Behind the Shattered Glass: A Lady Emily Mystery (Lady Emily Mysteries)

From Publishers Weekly In Alexander's entertaining eighth Victorian mystery (after 2012's Death in the Floating City), the recent birth of twin sons keeps amateur sleuth Lady Emily and her husband, intelligence agent Colin Hargreaves, at Anglemore, the Hargreaves Peak District estate, where the dramatic appearance of the mortally wounded Lord Montagu, their nearest neighbor, soon leads to a murder investigation. One suspect is the victim's cousin Matilda, who loves Montagu Manor fiercely and hopes to inherit it, but the many women the peer has seduced or compromised have reason to wish him dead as well. Emily's narrative alternates with a chronicle of life below stairs at Anglemore, where the servants hold valuable clues. Though some elements of a romance between a titled guest and housemaid feel implausible for the era, readers will relish Alexander's lyrical evocation of British landscapes and her gift for crafting engaging characters. Boisterous adventurer Rodney Scolfield and Emily's hidebound mother, Lady Bromley, are especially amusing. Agent: Anne Hawkins, John Hawkins & Associates. (Oct.) From Booklist Lady Emily Hargreave’s latest case presents itself, literally, on her doorstep with the abrupt collapse of handsome Archibald Scolfield, her newest neighbor and latest in a line of victims who “have no sense of decorum at all.” Scolfield arrived to claim his inheritance as the new marquess of Montagu, and his demise in this isolated location is extremely awkward. Lady Emily, whose intrepid personality rivals Elizabeth Peters’ fearless Amelia Peabody, chooses at once to investigate Scolfield’s new household and, surprisingly, when clues lead her there, to grill her own house staff. In the meantime, she ingeniously solves multiple difficulties for her mother (in residence), her maid (in love), and her friend Matilda (possibly in a great deal of trouble) while maintaining familial equilibrium and marital congeniality with Colin, her admittedly crotchety mate and lord of the manor. This delightful addition to Alexander’s Victorian series, with its requisite cast of aristocrats, locals, and disgruntled staff, is an eminently readable romantic puzzler reminiscent of Deanna Raybourn’s Lady Julia Grey novels and the mysteries of Georgette Heyer. --Jen Baker "...authoritative depictions of Venice's history, atmosphere and culinary delights... the story glides along as smoothly as a gondola.Lady Emily travels well."- Kirkus Reviews on Death in the Floating City "With an appealing flair for historical detail and compassion for her characters, the author adds another well-crafted title to her popular series." - Historical Novel Society Review on Death in the Floating City "The mystery and the solution are clever, with the addition of commentary on the dark side of a class-driven society for extra oomph. Fans will be excited to spend more quality time with such appealing and intelligent characters."-- Library Journal on A Crimson Warning "This dependable series with plucky heroines and memorable villainesses is filled with local and period detail. An exceptionally good bet for readers who appreciate historical mysteries and the combination of past and present voices." - Library Journal on Death in the Floating City The daughter of two philosophy professors, I grew up surrounded by books. I was convinced from an early age that I was born in the wrong century and spent much of my childhood under the dining room table pretending it was a covered wagon. Even there, I was never without a book in hand and loved reading and history more than anything. I studied English Literature and Medieval History at the University of Notre Dame. Writing is a natural offshoot of reading, and my first novel, And Only to Deceive , was published in 2005. I'm the author of the long-running Lady Emily Series as well as the novel Elizabeth: The Golden Age . One of the best parts of being an author is seeing your books translated, and I'm currently in love with the Japanese editions of the Emily books.xa0I played nomad for a long time, living in Indiana, Amsterdam, London, Wyoming, Vermont, Connecticut, and Tennessee before settling down. My husband, the brilliant British novelistxa0Andrew Grantxa0(I may be biased but that doesn't mean I'm wrong) and I now divide our time between Chicago and Wyoming. He makes sure I get my English characters right, and I make sure his American ones sound American. Read more