The secrets of wishtide A Laetitia Rodd mystery

*Starred Review* Combining the strengths of Agatha Christie's Miss Marple and M. C. Beaton's Agatha Raisin, Laetitia Rodd towers over both of these genteel sleuths in wit, tact, and ingenuity. In this new, not-quite-cozy mystery, Letty assuages her grief at the loss of her beloved husband by keeping busy with the important work of problem solving for others. She lives in reduced circumstances with a dear friend and confidante in Highgate, a suburb of London that in 1850 was a country village, and she's employed by her brother, a prominent barrister, in what she calls the management and prevention of scandal. This first in a new series involves both scandal prevention and the uncovering of new scandal, as well as some very nasty murders, all of which Mrs. Rodd calmly smooths over and resolves. A prominent citizen's heir is about to marry unwisely, while his sisters need a governess to polish them, and when Letty steps in to manage the scandal and govern the girls, the plot thickens rapidly. Readers will forgive and smile at the blatant contrasts between the warmth of affection and humor in Letty's immediate circle and the self-centered wickedness and scheming of the dark, depressed villains. The book is a sheer delight, with its deliciously intricate puzzle and well-drawn characters whom readers are sure to continue to enjoy in volumes to come.--Baker, Jen Copyright 2016 Booklist

Laetitia Rodd, the narrator of this lively series debut set in 1850 from British author Saunders (Night Shall Overtake Us), was left in reduced circumstances by her clergyman husband's death. Now living with her working-class friend and landlady, Mary Bentley, in the London village of Hampstead, Laetitia conducts confidential inquiries for her barrister brother, Frederick Tyson, to supplement her income and exercise her quick wits. Influential peer Sir James Calderstone hires the siblings to investigate the background of Helen Orme, the beautiful but mysterious widow whom his son, Charles, wants to marry against James's wishes. In the guise of a governess, Laetitia travels to Wishtide, the Calderstone Lincolnshire estate, where she discovers that not only Mrs. Orme but the Calderstones themselves are hiding scandalous secrets. When Mrs. Orme is found murdered and Charles is accused, Laetitia strives to save him from the gallows. Saunders explores Victorian sexual mores in a well-evoked historical world marred only by some overly complicated subplots. Agent: Caradoc King, United Agents (U.K.). (Sept.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Meet Laetitia Rodd, the widow of an archdeacon, who is living in reduced circumstances in 1850 Hampstead, -England. She supports herself by doing discreet private investigation work for her brother, a successful London criminal barrister. Her sibling introduces -Laetitia to Sir James -Calderstone, a wealthy industrialist who asks her to investigate an "unsuitable" woman whom his son wants to marry. The goal is to prevent the match. Posing as the new governess for the two Calderstone daughters, she travels to Wishtide, Sir James's Lincolnshire estate. Laetitia's probe grows increasingly complicated as corpses amass and eventually Sir James's son is accused of murder. Rodd is then engaged to find proof of his innocence. Readers will find themselves immersed in 19th-century English society, from grand houses to dockside taverns, in a story that draws heavily from the work of Charles Dickens. Saunders's protagonist sheds a sympathetic light on the plight of women in the rigid moral climate of Victorian England. VERDICT Readers who relish the puzzle of a well-done Victorian-set mystery with a resourceful female detective will take pleasure in this series launch by a prolific British author and journalist (The Marrying Game).-Cheryl Bryan, Orleans, MA © Copyright 2016. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.