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    Murder on Black Swan Lane
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    Murder on Black Swan Lane
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    Murder on Black Swan Lane
    Ebook417 pages7 hours

    Murder on Black Swan Lane

    By Andrea Penrose

    4/5

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    About this ebook

    In Regency London, an unconventional scientist and a fearless female artist team up to trap a cold-hearted killer: “Thoroughly enjoyable” (Deanna Raybourn, New York Times–bestselling author).
     
    The Earl of Wrexford possesses a brilliant scientific mind, but boredom and pride lead him to reckless behavior. So when pompous, pious Reverend Josiah Holworthy publicly condemns him for debauchery, Wrexford unsheathes his rapier-sharp wit and strikes back. As their war of words escalates, London’s most popular satirical cartoonist, A.J. Quill, skewers them both. But then the clergyman is found slain in a church—his face burned by chemicals, his throat slashed ear to ear—and Wrexford finds himself the chief suspect.
     
    An artist in her own right, Charlotte Sloane has secretly slipped into the persona of her late husband, using his nom de plume, A.J. Quill. When Wrexford discovers her true identity, she fears it will be her undoing. But he has a proposal—use her sources to unveil the clergyman’s clandestine involvement in questionable scientific practices, and unmask the real murderer. Soon Lord Wrexford and the mysterious Mrs. Sloane plunge into a dangerous shadow world hidden among London’s intellectual enclaves to trap a cunning adversary—before they fall victim to the next experiment in villainy . . .
     
    “Sharp, engaging characters, rich period detail, and a compellingly twisty plot, Andrea Penrose delivers a winner.” —Deanna Raybourn, New York Times–bestselling author
     
    “Fans of C.S. Harris take note! A riveting ride through Regency London, from the slums of St. Giles, to the mansions of Mayfair.” —Lauren Willig, New York Times–bestselling author
     
    “Historical chemistry meets alchemy . . . A delight of a book.&rdquo
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherKensington Books
    Release dateJun 27, 2017
    ISBN9781496710789
    Author

    Andrea Penrose

    Andrea Penrose is the USA Today bestselling author of Regency-era historical fiction, including the acclaimed Wrexford & Sloane mystery series, as well as Regency romances written under the names Cara Elliott and Andrea Pickens. Published internationally in ten languages, she is a three-time RITA Award finalist and the recipient of numerous writing awards, including two Daphne Du Maurier Awards for Historical Mystery and two Gold Leaf Awards. A graduate of Yale University with a B.A. in Art and an M.F.A. in Graphic Design, Andrea fell in love with Regency England after reading Pride and Prejudice and has maintained a fascination with the era’s swirling silks and radical new ideas throughout her writing career. She lives in Connecticut and blogs with a community of historical fiction authors at WordWenches.com. She also can be found at AndreaPenrose.com and on Instagram @AndreaPenroseBooks.

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    Reviews for Murder on Black Swan Lane

    4/5

    124 ratings12 reviews

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    • 4/5
      Murder on Black Swan Lane by Andrea Penrose is a 2017 Kensington publication. A thrilling new Regency period mystery series-A.J. Quills is a political satirist, sketching scathing cartoons, which often make his subjects squirm. However, most people are unaware that A.J. Quills is not at all the person they believe him to be. When the Earl of Wrexford becomes the primary suspect in a murder investigation, he is unnerved by Quill’s sketches, which would suggest the artist was either on the scene of the crime or has inside information. Once his informers have located the enigmatic cartoonist, Wrexford is surprised to make the acquaintance of Charlotte Sloane. Seeing his advantage, Wrexford agrees to keep her secret, if she will help him clear his name. Thus, begins an uneasy alliance between the pair. But, as the mystery behind the murder deepens, suggesting a secret club could be responsible, Charlotte and Wrexford become a solid, if unlikely, detective team. Andrea Penrose is the pseudonym for Cara Elliott and Andrea Pickens, who has written a fair amount of Regency period romance novels. Now, she is exploring the darker side of the era, with this atmospheric mystery, chock full of intrigue and sinister goings on. Scientific experiments, secret clubs, occult rituals, reveal the underbelly of London society, but could also be linked to the death of Charlotte’s husband. The plot is complex and there is quite a lot going on. The story is not hard to follow, but I did find myself slowing down and reading more carefully to be sure I was understanding all the various threads and intrigues. This feels like a pretty ambitious undertaking, and has some rocky moments here and there, but overall, this is a very impressive beginning to a new series. Penrose obviously knows her history, having researched this era for quite some time, but I must say the underside of aristocracy is a much more fertile ground to explore. While I enjoy Penrose’s stories from the lighter side of the Regency era, this is a much more interesting type of story, and is far more challenging. I am happy Penrose has taken a break from an overly saturated sub-genre and spread her creative wings a little. I hope this series catches on, as I do think it shows a great deal of promise. 4 stars
    • 5/5
      The Earl of Wrexford has been engaging in a war of words with the Reverend Josiah Holworthy. Wrexford is a scientist and Holworthy doesn't hold with those new-fangled ideas. When Holworthy is found murdered with his face burned by acid and his throat cut, Wrexford becomes suspect number one for Bow Street runner Griffin.Wrexford has to put aside his boredom and clear his name. It seems that noted cartoonist A. J. Quill has an uncanny knowledge of the crime and Wrexford is determined to locate him and find out how he knows.Charlotte Sloane, a woman of great mystery, has taken on the identity of A. J. Quill after the death of her artist husband. She has quite a network of servants and children who bring her information. She has taken in two young street boys Raven and Hawk who help her find her information and run her drawings to the publisher. She isn't rich but the popularity of the cartoons has increased her income substantially. Wrexford does manage to track her down and together they piece together the facts that led to the death of Holworthy and a scientist at the Royal Institution. It turns out that her husband's death is also linked to the same mysterious conspiracy.I loved the Regency setting. I also loved that it was clear that it was a time of great change with science becoming more accepted - although it is still something done by many gentleman who have the funds and leisure to pursue it. I liked both main characters who were interesting people full of secrets. I would have loved to know more about Wrexford and Charlotte's pasts. The mystery was interesting and both Wrexford and Charlotte brought their unique skills and talents to solving it.
    • 5/5
      After Lord Wrexford has a public disagreement with a clergymen, the scientist/nobleman immediately falls under suspicion by authorities when said clergyman is murdered. To prove his innocence in the matter, Lord Wrexford sets out to discover the truth, setting his sights on the satirical cartoonist 'AJ Quill' who has details of the crime no one else saw.Right from the start, this is a fantastic story. The science side of the novel makes it stand out from the others based in the era. Lord Wrexford is an intriguing character, logical and focused on the facts. To compliment him, we have Charlotte, an artist who looks at things outside of the box.The mystery is enjoyable and the reader is led along at a nice pace. At times, the alchemy terms are a bit confusing and bog things down just a bit. The minor characters are a delight and memorable in their own way.All in all, I want to know more. would love to follow Lord Wrexford and Charlotte as they solve more mysteries together.This is a must read for any fan of historical mysteries.
    • 4/5
      Lord Wrexford had been having a loud, vociferous, and continuous argument with a local clergyman in the newspaper so, when that clergyman is murdered, it is no surprise that Wrexford is now the main suspect. To help him solve the murder before he is hanged, he decides to seek answers from A.J. Quill, a popular political cartoonist who has produced a very accurate illustration of the murder scene and seems to always know everything that is happening among the Aristocracy. However, when he seeks out the artist, he is shocked to find that Quill is a woman, a widow named Charlotte Sloane, and she gets much of her information from two young street urchins, Raven and Hawk, whom she has been caring for. As Wrexford and Sloane work together to discover the identity of the real murderer, it becomes clear that this murder is linked to the earlier death of Sloane’s husband and there is a great deal more at stake here than the pair could have imagined. Set in the Regency period, Murder on Black Swan Lane is the first in a new historical mystery series by author Andrea Penrose. The novel is well-plotted and engaging with likeable characters. Wrexford and Sloane make an interesting duo, he logical and grounded in science but with a temper that flares up a bit too easily and seemingly always at the wrong time and she an artist, intuitive, able to quickly make connections between seemingly disparate clues but able to back up her intuition with reasonable explanations. But it is Raven and Hawk perhaps most of all that grab the reader’s empathy and make this book great fun to read. I will definitely be looking out for the next in the series.Thanks to Netgalley and Kensington Books for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review
    • 5/5
      Alchemy, arcane arts and murder!Reading the first couple of pages of this new series I gave a 'Ho Hum'. Except, those Ho's and Hum's soon turned into 'Oh My's. All I can say is that this new Regency Mystery is masterful--a page turner!The Earl of Wrexford, a brilliant man of science, doesn't suffer fools gladly and has been carrying on a damning, acerbic public conversation with the Reverend Josiah Holworthy.When Holworthy is found with his throat cut and his face disfigured by chemicals, the Earl is suspected of his murder. His case is not helped by the cleverly penned caricatures from the caustic artist A.J. Quill that hit the London streets featuring the very public fight between the two men.Widowed Charlotte Sloane is a talented and clever caricaturist always looking for someone to skewer with her rapier pen work in broadsheet illustrations, created under the name of A.J. Quill, the public name used by her late husband.When the Earl and Charlotte meet, their combined aim is to find who the murder is and how that ties into the use of chemicals. Arcane practices rear their head. Their search for information on the various chemical compounds in relationship to alchemy is fascinating, as is the fact that Newton apparently was interested in this study.Charlotte is somewhat mysterious, including how come she understands Latin, (maybe that will become more evident in the future). Who is her mysterious friend Jeremy who has access into the ton?There is a plethora of fascinating secondary characters. Tyler, Wrexford's valet, Raven and Hawk, two young urchins, street savvy and endearing, and informants of Charlotte's.The Author's notes about satirical caricaturists and alchemy is illuminating.A dazzling start to a new series. I'm hooked!A NetGalley ARC
    • 4/5
      This was a good book that kept me hooked and entertained from beginning to end. Be aware that this is a series and you will not want the book to end!

      My thanks to netgalley and Kensington Books for this advanced readers copy.
    • 5/5
      It is refreshing to read a story set in Regency London that is not totally populated by members of the haute ton and their servants. Characters in Murder on Black Swan Lane include members of high society, but also a widow who works to support herself, scientists, and street children.

      This is a straight-on murder mystery. If you are looking for romantic elements, look elsewhere. The first murder--there are two--occurs in the prologue, and most of the action revolves around not only unmasking the killer, but proving that the Earl of Wrexford is not the murderer. The earl must match wits with Charlotte Sloane, a widow who has assumed the pseudonym A. J. Quill used by her late husband as she draws satirical cartoons that skewer high society. They eventually work together to solve the murders, along with a doctor who is a mutual friend and two young brothers, street children who Charlotte has brought into her home. In the process, they also answer questions about the mysterious death of Charlotte's husband.

      There are numerous twists to the plot, which kept my interest throughout. Many of the clues involve chemistry and chemical reactions, and these are handled well. There are also accurate discussions of the links between alchemy and early science, and the interests of scientists such as Newton in alchemy. There is some sly humor and engaging secondary characters, such as the valet/lab assistant Tyler, the earl's friend Sheffield, and Henning, the doctor.

      Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the story. The ending felt as if it was setting up a series, raising the possibility that the earl and Charlotte could investigate together again. I would be delighted to read another book about these characters.

      Based on an advanced reader copy of Murder on Black Swan Lane.

    • 4/5
      A new series is off to a very good start. Some very interesting characters; a Lord, a Lady scrivener? and her pair of preteen street smart protectors team up when several brutal murders occur. Espionage, forged art, and alchemy make for interesting chemistry during these early days of scientific inquiry.
    • 4/5
      Very enjoyable. Tricky mystery with great characters.
    • 3/5
      Eh. It was an interesting read but I feel the CS Harris Series, set during the same time, is a more superior series.
    • 4/5
      In Regency London after the Reverend Josiah Holworthy, from his pulpit, attacks the Earl of Wrexford, the Earl becomes the only suspect when Holworthy is found dead. Griffin, a Bow Street runner starts to investigate. But with the help of the popular satirical cartoonist, A.J. Quill, Wrexford is determined to find the guilty party.
      Very enjoyable, a well-written mystery with some lovely characters, most of whom I hope to read about in the next book.
    • 5/5
      Historical mystery set during Regency. Highly entertaining! Recommended for fans of crime and mystery.