THE MASTERFUL MR. MONTAGUE is book three in the Casebook
of Barnaby Adair series by Stephanie Laurens. I love
mysteries, and I love books by Stephanie Laurens, so I was
happy to give this book a try. I heartily enjoyed reading
THE MASTERFUL MR. MONTAGUE. There is romance, and there are
passionate encounters in this story, but the mystery
dominates. This is fine for me, because there are enough
puzzles to make for a very intriguing mystery. There are
characters from previous books, but I don't think it will
be too confusing to enjoy for anybody new to this series,
or this world that Stephanie Laurens has created.
The thing which starts the deadly chain of events is an
elderly lady putting her financial affairs in order. When
she becomes the victim of foul play, her paid companion --
Miss Violet Matcham -- refuses to let Lady Halstead's sudden
death go uninvestigated. Because of some of the questions
about Lady Halstead's finances, she engages the services of
financial wizard Mr. Heathcote Montague. There is an
attraction between Violet and Montague that is developed
throughout the story.
Part of why the fledgling romance between the two works so
well is because they are both really great characters.
Violet is 34 and is a very composed, intelligent woman with
a lot of fortitude. Montague is a strong and smart hero. One
thing that I love about THE MASTERFUL MR. MONTAGUE is the
respect given by all of the good guys to their female
counterparts, and the lack of condescension. Violet,
Griselda, and Penelope are very different women, who are
from slightly different levels of society, but they are all
intelligent and their men treat them as such. Strong,
intelligent, self-possessed women are a staple of any
Stephanie Laurens book. As a longtime Stephanie Laurens fan,
I was extremely happy for the cameo appearance of the
indomitable Lady Osbaldestone. I like the teamwork by the
detectives in this story. There were many minds at work
trying to unravel the complex mystery. It's a smart
strategy employed by the detectives to have the different
players investigate using the avenues they are most
familiar with.
I love that there are actually many little mysteries in THE
MASTERFUL MR. MONTAGUE in addition to murder. I was riveted
from beginning to end. As Montague, detective
extraordinaire Barnaby Adair, Inspector Stokes -- along with
the ladies -- hunt down clues and track down alibis, you
feel as though you're part of the investigation. In THE
MASTERFUL MR. MONTAGUE, you really get a feel for the
staggering amount of paperwork detectives had to wade
through, as well as the tedious job of copying documents
out by hand to cross-reference facts rather than streamline
the process by using a computer. The surviving members of
Lady Halstead's family are all pretty odious and make for
perfect suspects.
THE MASTERFUL MR. MONTAGUE is an extremely exciting and
entertaining mystery with great characters and a dash of
romance. I eagerly await the next installment in
this Casebook of Barnaby Adair series and hope to see
familiar characters.
#1 New York Times bestselling author Stephanie
Laurens returns to the world of Barnaby Adair, his wife
Penelope, and their growing band of sleuths in this mystery
that reveals the dangerous underbelly of Regency London.
Outside that glittering circle lay another world…and Laurens
pulls back the curtain that has hidden it from us-until now
Montague has devoted his life to managing the wealth of
London's elite, but at a huge cost: a family of his own.
Then the enticing Miss Violet Matcham seeks his help, and in
the puzzle she presents him, he finds an intriguing new
challenge professionally...and personally.
Violet, devoted lady-companion to the aging Lady Halstead,
turns to Montague to reassure her ladyship that her affairs
are in order. But the famous Montague is not at all what
she'd expected-this man is compelling, decisive, supportive,
and strong-everything Violet needs in a champion, a position
to which Montague rapidly lays claim.
But then Lady Halstead is murdered and Violet and Montague,
aided by Barnaby Adair, Inspector Stokes, Penelope, and
Griselda, race to expose a cunning and cold-blooded
killer…who stalks closer and closer. Will Montague and
Violet learn the shocking truth too late to seize their
chance at enduring love?
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