the performance is exceptional and I highly recommend this wonderful mystery novel and series!

Plot twists

The story line was very complex - never knew what was going to happen. That’s it

It's a group effort

I love this series because of the family of characters. As each novel is presented the cast of characters grows. These books are wonderful because while the basic cast remains, their experiences all add to their capabilities. The "weasels" are growing up, the Wrexfords are allowing each to continue to be their true selves, and reoccurring characters are changing for the better.

In this novel, important, somewhat life changing documents go missing. Their author has been murdered on his way to Lady Cordellia and Sheffield's wedding at Wrexford and Charlotte's country estate. Also missing is Cordellia 's cousin. Is he to blame?
As a favor to Cordellia, the Wrexford family all set out to solve this mystery.

What I really enjoy about this series is that they all have their strengths. Sneaking around like the waifs that they are, the boys, Raven, Hawk, and Peregrine gather vital information. Almost the entire household has a key function in intelligence, from Lord Wrexford to his valet. These are tremendously presented mysteries.

This is an excellent novel in a top notch series.

I always listen to these and the narration is spot on. I can listen to any of these stories and identify each character by their voice. Great job James Cameron Stewart.