"Terrific Regency police procedural"

In spite of his recent rejection of her due to her failure to produce an heir Lady Julia Bertstrom Fieldhurst remains faithful to her spouse a Foreign Office bigwig. However, she considers taking a lover for the first time, her escort Rupert Latham, but when they enter her bedchamber they are greeted by the corpse of Lord Fieldhurst lying on her floor with her scissor in his neck.

The media and his superior Mr. Colquhoun immediately assume it is a lover's triangle, but Bow Street Runner John Pickett thinks that is too easy a solution though the paramours had the time to commit the homicide. He focuses on the cousin and cousin-in law as having a monetary motive. The more John digs, the more likely it seems Julia killed her spouse. He begins to wonder if her beauty has spellbound him to ignore her treachery just like his boss thinks. However, he tries a different path involving the Foreign Office and a purloined letter hoping that will prove the clue to lead to the killer.

IN MILADY'S CHAMBER is a terrific Regency police procedural starring a likable Bow Street Runner who like everyone else wonders if beauty has dazzled the beast. John is the focus of the story line as he follows clues that go nowhere except dead ends and begins to doubt his theory that Julia is innocent though he continues to pursue alternate paths other than the lovers' triangle murder. The support cast augments a fabulous historical mystery.

Harriet Klausner

Reviewed by Harriet Klausner
Posted December 15, 2005