A LADY IN DISGUISE is a delightful story set in England in the Victorian era. It is a sweet blend of history, mystery, theatre, and a smattering of romance. Gillian Younis alone now as she has just buried her father after his mysterious death. A local well-respected cop, he is found dead under mysterious circumstances. He is being falsely accused of unlawful transactions and his reputation tarnished. No way would Gillian believe any of the stories and she sets out to clear her beloved father's name. His partner, Inspector Collingsworth, once a friend, now seems to be his foe and is following Gillian and searching her home. What is he looking for? His son, Francis, also a police officer, a childhood friend, offers protection to Gillian. Is he interested in her in a romantic way?
Gillian works hard as a costume designer at the Theatre Royal on Drury Lane and loves her work. She is called by her employer of 4 years, Mr. Wilhelm, and offered the position of head designer for all the gowns to be worn by Cinderella in the upcoming production. Gillian has dreamed about such an assignment and agrees to the commission. Before she died, Gillian's mother was an actress and she worked hard for The Cause, early champions against human trafficking. Gillian, too, wants to help and takes three women into her home to help her sew the costumes for Cinderella Mother Martha, who is a whiz at stitching beads, Charlotte and Ruby. They add to the sub-plots along with Mrs. W who is full of surprises.
Sandra Boyd introduces two suitors for Gillian. The childhood friend, Francis Collinsworth (yawn) and Lord Thomas Lockwood, a viscount and neighbor at her country home Winton Park. Thomas is handsome, a charmer, who loves the theatre and fencing. The chemistry between Gillian and Thomas is electric and their bantering is such fun. She did not have much trouble picking the right one and went after him with gusto! The mystery is filled with drama and suspense. The danger comes closer and closer as Gillian continues to find clues left for her by her father. It is an edge-of-the-seat time. In the end, there is a happily-ever-after for Gillian and Thomas.. A lovely read with delightful descriptions of gowns for Cinderella and those worn at the Twin Ball added to my pleasure. Learning about Pantomimes, very popular in the London theatre in the Victorian era, when children performed fairy tales. They were overworked and often exploited as child laborers and had few choices once they reached a certain age. A LADY IN DISGUISE hits all the bases and I think it is a home run. I loved it.
In this intriguing novel of romance, mystery, and clever
disguise set in Victorian England, a young woman
investigates the murder of her own father.
After the mysterious death of her father, Miss Gillian Young
takes a new job as the principal costume designer at the
renowned Theatre Royal, Drury Lane. But while she remembers
her father as a kind, well-respected man of the Police
Force, clues she uncovers indicate he’d been living a double
life: a haunting photograph of a young woman; train stubs
for secret trips just before his death; and a receipt for a
large sum of money. Are these items evidence of her father’s
guilty secrets? His longtime police partner thinks so.
Then Gillian meets the dashing Viscount Thomas Lockwood.
Their attraction is instant and inescapable. As their
romantic involvement grows, Gillian begins to suspect even
Lockwood’s motives. Does Lord Lockwood truly love her? Or is
his interest a front for the desire to own her newly
inherited property? And what should she make of her friend’s
suggestion that Lockwood or men like him were involved in
the murder of her father?
Soon Gillian is convinced that her father has left evidence
somewhere that can prove his innocence and reveal the guilty
party. But someone wants to stop her from discovering it.
The closer she comes to uncovering it, the more menacing her
opposition grows. With her life on the line, Gillian takes
on an ingenious disguise and takes on the role of a lifetime
to reveal the true killer—before it’s too late both for her
and for those that she loves.
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