Caffeinated Reviewer

I admit I dove straight into Murder at Half Moon Gate by Andrea Penrose. This is the second audiobook in the Wrexford & Sloane series narrated by James Cameron Stewart. This Regency London series is proving to be quite addictive thanks to the clever whodunits and unique characters.

A wealthy lord who happens to be a brilliant scientist . . . an enigmatic young widow who secretly pens satirical cartoons . . . a violent killing disguised as a robbery . . . Nothing is as it seems in Regency London, especially when the Earl of Wrexford and Charlotte Sloane join forces to solve a shocking murder.

When Lord Wrexford discovers the body of a gifted inventor in a dark London alley, he promptly alerts the watchman and lets the authorities handle the matter. But Wrexford soon finds himself drawn into the murder investigation when the inventor’s widow begs for his assistance, claiming the crime was not a random robbery. It seems her husband’s designs for a revolutionary steam-powered engine went missing the night of his death. The plans could be worth a fortune . . . and very dangerous in the wrong hands.

Joining Wrexford in his investigation is Charlotte Sloane, who uses the pseudonym A. J. Quill to publish her scathing political cartoons. Her extensive network of informants is critical for her work, but she doesn’t mind tapping that same web of spies to track down an elusive killer. Each suspect—from ambitious assistants to rich investors, and even the inventor’s widow—is entwined in a maze of secrets and lies that leads Wrexford and Sloane down London’s most perilous stews and darkest alleyways.

With danger lurking at every turn, the potent combination of Wrexford’s analytical mind and Sloane’s exacting intuition begins to unravel the twisted motivations behind the inventor’s death. But they are up against a cunning and deadly foe—a killer ready to strike again before they can recover the inventor’s priceless designs . . .

Wexford finds himself drawn into another murder-mystery when he is approached by the dead man’s widow. Besides knowing of the man, he cannot help but get involved when bow street seems to have written it off as a robbery. The widow believes he was murdered to steal his designs for a revolutionary steam-powered engine. Designs that are now missing.

Wexford engages the help of Mrs. Sloane. He is hoping the contacts she uses for her work will also have knowledge of the designs and murder. The tale that unfolds once again captured me and the outside world slipped away. This story is wonderfully paced, with a complex mystery that will keep you guessing. Suspects, danger and the characters themselves will hook you.

We learn more about Sloane, and see her soften towards accepting help from Wexford, who cleverly lends it under the guise of helping the urchins. As before, I delighted in their back-and-forth banter and an underlying chemistry that neither addresses. Danger, rescues, and red-herrings made for a nail-biting adventure. Indeed, the author kept me guessing.

James Cameron Stewart continues his brilliant narration. He captures our characters perfectly, even the exuberant youth. I feel the romance is enhanced with the audio as well, bringing voice to their building attraction.

Fans of Lady Sherlock will simply delight in this series, if they haven’t already done so. I am excited to begin the next audiobook, Murder at Kensington Palace.

Amazon | Audible

About 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.

Twitter | Instagram

About James Cameron Stewart

James Cameron Stewart trained at Hull University and the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School. Some theater highlights of his thirty-six-year career include Frank-n-Furter (The Rocky Horror Show), Thénadier (Les Misérables), the poet Philip Larkin in Larkin with Women (Best Actor nominee, MEN Awards 2005), and originating the part of Hamish in Sir Alan Ayckbourn's Things We Do for Love. In 2008 he published his grandfather's World War I memoirs and toured his one-man show based on them from 2008 to 2011. His television/film credits include Outlander, Jericho, Flying Blind, Golden Years, Emmerdale, London's Burning, Eastenders, Coronation Street, Holby City, and Taggart. He often appears on Radio 4, and is a regular presenter on the weekly The Economist podcast. James loves recording audiobooks and is delighted to have had the opportunity to narrate such a variety of magnificent authors, from Seneca through Max Hastings and Antony Beevor, to superlative fiction by J. M. Coetzee, Michael Dibdin, Stuart MacBride, and more.

About Kimberly

Kimberly is a coffee loving book addict who reads and listens to fictional stories in all genres. Whovian, Ravenclaw, Howler and proud Nonna. She owns and manages Caffeinated PR. The coffee is always on and she is ready to chat. BlueSky | Facebook | Instagram

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