Lynn Messina: A Brazen Curiosity

A Brazen Curiosity by Lynn Messina
Series: Beatrice Hyde0Clare Mysteries Book 1
Published by Amazon Digital Services LLC - KDP Print US on August 1, 2018
Genres: Fiction/Historical/Mystery, Regency Romance
Pages: 224
Format: eBook
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Twenty-six-year-old Beatrice Hyde-Clare is far too shy to investigate the suspicious death of a fellow guest in the Lake District. A spinster who lives on the sufferance of her relatives, she would certainly not presume to search the rooms of her host's son and his friend looking for evidence. Reared in the twin virtues of deference and docility, she would absolutely never think to question the imperious Duke of Kesgrave about anything, let alone how he chose to represent the incident to the local constable. And yet when she stumbles upon the bludgeoned corpse of poor Mr. Otley in the deserted library of the Skeffingtons' country house, that's exactly what she does.

I enjoy mixing up my romance reading with some cozy mysteries from time to time.  When a reader asked for a top 10 list of Regency era mysteries with kisses only romance, it inspired me to get to reading.

I have read and liked Lynn Messina’s Regency romances before, and was excited to try out her cozy mystery series, the Beatrice Hyde-Clare Mysteries.  I started with Book 1 (I know, very unlike me!) A Brazen Curiosity.

There is a mild romantic element, but unlike a Regency romance, the romance HEA isn’t at the end of the book.  The resolution to the murder,  however, is.  This is pretty much the formula for cozy mysteries, where each book solves the crime but the MC relationships are still in flux.

What makes it “cozy”, for the uninitiated, are the following tropes:

• Amateur female sleuth who solves the crime
• Typically set in small town or country
• Typically one or two love interests
• Sex and violence typically are behind closed doors

A Brazen Curiosity has all of these elements.

It also has a great cast of characters, some very funny scenes and set ups, and I think a well executed who-done-it.  I figured out about the same time as the MC who the killer was. Although I didn’t literally laugh out loud, I thought many elements were amusing or funny.

There is no on page intimacy (no kisses even), one assault scene, and some mentions of drugs, adultery, and few other mature theme items.

Messina is well steeped in the Regency genre so gets most of the details right (I caught a few Heyerisms, but they worked) and I genuinely liked the MCs.  The mystery was compelling and surprisingly light on the melodrama or angst.  This book was super fast paced and easy to read over four or five hours.

I recommend this to readers looking to also take a break from Regency Romance and dip their toes into cozy mysteries.

I am really looking forward to reading the next in this series, and hope to continue sharing more Regency cozy mystery reviews with you in the New Year!