Caffeinated Reviewer

Narrated by James Cameron Stewart, Murder at Somerset House by Andrea Penrose is the ninth audiobook in the Wrexford & Sloane historical mystery series. I absolutely love working a case with Wren, Charlotte and the Weasels. The family grows, and all will take part in this race to protect the finances of the crown.

Beyond the gilded ballrooms and salons of Regency London lurks a sinister web of intrigue and deception, and when a murder occurs within the scientific community, Lord Wrexford and Charlotte are the perfect pair to unravel it.

A welcome interlude of calm has descended on Wrexford and Charlotte, though with three lively young boys in their care and an unconventional circle of friends and allies, quiet rarely lasts. And sure enough, in the dead of night, an old acquaintance appears and asks for help. His brother-in-law has been accused of murdering a fellow member of the prestigious Royal Society at their London headquarters, Somerset House.

Wrexford agrees to investigate, and with a little unexpected help from their young charges, discovers that what seemed a simple case may be part of a darker, more dangerous plot, where science, money, and politics collide. A mysterious new technical innovation threatens to ignite a crisis throughout Europe, with frightening consequences for London's financial world.

There is also personal upheaval for Wrexford and Charlotte, when a shocking secret from the past brings a profound change to their family, testing the bonds of loyalty and trust.

The Wrexford & Sloane mysteries are one of my favorites, not just because of the suspenseful murder mysteries, but also for the family and friends Wrex and Charlotte have created. While they have no children of their own, they have the Weasels. Two street-smart urchins they are educating and raising as their own, along with a young man they have become legal guardians of. Charlotte & Wrex love these children as their own. Together with a close circle of friends from all walks of life, they solve mysteries.

In Murder at Somerset House, their circle grows with an unexpected young one. I loved watching them embrace this new family member and seeing them all work together to solve the murder of a society scientist. As they investigate, they uncover a plan to disrupt England’s finances.

After the events of the previous audiobook, both Charlotte & Wren were hoping to step away from solving mysteries, particularly when the last one put them in grave danger. However, when presented with the facts and questions regarding an arrest that was made. Soon they uncover a plot involving the French and Napoleon.

I loved the tidbits about the stock exchange. Raven, who loves numbers, has gone to work with Cordelia on her calculations for a stock trader. We also learn quite a bit about homing pigeons as our newest family member has an affinity towards them. In order to solve this case, the Weasels’ skills are put to use, and I dare say it was rather nerve-racking as they closed in on a suspect.

If you love character-driven novels with murder-mysteries weaved in historical tidbits, you’ll want to devour this series. While each audiobook presents a unique case, I recommend listening in order for the romance, friendships and found family.

James Cameron Stewart narrates the series and has become the voice of these characters. The story lends itself perfectly to the audio format and is my preferred format for this series.

Amazon | Audible | Libro.fm

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.

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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.

Reading this book contributed to these challenges:

• 2025 Audiobook Challenge

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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