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A review by critterbee
A Useful Woman by Darcie Wilde
4.0
This is billed as a 'Regency Mystery,' and it is that, but also features a touch of romance.
Rosalind Thorne is barely hanging on to the fringes of the ton, after being disgraced through no fault of her own. Her father's scandalous actions and cowardly escape from London left Rosalind with crippling debt, the care of her overwrought, unstable mother, the loss of being able to marry her love, and more than enough shame to overwhelm most people.
Rosalind decides to hang on to society, and contrives to make herself useful as a means of supporting herself. Having a patroness of Almacks as her godmother is a stroke of luck, and does much to help preserve her reputation and society's acceptance. She transforms herself into a 'Useful Woman,' skilled in helping others arrange events and navigate society's hurdles. She is smart, and at times questions whether society is worth caring about or not, however there are a lot of moving parts to her life which make everything more complicated.
In this series introduction, Rosalind stumbles into a situation featuring a suspicious death at Almacks. Loyalty pulls her in conflicting directions, but she realizes that the truth must be discovered.
The characters in the book are entertaining and diverse, including her former love, a frenemy from her school days, a captivating bow street runner, the patronesses of Almacks, haughty members of society and fallen former members of the ton.
The pacing of this book is steady, but never boring. I was hooked early on, and the mysterious plot was satisfying. The ending tied up the mystery, while leaving many things open for further development in future books. I want to know more about her relationships with her 'former' love Lord Casselmain, the Bow Street Runner, Honoria, her sister Charlotte, her godparents, and her other friends and acquaintances. Highly recommended.
**eARC Netgalley**
Rosalind Thorne is barely hanging on to the fringes of the ton, after being disgraced through no fault of her own. Her father's scandalous actions and cowardly escape from London left Rosalind with crippling debt, the care of her overwrought, unstable mother, the loss of being able to marry her love, and more than enough shame to overwhelm most people.
Rosalind decides to hang on to society, and contrives to make herself useful as a means of supporting herself. Having a patroness of Almacks as her godmother is a stroke of luck, and does much to help preserve her reputation and society's acceptance. She transforms herself into a 'Useful Woman,' skilled in helping others arrange events and navigate society's hurdles. She is smart, and at times questions whether society is worth caring about or not, however there are a lot of moving parts to her life which make everything more complicated.
In this series introduction, Rosalind stumbles into a situation featuring a suspicious death at Almacks. Loyalty pulls her in conflicting directions, but she realizes that the truth must be discovered.
The characters in the book are entertaining and diverse, including her former love, a frenemy from her school days, a captivating bow street runner, the patronesses of Almacks, haughty members of society and fallen former members of the ton.
The pacing of this book is steady, but never boring. I was hooked early on, and the mysterious plot was satisfying. The ending tied up the mystery, while leaving many things open for further development in future books. I want to know more about her relationships with her 'former' love Lord Casselmain, the Bow Street Runner, Honoria, her sister Charlotte, her godparents, and her other friends and acquaintances. Highly recommended.
**eARC Netgalley**