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A review by shropgirl
Murder at the Serpentine Bridge by Andrea Penrose
4.0
This is book six of the Wrexford and Sloane mysteries and the cuple are now married and Raven & Hawk are adjusting to their new lives.
Receiving an invitation to stay at her brother's sister-in-law and her husband, Charlotte and her family feel obliged to attend despite not really wanting to conform to the dictates of society which they will be bound to do so.
At the country estate they find that their hosts are trustees of the estate for their nephew, a mixed race child whose parents have died. His parentage is the cause of some racial tensions within the family. However, prior to Charlotte and Wrexford making the trip, Wrexford, Raven and Hawk discover a body floating in the Serpentine. A black gentleman, the body is identified as a well known inventor who it seems has managed to create, what in effect is a precursor to a machine gun. The blueprints have gone missing. Further enquiries establish that the dead man is the mixed race child's uncle. This probably is too much of a coincidence for this reader but Andrea Penrose needs this base to further the plot. A meeting by various heads of state with the Prince Regent and his gala means that there are plenty of suspects for the murder and the taking of the stolen plans.
Despite reservations of getting involved in another murder investigation and thus risk the security of the family it is of course inevitable that Wrexford and Sloane must do so.
I really enjoy this series. There is enough historical fact to provide interest, the characters are well drawn and the Wrexford contingent are now well developed, plausible and believable. The boys, Raven and Hawk are growing up and this too is explored in the novel as Raven begins to push against the boundaries of authority.
The solution was good, tension was raised and the plot moved along at speed.
The young nephew now named Falcon also becomes part of the group and his ability with mechanics and his breeding are an added dimension to Raven and Hawk moving away from their initial origins to a place in society. I am looking forward to the seventh book in the series but it seems that I will have to wait for publication. These books can be read as standalones but ideally they should be read in sequence. High recommended.
Receiving an invitation to stay at her brother's sister-in-law and her husband, Charlotte and her family feel obliged to attend despite not really wanting to conform to the dictates of society which they will be bound to do so.
At the country estate they find that their hosts are trustees of the estate for their nephew, a mixed race child whose parents have died. His parentage is the cause of some racial tensions within the family. However, prior to Charlotte and Wrexford making the trip, Wrexford, Raven and Hawk discover a body floating in the Serpentine. A black gentleman, the body is identified as a well known inventor who it seems has managed to create, what in effect is a precursor to a machine gun. The blueprints have gone missing. Further enquiries establish that the dead man is the mixed race child's uncle. This probably is too much of a coincidence for this reader but Andrea Penrose needs this base to further the plot. A meeting by various heads of state with the Prince Regent and his gala means that there are plenty of suspects for the murder and the taking of the stolen plans.
Despite reservations of getting involved in another murder investigation and thus risk the security of the family it is of course inevitable that Wrexford and Sloane must do so.
I really enjoy this series. There is enough historical fact to provide interest, the characters are well drawn and the Wrexford contingent are now well developed, plausible and believable. The boys, Raven and Hawk are growing up and this too is explored in the novel as Raven begins to push against the boundaries of authority.
The solution was good, tension was raised and the plot moved along at speed.
The young nephew now named Falcon also becomes part of the group and his ability with mechanics and his breeding are an added dimension to Raven and Hawk moving away from their initial origins to a place in society. I am looking forward to the seventh book in the series but it seems that I will have to wait for publication. These books can be read as standalones but ideally they should be read in sequence. High recommended.