Reviews for A gentlewoman's guide to murder
Kirkus
Copyright © Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
An upper-class Regency lady with a finely honed sense of social responsibility must solve a murder or find herself accused.Miss Emmeline St. Germaine lives in London at the pleasure of her brother, who keeps his town house open to her as long as she behaves. Little does he know that his sister, secretly known as the Avengeress, works with a like-minded group of friends to rescue children who are being sexually exploited by their employers and, under the sobriquet of the Rogue, writes a scandalous gossip column for radical newspaper The Prattler. Emmeline's latest escapade involves the rescue of a very young maid just as she's about to be raped by her employer, Sir Henry Claybourne. Unfortunately, after Emmeline escapes with the child, Sir Henry is murdered, the family silver stolen, and the unknown Avengeress blamed by the press. Emmeline, keenly aware of the danger she faces in such a male-dominated culture, reluctantly decides that only solving the murder can protect her identity. With the help of her maid, her coachman, her friends, and the owner of The Prattler, she digs into Sir Henry's background and learns more about how the unfortunate children are delivered into the hands of their rapists. Nor can she relax among the social circle of her uncle, wealthy jurist Sir Jacob Pauling, for it includes Dr. Giles Woodforde, who's known Emmeline since childhood and is in love with her even though she doesn't acknowledge his devotion or trust him with her dark secrets. Nevertheless, his medical knowledge proves helpful as she scours pitiful orphanages and elite drawing rooms in her search for the truth. Her shocking discoveries will change her life forever.Hamilton, who writes everything from kitchen cozies (No Grater Danger, 2018, etc.) to Regency romances, combines aspects of both in a much grittier new series that explores the second-class status of women, which continues to this day. Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Book list
From Booklist, Copyright © American Library Association. Used with permission.
In Regency London, Emmeline St. Germaine, disguised as the Avengeress, rescues scullery maid Molly from the depraved Sir Henry Claybourne, threatening him in the process. When Sir Henry is found murdered the next morning, Emmeline fears the Avengeress will be accused of the crime; in an attempt to protect her alter ego, she begins an investigation to find his killer. In addition, Emmeline has another secret identity, as the Rogue, the author of a popular gossip column. If either secret is discovered, she will find herself ruined and exiled to the country by her brother, who controls her money. Emmeline chafes at the conventions that prevent women from speaking their minds and controlling their lives but recognizes she cannot go too far and anger her brother. She is an unconventionally principled and highly unusual character, and the story is seamlessly framed by details about the life and social mores of Regency London, from the streets to the drawing rooms. Hamilton's novel will appeal to fans of Anne Perry's Charlotte and Pitt mysteries.--Sue O'Brien Copyright 2018 Booklist
Publishers Weekly
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Set in Regency London, this outstanding series launch from Hamilton (the Vintage Kitchen mysteries) introduces Emmeline St. Germaine, an intelligent woman who craves independence and has no wish to marry. Outwardly she conforms to society's expectations of a genteel spinster, but Emmeline, in disguise, plunges into action by carrying out rescues of young female servants who are being molested by their male employers. Her rescue of a maid from the Clerkenwell home of Sir Henry Claybourne goes badly wrong when, that same night, Sir Henry is murdered. As public outrage blames the as yet unknown Masked Avengeress, Emmeline is desperate to find the real killer. Her furtive investigation leads her to some memorable London scenes, such as a night at the opera and a "nut crack" party. Hamilton expertly balances the page-turning detection with the story of a hypocritical society where women, whether they are scullery maids or orphans, rarely get to make their own decisions. Readers will look forward to Emmeline's further adventures. Agent: Jessica Faust, BookEnds Literary. (Feb.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
