A Nefarious Engagement by Lynn Ann Messina Published by Lynn Messina on December 1, 2021
Pages: 223
Format: eBook
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Having long abandoned any hope of making a match, twenty-six-year-old Beatrice Hyde-Clare finds herself a little overwhelmed by her engagement to the Duke of Kesgrave. Cloying society matrons clamor for her attention while her aunt reels off an endless list of servants she will have to oversee. Even the most intrepid female would quake at the prospect of managing eight footmen! Fortunately, Bea knows the perfect distraction -- an intriguing mystery -- and pays a call on the Countess of Abercrombie, who had promised her that very thing only the evening before. But her ladyship is reluctant to discuss the details with a newly minted duchess-to-be, and it dawns on Bea that the investigation cuts closer to home than she could have ever imagined. Because this time the murder victims are her own mother and father, who had died twenty years before in a seemingly straightforward boating accident. Alas, nothing is straightforward, and as Bea digs into her past, she discovers with growing horror that she has no more idea how to be a daughter than she does a duchess.
Book four of the series has the newly affianced Beatrice Hyde Clare spinning. Then she discovers a thread of mystery to her parent’s own death decades before, her world threatens to crash around her ears.
I have really enjoyed this series, and while this book was not my favorite, I still enjoyed Bea, Kesgrave, and their investigation.
I think the supporting characters were minimized in favor of more time in Bea’s head as she works through her feelings about her deceased parents. Which makes sense, but decreased the opportunities that created comedy or romance gold in the past books. Although there are some great scenes of Bea going undercover, which is always fun, I missed the Duke and Bea’s banter.
There is some mature subject matter (mentions of infidelity, murder, etc) but really no on page violence or intimacy. I think this book may be tough for some people who have lost both parents, as well, especially if its fresh.
I definitely will be continuing on with the series, and recommend it for readers looking for a fun cozy mystery Regency series but wouldn’t recommend this book as a standalone.
