More historical fiction than romance, the mystery takes center stage ( )

WHY THIS BOOK:
It is far too easy to allow oneself to become stuck in a reading rut, so I make it a point to read outside of my genre on occasion. Granted, A Lady In Disguise is not too far outside my genre – it is still historical fiction – but it is definitely beyond my usual choice in novels due to its heavy emphasis on the mystery portion of the plot, leaving the romance as a secondary part of the story.

Additionally, Sandra Byrd was not an author I had read in recent years and I had never read one of her historical novels, so when I saw the opportunity to be part of a group who would have the privilege of reading the book prior to its release, I applied and was accepted. I did receive a free copy of this book, but was under no obligation to review it favorably. As always, the review below is entirely my own and an honest opinion of the novel I read.

OPENING LINE:
“I stood, that bleak day, in the graveyard in the village near Winton Park. The chapel’s stone gargoyles, pitted and blinded by the elements, nonetheless mocked our mortality with their jeering grins.”

FIRST IMPRESSIONS:
I think I was tired when I started this book, because despite the well-done first line it failed to intrigue me. The other explanation might be that the romantic interest is only briefly (and unconvincingly) hinted at in the first chapter and then not seen or really even mentioned again until chapter seven. So perhaps the romantic in me was feeling a bit impatient. Either way, the first few chapters, though beautifully written and filled with a mystery which engaged my curiosity, failed to engage my emotions.

Additionally, the first few chapters left me a bit frustrated by the lack of clarity regarding Mrs. W’s role in Gillian’s life. However, this was clarified in later chapters.

CHARACTERS:
Miss Gillian Young – The heroine. She is a self-confident, brave young woman determined to not only provide for herself, but also for those close to her as well as for those in need. Her sense of reason and caution are strong enough to make her a believable character in this story without making her bolder choices outside the realm of plausibility.

Inspector Young – Miss Gillian’s father is deceased prior to the start of the novel, yet he remains a character through Miss Gillian’s memories; and certainly, the mystery surrounding his actions prior to his death are what drive most of the plot forward.

Mrs. W. – Though no title is given, that I recall, Mrs. W. is clearly a long-time employee of the family. Not quite a servant, but paid nonetheless, Mrs. W. has difficulty accepting Gillian’s transition from child to adult.

Viscount Thomas Lockwood – Neighbor to Miss Young’s newly inherited country estate, he is apparently eager to be of assistance to Miss Young, though his motivations are unclear throughout most of the novel.

Sergeant Roberts – The young policeman who’d been training with Inspector Young prior to his mysterious death, now claims to be investigating his mentor’s actions.

Inspector Collingsworth – A long-time colleague of Inspector Young and friend of the family, he is seemingly the head of the Chelsea Police Division.

Francis Collingsworth – Inspector Collingsworth’s son, he is following in his father’s footsteps as a police officer. He is a childhood friend of Gillian with hopes of becoming more. (As they were most frequently – and appropriately – referred to by their last names, I had trouble keeping Francis separate from his father until I noted that he was a constable while his father was an inspector.)

Mr. Wilhelm – Miss Young’s employer at the Drury Lane Theater in London.

I did not wish to sound tediously repetitious. Otherwise, I could have added to literally every character listed (minus the heroine, of course): “his/her motivations are unclear throughout most of the novel.” For it seems that at one point or another each of the characters, outside of Miss Gillian Young herself, did or said something which might warrant suspicion.

There are additional important characters, but to mention them here would give away certain surprises, so I will end my list here.

A Lady In Disguise - Quote Photo

EMOTIONAL ENGAGEMENT & PACING OF THE STORY:
As I mentioned, the first few chapters did not engage my emotions, although they did engage my curiosity. However, the book felt a bit like a snowball rolling downhill. The momentum gradually, but continuously built until it was at such a pace I could not make myself put the book down.

ELEMENTS I ESPECIALLY LIKED/DISLIKED:
I enjoyed reading about life from the perspective of a primarily middle-class woman who had connections to nearly every level of the various classes in London 1883. I particularly enjoyed the glimpses into the lives of the pantomimes of the time. As a special bonus, there is an author’s note at the back of the book which shares some of the relative bits of history upon which the book is based, which I found fascinating.

I also enjoyed this references to Little Women sprinkled throughout the book.

THEMES:
The primary themes are that no one is perfect, reputations are fragile, relationships are key to survival, and trust must be earned. Yet none of these themes are presented quite so clearly in the novel, which plays with these ideas in a way which causes you consider both sides of every story.

ENDING:
Perhaps others saw the answers before I, but I will admit that this mystery kept me guessing until the very end. While the essence of the ending did not surprise me, how the author got us to it, did. Yet when it all concluded, everything made sense and fit together perfectly, as any well-written mystery should. I will also add for my fellow romance lovers, that in the end, I was quite satisfied with the conclusion of the romance portion of this novel. ( )

After finishing this series, I still hold to the fact that Sandra Byrd is a go to author for me. I think I’ve said this in every review for this series, but I just love her writing style and reading in first person was such a treat. I wish more authors would do that! I thought the book started off a little slow (hence 4 stars). That was probably intentional, it just took me longer than usual to really get into. But once I did, it was well worth the wait. This book is geared toward historical romance fans. While there was some mystery, and I love that she put that element into every book in this series, these books are predominantly romance. If I were to rank the books in this series, although after reading other reviews I think many would differ from me, I’d say 1, then 3, then 2. If you enjoy enjoy gothic era romance, give this series a try. The books don’t need to be read in order. ( )

Title: A Lady in Disguise (Daughters of Hampshire #3)
Author: Sandra Byrd
Pages: 376
Year: 2017
Publisher: Howard
My rating is 4 out of 5 stars.
Lord Thomas Lockwood has been out riding and noticed the neglected home of his neighbor, Lord Palmer. After Lord Palmer’s death, his widow couldn’t keep up with the repairs. Now that his widow has died, the home is to be inherited by his granddaughter, a seamstress in London. Thomas makes note of repairs at the granddaughter’s request and begins a friendship with her due to their mutual love of the theatre. Even though they are from two completely different social classes, a romance begins.
Gillian Young is mourning the untimely death of her father in a cart accident. He was a well-respected police officer so Gillian thought until no one shows up at his funeral. Come to find out, her father is suspected of participating in money laundering, prostitution with young girls and other crimes. Gillian just can’t believe her beloved father is guilty, so she begins her own investigation. She meets with immediate roadblocks and interference from her police force. She is advised to just let the matter drop. He always kept meticulous files on the cases he worked, so where is the file for his last case? His former partner can’t find it nor can anyone else? Gillian knows the file will contain the answers she seeks, but the more she investigates, the more threats that arrive. Can Thomas be trusted? She knows he is interested in her family home in Hampshire, so he is just pretending to like her in order to gain her land and her family home? Is there anyone on the police force she can trust?
This novel combines two of my favorite genres, British mystery and historical British romance. I really enjoyed the mystery presented by the death of Gillian’s father and I thought the author did an excellent job of depicting how helpless a woman alone in that day could be, especially against the rotten eggs in the police force. I also really liked Gillian’s care for the theater waifs. She was taught from an early age by her mother to care for the poor, which was a great example to set. Gillian’s willingness to forgive was also an excellent example of displaying Christ’s mercy. My only negative is that there was too much time spent on the sewing aspect of the story, which slowed it down in some places. I still would recommend this book as it will certainly entertain. ( )

Really enjoyed this wonderful story. Love the gothic angle. Gillian must find out if her father was a police officer on the take or did someone murder him to stop him from finding out who the bad guys were. Love Gillian and Thomas. They interact wonderfully together. I did not want to stop reading to go to work or bed. I received a copy of this book from the author for a fair and honest opinion that I have given of my own free will. ( )