Genre: Historical fiction, mystery/suspense
Hardback 304 pages
Book Source: the library
My Rating: 90/100
From Goodreads:
At her friend Ivy's behest, Emily reluctantly agrees to attend a party at the sprawling English country estate of Lord Fortescue, a man she finds as odious as he is powerful. But if Emily is expecting Lord Fortescue to be the greatest of her problems, she is wrong. Her host has also invited Kristiana von Lange, an Austrian countess who was once linked romantically with Emily's fiancé, the debonair Colin Hargreaves. What Emily believes will be a tedious evening turns deadly when Fortescue is found murdered, and his protégé, Robert Brandon—Ivy's husband—is arrested for the crime.
Determined to right this terrible wrong and clear Robert's name, Emily begins to dig for answers, a quest that will lead her from London's glittering ballrooms to Vienna's sordid backstreets. Not until she engages a notorious anarchist in a game of wits does the shocking truth begin to emerge: the price of exonerating Robert can be paid only by placing Colin in deadly peril. To save her fiancé, Emily must do the unthinkable: bargain with her nemesis, the Countess von Lange.
Three Reasons Review
1.) Reasons you chose this book
This is the third book in the Lady Ashton series, and I am finally back on track with this series.
2.) Reasons you liked or disliked this book
In this one, Emily and Colin are finally engaged. I was very happy for that. And that's pretty much where my happiness ended. Emily's behavior with and towards Colin seemed petty and not in line with the woman I loved in the previous book. She was uber jealous of the Countess and I felt as though some of her actions were out of character.
When Emily was trying to solve the murder mystery, then I liked her. How she spoke with people, put her life on the line, etc, that is what I am talking about. As always the HF elements were stunning, and Alexander does a fantastic job in transporting me to Vienna. For me, the background, and the mystery are what kept me reading this book, not the romantic aspect.
3.) Reasons you are recommending this book
I guess I would recommend this book, because it is the third in the series. Even though I was disappointed with aspects of it, it will not deter me from forging ahead with the next in the series. I should point out I read this book several months ago, so my memory may not be all that great. However, I would still recommend this one, because of the HF and mystery aspect. You will get a taste of late 1800s Victorian era.
For more information about this book, please visit the author's website: http://www.tashaalexander.com/index.html
