After an eventful honeymoon, Lady Julia Grey and her enigmatic husband Nicholas Brisbane return to London. Lady Julia has no interest in social life and she pokes and prods Brisbane to allow her into his private enquiry business. When Julia's older brother, the ultra- conservative Lord Bellmont, engages Brisbane to recover ill- advised love letters, Julia worms her way into the investigation. The clues lead them to Madame Seraphine, a spiritualist who resides in the Spirit Club. The Spirit Club consists of powerful men in society and politics. Seraphine unwisely uses their secrets, which leads to her murder.
As they ferret out the secrets, Julia and Brisbane tackle many challenges that test their evolving relationship. Brisbane introduces Julia to his Gypsy family that shows Julia another side to her complicated husband. They struggle trying to find answers that test their courage and could lead to their deaths.
THE DARK ENQUIRY is a thoroughly enjoyable Lady Julia Grey historical mystery. Ms. Raybourn weaves rich historical detail into the storyline with fascinating characters that draws readers into the mystery. She employs effective red herrings, making the identity of the killer a complete surprise.
Partners now in marriage and in trade, Lady Julia and
Nicholas Brisbane have finally returned from abroad to set
up housekeeping in London. But merging their respective
collections of gadgets, pets and servants leaves little room
for the harried newlyweds themselves, let alone Brisbane's
private enquiry business.
Among the more unlikely clients: Julia's very proper
brother, Lord Bellmont, who swears Brisbane to secrecy about
his case. Not about to be left out of anything concerning
her belovedβif eccentricβfamily, spirited Julia soon picks
up the trail of the investigation.
It leads to the exclusive Ghost Club, where the alluring
Madame SΓ©raphine holds evening sΓ©ancesβ¦and not a few
powerful gentlemen in thrall. From this eerie enclave
unfolds a lurid tangle of dark deeds, whose tendrils crush
reputations and throttle trust.
Shocked to find their investigation spun into salacious
newspaper headlines, bristling at the tension it causes
between them, the Brisbanes find they must unite or fall.
For Bellmont's sakeβand moreβthey'll face myriad dangers
born of dark secrets, the kind men kill to keep..
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