A splendid climax to the four books, each self-contained but with the same acid-tongued heroine. I normally can read a book at a page a minute but these books require a slower read to avoid missing the clues and the sly comments.

A marvelous melange of Jane Austen type barbs and good complex mystery. Rather like Jane Austen the really sharp observations were in her letters to her sister. A book to be savoured and treaured. ( )

This was an enjoyable read set in Regency England, the fourth book in the Dido Kent series.
Part of it is set out in letters from Dido to her sister. She has been sent to attend to an elderly, wealthy aunt in the hopes that the aunt will settle some money on her so Dido can help her family.
When they arrive at the home they are visiting, a young woman appears to have disappeared and then someone is murdered. The guilty party appears to be obvious, but Dido is not convinced, so sets out, in her normal way, to observe, ask questions and draw conclusions.
This is an appealing heroine, well into middle age according to the times. I like the fact that the author has not put a modern heroine into Regency dress. She is a 19th century woman who is forced into playing roles she doesn't enjoy, due to societal expectations, but still manages to act within those constraints.
3.5 stars ( )

This was the first in this series that I've ever read.... book 4. I've never been interested in this series, but when this came in the summary sounded interesting.

Miss Dido Kent is a spinster living w/ her brother & sister-in-law....who wants her to wed the widowed preacher. The preacher has "A pew and a half of children", and Miss Dido Kent has no interest in either the preacher or his children.

Miss Dido Kent is happy as she is (and secretly in love w/ another man) , however as punishment for turning down the preacher, Miss Kent is forced into "companionship" to her wealthy Aunt Manners.

Aunt Manners is travelling to her family home to spend time.... Upon arrival a young woman, who was to wed Aunt's nephew has disappeared and everyone has reason to want her gone. Not only does no one put up a search for the missing woman, but a man carrying secrets & letters is found murdered behind the inn.

The murder is pinned on the ne'er do well son of the man Dido loves..... Their relationship is put to the test as she wants to investigate and her beloved is adamant that she does not, for things as such are just not done.

Dido finds a prison in the women of the family's old apartments, the hidden priest-hole in the library, and she is witness to a man made rock slide......

What I disliked and skipped over, was Dido's letters to her sister, which contained all of her thoughts about what was going on around her.

I also wasn't really fond of Dido's romantic relationship, because it was mostly on going disagreements. There was too much argument about what her beloved believed she should & shouldn't do, what was proper & improper.... and he refused to accept her point of view, even though he knew she would not change her thoughts or mind of her beliefs.

The mystery itself was rather satisfying and came to a surprising conclusion. ( )

My expectations were low for this book, with visions of sub-sub-Austen-esque prattle. How wrong I was! Clearly set in the Austen world and addressing many of the same set of moral choices and decisions, Anna Dean has produced a first-rate mystery that cleaves rather well to the Austen manner. Depicting strong women working within society's confining framework and making men powerful in fact, but weak in mind has us always thinking about these characters in modern terms without any taint of anachronism. I found the mystery a little confusing at times and I am not sure I yet like Miss Kent, but the characters, the settings the depiction of society and how it was subtly changing during these Napoleonic times kept my interest keen. ( )