From the back cover (which made the book sound very interesting):
"Arabella Beaumont is the fortunate possessor of one of England's most celebrated bodies--with a formidable business brain to match. Her latest venture transforming a London hotel into a social club for courtesans. Arabella needs her featherbrained friend, Constance Worthington to repay the fortune she owes her. And now that Constance has a wealthy protector, Pigeon Pollard, she's finally good for the cash.

Alas, the imprudent Constance has also been dallying with Lady Ribbonhat's footman, and a mysterious blackmailer is threatening to tell all. If Constance pays up, there will be no money left for Arabella's renovations. But as the case escalates rapidly from extortion to murder, Arabella's life, as well as her fortune, hangs precariously in the balance...."

So my interest was peaked by the above two paragraphs, unfortunately the inside contents did little (nothing what-so-ever) to hold my interest.

The author tries too hard and comes up with a losing hand... The writing was stilted, affected, trite stiff, & overly clever.... I didn't like the characters, I didn't feel badly for them.

Even more annoying was the habit of the author to add *'d footnotes at the bottom of most pages attempting in a weakly witty manner of explaining previous happenings & past conversations. ( )