The sign of death

In Bath, England, in early 1891, William, Viscount Wethington, receives two pieces of horrifying news. The police want him to identify a drowned body they suspect is James Harding, William's man of business. At first glance, that's not as scary as the second piece of news: William's mother is giving up her house in London, and is coming to live with him. However, when two bumbling police officers investigate Harding's death as murder, they pinpoint Wethington as the primary suspect. He knew something was off, but not that Harding had been stealing from him and forging his name on business contracts. In desperation, he turns to his friend Lady Amy Lovell, a fellow member of a mystery book club, for assistance. While the two plunge into the investigation together, their close companionship convinces their parents that Lord Wethington and Lady Amy are destined for marriage. Maybe a marriage will be forthcoming, unless William becomes one of those rare peers of the realm to be hanged as a murderer. VERDICT The follow-up to A Study in Murder is a fun, character-driven mystery with two unconventional amateur sleuths. The emphasis on Victorian lifestyle in a humorous cozy should satisfy fans of atmospheric historical mysteries.--Lesa Holstine, Evansville Vanderburgh P.L., IN

A second round of trials and tribulations for a pair of aristocratic Victorian sleuths. Lady Amy Lovell and her friend Lord William Wethington enjoy each other's company but are marriage-shy, a malady both their families hope to remedy. Lady Amy, who's published several well-received detective novels under a pen name, enjoys as much independence as the times permit while she lives with her aunt in Bath. After her experience with the inefficient police force when her fiance was murdered, Amy knows that she must go into detective mode again to save William from a murder charge when his man of business, James Harding, is found floating in the River Avon. William realizes that his trust in Harding was misplaced when evidence indicates that he had partnered Harding in illegal schemes and a good deal of William's money turns up missing. The police are so convinced that all this skulduggery provides an excellent motive for murder that they look no further. Undeterred, William and Amy uncover other people Harding was cheating and several he was blackmailing, making them equally likely suspects in his murder. William's mother, who's staying with him, finds Amy to be a delightful mate for William; Amy's pressed to wed by her father, who's also visiting Bath. As the couple hunt down a killer, they find themselves looking upon marriage with more kindly eyes. Before they can even consider that blessed state, however, they must extricate William from his dangerous situation. A delightful combination of mystery and romance with some unexpected twists. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.