Murder on Black Swan Lane (Wrexford & Sloane #1) by Andrea Penrose

Meet Author Andrea Penrose:

"Andrea Penrose is the bestselling author of Regency-era historical fiction, including the acclaimed Wrexford & Sloane mystery series, as well as Regency romances written under the names Cara Elliott and Andrea Pickens. Published internationally in ten languages, she is a three-time RITA Award finalist and the recipient of numerous writing awards, including two Daphne Du Maurier Awards for Historical Mystery and two Gold Leaf Awards. A graduate of Yale University with a B.A. in Art and an M.F.A. in Graphic Design, Andrea fell in love with Regency England after reading Pride and Prejudice and has maintained a fascination with the era's swirling silks and radical new ideas throughout her writing career. She lives in Connecticut and blogs with a community of historical fiction authors at WordWenches.com. She also can be found at AndreaPenrose.com and on Instagram @AndreaPenroseBooks." ~Amazon

In Regency London, an unconventional scientist and a fearless female artist team up to trap a cold-hearted killer: “Thoroughly enjoyable” (Deanna Raybourn, New York Times–bestselling author).

"The Earl of Wrexford possesses a brilliant scientific mind, but boredom and pride lead him to reckless behavior. So when pompous, pious Reverend Josiah Holworthy publicly condemns him for debauchery, Wrexford unsheathes his rapier-sharp wit and strikes back. As their war of words escalates, London’s most popular satirical cartoonist, A.J. Quill, skewers them both. But then the clergyman is found slain in a church—his face burned by chemicals, his throat slashed ear to ear—and Wrexford finds himself the chief suspect.

An artist in her own right, Charlotte Sloane has secretly slipped into the persona of her late husband, using his nom de plume, A.J. Quill. When Wrexford discovers her true identity, she fears it will be her undoing. But he has a proposal—use her sources to unveil the clergyman’s clandestine involvement in questionable scientific practices, and unmask the real murderer. Soon Lord Wrexford and the mysterious Mrs. Sloane plunge into a dangerous shadow world hidden among London’s intellectual enclaves to trap a cunning adversary—before they fall victim to the next experiment in villainy..." ~Amazon

“Sharp, engaging characters, rich period detail, and a compellingly twisty plot, Andrea Penrose delivers a winner.” —Deanna Raybourn, New York Times–bestselling author

“Fans of C.S. Harris take note! A riveting ride through Regency London, from the slums of St. Giles, to the mansions of Mayfair.” —Lauren Willig, New York Times–bestselling author

“Historical chemistry meets alchemy . . . A delight of a book.&rdquo

Numeric Breakdown:

1: didn't like it/skip it
2: it was okay/it wasn't for me
3. liked it/worth a read
4. really liked it/loved it
5. it was amazing/must read!

Wrexford and Sloane might be my newest favorite crime fighting duo. 

The first book in her Wrexford & Sloane mystery series Murder on Black Swan Lane offers readers a delightful new pair of intelligent investigators. A historical mystery filled with a gothic vibe and two characters who steal the show. Meet the Earl of Wrexford and Charlotte Sloane; both living lives of opposites. 

Wrexford comes from money, nobility, and cynicism. He's a scientist in his own right and prefers his alone time and special female friends. With his trusty sidekick - aka valet and lab assistant, Tyler, he dabbles in experiments, the world of chemistry, and making a splash in the newspapers with A.J. Quill's less-than-flattering hand-drawn pictures.

Sloane is alone in the world now that her husband has died. Both had shared a love and talent of art, but now, she's making her money by posing as her departed husband's pseudonym A.J. Quill. Her pictures are detailed, well-informed, and risqué. How does she know all the particulars involving high society? Well, she has her ways... spies... helpers...

Raven and Hawk are brothers. Down on their luck, part of the poverty-stricken, possibly without any type of family, they've learned to take care of each other and make their way in the world. They keep an eye on the streets and do what they need in order to stay alive and fed. They've made a deal of sorts with Charlotte Sloane, and together, they all look after each other. 

When a rival and vocal challenger, Reverend Josiah Holworthy, of Wrexford's ends up dead, everyone believes he's the culprit. The Bow Street Runner, Mr. Griffin, believes it. Christopher Sheffield, the Earl's closest friend, considers it a likely possibility. Even Tyler ponders the probability for a second. However, his friends aren't ready to give up on him yet, and there's a chance someone knows who the murderer is - or might be the murderer in fact - A.J. Quill.

Sloane's newest drawing is lifelike, comprehensive, and way too knowledgeable for someone who hadn't seen the body to have made. That might have something to do with the fact that she did see the body, had the time to examine it, and narrowly missed being arrested. The fact is she drew it too well, and now, Wrexford wants to find this well-informed newspaper artist. 

The author paces the plot perfectly, gives us pieces of the main characters' lives in spoonfuls that keep you coming back for more, establishes relationships which you can feel, creates characters you love and relate to through so many ways, brings the action and deductions and history, and gives you a story you just can't put down. As far as the history goes, I'm uncertain of what research the author did, but I felt what was written was entertaining and flexible within the fictitious genre. I was pleased Penrose focused on the relationships she was building and not forcing or rushing those interactions.

This was a beautifully written, well-balanced, at times humorous, and enjoyable mystery to be solved. It reminded me a bit of my favorite whodunits with its own personality. I'm excited to read the next three books in this series, and I sincerely hope for more! I plan to check into the other books written by this author as well. I highly recommend it to anyone who loves a fresh take on a Poirot and Hastings or Holmes and Watson type detective stories. There are too many reasons why I'm giving it a 4/5 "loved it" rating! I hope you'll give it a read and find out why it's so enjoyable. 

Thanks for joining me, and as always, Happy Reading!! :)

~Rebecca Reddell, Author