2018 historical mystery; sixth in Huber's Lady Darby series
(post-Regency amateur detection). Gage and Lady Darby return to the
house where Gage grew up, which he's been avoiding since his mother's
funeral, as his cousin the heir has gone missing…
I was unimpressed by the previous book in this series, but
without the sentimental Irishry I found this a great improvement.
Everyone seems to be obstructing the investigation, it's clear that
there's a great deal that isn't being told, and Gage has traumatic
childhood history to deal with too, many of the parties to which are
still here.
The setting is a manor on Dartmoor, the scenery is lovingly described,
and we're back to some of the early themes of this series, some of the
dire things that can happen to women if they don't have a sufficiently
powerful man to stand for them. It doesn't feel as though there's much
progress on the mystery, but the detectives do at least manage to
eliminate a number of possibilities before the action picks up for the
finale.
Perhaps there's a bit too much emphasis on understanding of and
reconciliation with people who did horrible things because they are
after all Family, though I am perhaps more sensitive to that than
many. Here it does at least work on its own terms.
That said, dear Ms Huber, please look up the word "groomsman" before
you use it again. It's not the same thing as a groom. Also, "snuck" as
the past tense of "sneak" is I am told colloquial even for Americans,
and certainly not standard post-Regency English. All right, you have
these characters phrasing things in broad American anyway, and I
suppose I can see that as a way of making life easier for your
mostly-American audience, but some terms like that just leap out and
distract me.
Even so, a fine return to form.