Caffeinated Reviewer

Sophia Rose is here with another novel in the Lady Darby Mystery series. A Fatal Illusion by Anna Lee Huber shares an attack at a family reunion. Grab a cuppa and see what Sophia loved about this story.

New parents Lady Kiera Darby and Sebastian Gage look forward to introducing Sebastian’s father to his granddaughter, but instead find themselves investigating an attempt on his life...

Yorkshire, England. August 1832. Relations between Sebastian Gage and his father have never been easy, especially since the discovery that Lord Gage has been concealing the existence of an illegitimate son. But when Lord Gage is nearly fatally attacked on a journey to Scotland, Sebastian and Kiera race to his side. Given the tumult over the recent passage of the Reform Bill and the Anatomy Act, in which Lord Gage played a part, Sebastian wonders if the attack could be politically motivated.

But something suspicious is afoot in the sleepy village where Lord Gage is being cared for. The townspeople treat Sebastian and Kiera with hostility when it becomes clear they intend to investigate, and rumors of mysterious disappearances and highway robberies plague the area. Lord Gage’s survival is far from assured, and Sebastian and Kiera must scramble to make the pieces fit before a second attempt at murder is more successful than the first.

Sophia Rose’s Review

The anticipation of a fragile family reunion is disrupted when Sebastian’s father and his servants are attacked on the Great North Road.  Sebastian, Kiera, and Lord Henry rush to his side during his medical crisis and to solve the mystery of why Lord Gage was targeted.

A Fatal Illusion is the eleventh of the Lady Darby early Victorian historical mystery series.  While each presents a standalone mystery, the books build on what came before as far as relationship development.

In A Fatal Illusion, highwaymen attack Lord Gage’s coach at a rugged remote location and deliberately attack him while he was cooperating.  Sebastian and Kiera know there is more to this than robbery.  There is a local Robin Hood-like gang operating, but this is something more ominous.  The local constable is willing to help them investigate, but they are up against a community who support the highway gang because they rob the rich and distribute to the poor.  Even the doctor’s household where they stay seems to have secrets.

Besides the mystery, Sebastian, Kiera, and Henry face the struggle of trying to maintain the fragile connection and possibly build something more with Sebastian’s irascible father who ignores Henry and belittles Sebastian while trying to get a rise out of Kiera.  Kiera has hope that the family situation can change when she sees the way her father in law responds to his granddaughter.

I’ve always loved how this series delivers a suspenseful and twisting mystery with a good atmospheric setting while digging deep into the character development and the relationships between the characters.  This one focuses strongly on the background of Lord Gage.  Why he is the way he is and why someone is trying to kill him is at the heart of the story.  He is not an easy man and has hurt Sebastian and his half-brother Henry deeply, but I was impressed how, along with his family, I was able to understand him better.

The action moments mixed with a few good twists kept me flying through the pages.  I liked knowing which mysteries in the story were significant to the case, but I was glad to have all the answers by the end.  As usual, the historical backdrop is well-seated in actual history and lore that enhanced an excellent story.

Those who love historical mystery really need to give this series a go.

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About Anna Lee Huber

Anna Lee Huber is the Daphne award-winning author of the national bestselling Lady Darby Mysteries, the Verity Kent Mysteries, the Gothic Myths series, and the forthcoming anthology The Deadly Hours. She is a summa cum laude graduate of Lipscomb University in Nashville, Tennessee, where she majored in music and minored in psychology. She currently resides in Indiana with her family and is hard at work on her next novel

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About Sophia Rose

Sophia is a quiet though curious gal who dabbles in cooking, book reviewing, and gardening. Encouraged and supported by an incredible man and loving family. A Northern Californian transplant to the Great Lakes Region of the US. Lover of Jane Austen, Baseball, Cats, Scooby Doo, and Chocolate.

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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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