Murder of a Merry Gentleman by Celeste Connally Publishes 11/10/26


 I love historical fiction about smart women doing smart things especially when society says otherwise. 


In this fourth installment Petra tries to discover who has killed one of the Merry gentlemen and who is trying to hurt the others.  It's during Christmas and in the 1800s there are a series of dances to try and pair up the men and women.  In this case there are four young women scientists who have been paired up with men who compiment their knowledge in science.  However since it is the 1800s the women can't publish their own work and when their research is stolen all signs point to the men.  The problem is one of the men is murdered.  The four women who are part of a club called the Minerva Society all claim innocence so who could have killed them?  Plus Petra has befriended a street urchin and she finds out that his mother is in prison.  Besides solving this murder she also tries to figure out why Teddy's mother is in prison and how she can further help Teddy.  Everything comes together for a great historical mystery. 


I thoroughly enjoyed this series and this was a great addition.  Petra is a great female detective but she also has a heart.  I loved the side story about Teddy and her own romance with Duncan.  Plus the main murder mystery was not one that I was able to figure out until it was revealed.  I always love a mystery that can keep me guessing until the very end.  I look forward to more of these books.  If you love a great mystery, strong women, and some history I definitely recommend this series.

4 out of 5 Stars

Thank you to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for this ARC.  

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Where the Girls Were by Kate Schatz Publishes 3/3/26

Image
 I wish that everyone who had an opinion about women's bodies and what they can do with them would take the time to read a book like this.  Reading is so powerful because you can truly have empathy and understanding of a situation that you might never be in yourself.  I don't know how anyone could read this story and not feel for Baker and all that she went through.  Baker has everything going for her.  She is the valedictorian of her 1968 class and has big dreams of becoming a writer and living in Paris after she attends Stanford University.  Everything is going her way until she goes out to a concert with her cousin and falls in love.  Like so many girls during this time, Baker has very little understanding of her own body and received no education about how to prevent pregnancies.  Baker becomes pregnant and has very few options of what she can do.  Being an unwed mother during this time is pure scandal and will completely destroy her futu...
Read more

The Shippers by Katherine Center Publishes 5/19/26

Image
  A new Katherine Center novel is one of things I look forward to most in the year.  "The Shippers" did not disappoint and was a great way to start this year off.   In this novel JoJo has relationship issues.  In order to solve these issues, JoJo hatches a plan with her sister to win back the guy who was her first kiss and longtime crush, Finn Turner  He also happens to be on a cruise ship with her entire family and old neighborhood for her sister's wedding.  Also on that cruise ship is JoJo's best friend, Cooper.  They have been estranged for four years. At one time they were inseparable and have only now just started speaking again.  JoJo ends up roping in Cooper to try and help her win Finn, but as you can probably guess, things do not always go to plan.  I absolutely loved this book.  It was a great escape and a heart warming story.   I really enjoyed reading about all of the characters and seeing their growth especial...
Read more

Double Shadow by Andrew Ludington Publishes 4/21/26

Image
  A great edition to this time traveling, action-packed series! In this novel Rabbit travels back in time to Jerusalem to help Helen.  She is being accused of being part of an illegal time traveling ring.  Only when he travels back he meets a younger Helen who has never met him before.  Helen is chasing after a man named Eshek who has stolen money and if Helen can get the money back she can help her sister.  The only problem is that there is also a killer on the loose who seems out to get Rabbit.   In this novel we learn a lot more about Helen and her back story.  We also get to see more of Rabbit and Helen's relationship.  This book has lots of action and adventure but the best part of the story for me is the time travel.  I love all of the historical detail and knowledge of the time periods they travel to.  I am excited to read more as I am really enjoying what is happening between Rabbit and Helen.  Thank you to Minotaur Boo...
Read more