I love the Rosalind Thorne books! I am captivated by all the elements of her stories, from the slow burn romance with Adam Harkness to all the changes in her life due to her unfortunate father. She has built a reputation as a useful woman and is deeply afraid of losing it with her latest assignment. She has undertaken it to help an old friend whose family is falling apart due to suspicion circling the theft of a pearl necklace and the reappearance of a younger sister who eloped years earlier. This is a wonderfully twisty story!

This is a twisty new volume in the series. The continuing storylines and the new mystery blended well and the pacing was well done.

Set in the Regency era of London, we are presented with a mystery of the missing pearls. Who better than Rosalind Thorne, our protagonist, to investigate the situation. This is the first book I have read by Darcie Wilde and I must say it was truly enjoyable. Under the subterfuge of helping the daughters of the house prepare for their first London season, Rosalind unearths more secrets and scandals lurking within the family. Taking the journey with Rosalind we soon become involved along with her as we uncover intrigue where we find forgery, fraud, blackmail and eventually...murder! This was my first experience with Darcie Wilde, it won't be my last. Actually, I may have to go back and read the books written before this one.

I genuinely love this series. It’s so thoughtful and patient with the characters and the mystery. There is progress with Rosalind’s way of life as she has to deal with living with her best friend. Her progression with Adam is always lovely, but I still wonder what their future looks like, as marrying him will mean the end of her being a useful woman.

Truthfully, I was getting lost in keeping the new characters straight in this book until I realized that the family was based on Pride and Prejudice. Then it became easier to figure out everyone’s relationship with each other.

This review is based on an advanced reader copy provided through Netgalley for an honest review.

I don't know why I haven't read any of this author's prior works, because I really enjoyed this historical mystery. The heroine Rosalind Thorne is extremely likeable, using her wits and connections to survive in society by essentially being a discrete fixer for other high society women. I am now going to read the prior entries in this series!

4.25/5⭐️

I was pleasantly surprised by this Regency era mystery. So much so that I plan to go back and read the previous six.

Rosalind Thorne has a reputation as a “Useful Woman” in the haut ton (she aids high society ladies who have been wronged or with any private problems). Even though she’s not in possession of a fortune, she has the connections, the discretion and the intelligence to assist these ladies (for a small fee, of course).

She is called on by a friend to help absolve her sister (who has a less than sterling reputation) of the theft of an expensive pearl necklace. What follows includes lots of secrets, blackmail, fraud, a slew of suspects and ultimately murder.

I loved the character development here (I really loved Rosalind!), and not just the mains but the family (all with motives) of the friend. The mystery, which is fairly convoluted, is also well thought out and intriguing. My only caveats were that I felt it was a bit long and could have been tightened up, and there were a few errors which I’m sure careful editing will take care of.

Definitely looking forward to reading more from this series.

My sincere thanks to the author, NetGalley and Kensington Books for providing the free early arc of The Secret of the Lost Pearls for review. The opinions are strictly my own.

Darcie Wilde is one of my new favorite authors. I discovered her work last Christmas, and fell in love. I have read all the previous Rosalind Thorne mysteries, and all of them were great. This continued with the great work she has done. The mystery of the pearls was quite interesting, but also the mystery of who killed the villain of the book. It was not who I thought (again), but once revealed, it made sense of the murderer was. Suffice to say, it was a great book and I look forward to more from Darcie Wilde.

Thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Books for this advanced copy, which I voluntarily read and reviewed.

Rosalind Thorne is a "useful woman", well born but fallen on hard times and able to use her intelligence and connections to solve problems for other well born women in return for discrete renumeration. In this way she is able to survive in Regency society, managing thefts, blackmail, and scandal under the cover of her society connections. In this case she's asked by an old school friend to investigate the theft of a valuable pearl necklace, using the cover story is standing a London season for her friend's sister.

Rosalind soon discovers that the family is hiding a scandal, the elopement of another daughter with a scoundrel several years earlier. The daughter has returned claiming that her husband is dead, but he soon reappears and seems determined to destroy the family's precarious place in society. In addition to the missing pearls, Rosalind soon has a missing maid and a dead body to sort out. The solution is a bit convoluted but all the puzzle pieces come together in the end.

This is the sixth book in the series but can be read independently by anyone who enjoys their Regency novels with a touch of mystery.

Thanks to Netgalley and Kensington Books for ebook ARC. All opinions are mine.
I will sing the praises of the Rosalind Thorne forever. This series does not get enough love, but I look forward to each new book.
This book was no different. Rosalind is back at it with our favorite characters; Alice, Amelia, and of course Adam (swoon). The mystery revolves around the Douglas/Hodgeson family and their pearls. Lots of other things come to light with the family and Rosalind is embroiled in the mystery.
The mystery starts simple enough but takes a turn for the worse when the family secrets come to light. Rosalind also agrees to chaperone two of the sisters, which is delightful and we really see Rosalind's prowess among the ton. The book ends well and I look forward to reading this one again to see what I missed the first time!
Things I loved: Rosalind and Amelia working together to solve the crime - love that Amelia is more of a focus. The mystery was good with plenty of twists and turns to keep things interesting. The relationships; from Adam and Rosalind to Rosalind and Alice the relationships are so human and endearing. Would also love more Adam and Rosalind because...duh they're wonderful.
Things I didn't love as much: it seems like Rosalind and Adam's relationship has progressed really quickly between novels and I would have loved to see more of the development. No Charlotte in this one, which is a bummer because she is a great character. The cover is completely different than all the other covers and that really bothers me but that's not about the writing...
Overall, I loved this book and cannot wait for more from Darcie about Rosalind.

This is a review for Secret of the Lost Pearls by Darcie Wilde, which is the latest book her Rosalind Thorne series which comes out at the end of December of this year. It is based on the character Rosalind Thorne, of whom is the main character in her earlier series. This is book 1 in the Useful Woman series, and I loved it!

We begin the story with a man named Campbell courting a young woman named Emma, a rich young heiress of the Haut Ton of regency era in England, and whom ends up being a man who isn't at all what he seems. This particular courting liaison is happening at one of the Ton's favorite pastimes, attending an art gallery, one of which is showcasing a new artist Jacob Mayne, and Emma calls Cameron over to see the new work by this artist, and realizes the portrait that was painted looks exactly like him! But fairly quickly we find out that Campbell, which turns about to be an alias, whose identity will point to a man that is driven by greed and revenge, and schemes his way into many lives to exact his plans to get rich, and to get that revenge, but at the cost hurting and destroying many innocent lives, but will eventually cost him greatly!

Then we meet Rosalind Thorne who doesn't have a fortune of her own, but she is a very resourceful woman, who is known by the ladies of the Ton as someone who can help these wealthy women discreetly solve their problems. In this story, Rosalind is called in to help a friend from school, Bethany Douglas, who is married to a man who has just been named heir to Sir Jasper Douglas' estate, and whose circumstances have drastically changed for the better, to come and use her expertise as Bethany has had an expensive set of pearls suddenly go missing!! Rosalind accepts the challenge, and must use all the resources she's learned from earlier cases to solve this case with it's plethora of suspects including many within Bethany's own family!!

One of the resources Rosalind has worked with in the past is the infamous Bow Street Runners, and in particular one that she has gotten pretty close with, Adam, and she finds herself working alongside him and his Bow Street colleagues, including Sir David Royce, coroner for the city of London, as she quickly reduces this case is much more than a simple robbery of a string of pearls! Rosalind works closely with both Bethany, her family, and the authorities to solve this complicated case which leads down many rabbit trails, but eventually the truth comes out!

I really enjoyed this book! I love a good mystery, and this qualifies a one in my book! It was a story that hooked me from the beginning, and as I went on, each piece of the puzzle kept me wanting to know more and more. I was floored by the time the case was solved, and didn't expect the outcome at all!. I thought the characters were very interesting, the story flowed really well, and built up for an amazing climax! It makes me want to read the rest of the series!! I really enjoyed Rosalind's character, as she was a simple woman who used her sleuthing talents to help her friends! I enjoyed the little bit of romance, but it wasn't 'too much'. I am glad I read this, and would highly recommend it. I read the third of the book over a couple of days, and the last 2/3rds in 2 hours straight as I couldn't put it down!! So this gets 5/5 stars for me because I really enjoyed it!

I have been on pins and needles for the latest Rosalind Thorne mystery and this did not disappoint. Now I’m sad I have to wait on the next! The quality of the story and writing is exceptional.

This can be a stand alone but I highly recommend starting with the beginning. You will not be disappointed.

I just reviewed The Secret of the Lost Pearls by Darcie Wilde. #TheSecretoftheLostPearls #NetGalley

First, the plot. This mystery was the most convoluted yet. And I thought the Bonapartists of book 5 were confusing- this was actual insanity!! There were so many moving parts, so many intricacies that I couldn't have figured it out even if I tried.

This was very inspired by Pride and Prejudice and the Lydia storyline (obviously, because quotes were the chapter openers) and my love for that story built up my love for this one. It was the right kind of inspired- identifiable, but not just a retelling. While I loved the twistiness, I did miss the more personal moments between my favorites. Speaking of which- our characters.

This is where a star is taken off, because even though every book has introduced a new family with "problems" this family took over everything. I'm very settled with Rosalind, Alice, Adam, Sanderson, and the Runners we've met, but there were so many members of this family and so many people to keep track of that my favorites got a little lost. There was no breathing room amidst establishing all these other characters that won't last to the next book, and I felt a little robbed. Especially when I compared it to book 5, which features dozens of highlights on my kindle that are funny and/or sweet interactions between the core cast of characters. I think I highlighted two or three in Lost Pearls. I think it was partly to let Rosalind settle into her feelings more, but I was still disappointed. It's book 6, guys. I want more than two kisses and a hint toward the idea of a real relationship. (p.s. Adam Harkness literally makes my heart squeeze with how sweet and gentle he is with Rosalind's feelings and her uncertainty about how she wants her future to look. Meanwhile I am screaming into my pillow wanting them to get married immediately)

This doesn't mean I disliked the book- far from it! I am dying for the next book, and this isn't a mystery to be missed, especially if you're a fan of complicated families, convoluted plots, and everyone having a secret motive!!.

The Secret of the Lost Pearls by Darcie Wilde (A Useful Woman Mystery #6) 5 stars

Rosalind Thorne is a “Useful Woman”, able to solve problems for the ladies of the Ton, whether it be helping to arrange a soiree or help hide an indiscretion for a modest fee. Mrs. Bethany Douglas presents Rosalind with a delicate problem of a missing pearl necklace that may have been stolen by a family member. Under the guise of helping with the debut of Bethany’s sister-in-law, Rosalind inserts herself into the household. But what may have been a simple case of theft turns into threats of blackmail, secrets revealed and murder. Can Rosalind untangle the torturous web of secrets and find the murderer?

This is a wonderful example of a well plotted historical mystery with clues sprinkled throughout. It takes determination and a group of secondary characters to find out where the “bodies” are buried in order to find the motive, means and opportunity. I enjoyed this book and can’t wait for the next one in this series.

Thank you Netgalley and Kensington Books for this ARC.

This book has a bit of a scandal, some romance and a lot of mystery. There’s some surprises along the way and I was surprised by the ending. I did feel a bit confused at times trying to keep everyone straight.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the early copy

4,5 stars

I enjoyed this story. The author is new to me and I've obviously jumped into the series at book 6 though I think it also works as a one off book. The love interest for our heroine is mostly off scene but Rosalind copes well with the intrigue of trying to solve who has stolen the pearls and what Captain Cattrell is up to. It throw me at the start because the book starts from Cattrells antics. I did suss out the murderer but not some of the other parts.

I shall have to check out the other books in the series. A new author and a new series, result.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

"The Secret of the Lost Pearls" is a mystery set in 1820 in England. This is the sixth book in the series. You don't need to read the previous books to understand this one, and this one didn't spoil the previous mysteries.

This was a clue-based puzzle mystery. Rosalind asked good questions and collected information. She's clever, but many of the people involved lied to her, making determining the truth more difficult. Whodunit (who stole the pearls, who killed Nora's husband) was guessable near the end but wasn't obvious. The characters were interesting and reacted realistically to events. Historical details were woven into the story and helped bring the time period alive in my imagination. There was no sex. There was occasional use of bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this interesting mystery.

I really enjoyed this entry in the series. I would rank it at the top of the six. The mysteries were well plotted and well paced. The new cast for the new puzzle is well drawn without weighing down the narrative with overdone characterizations (since we won't see them again), and the returning characters are in top form. The allusions to Pride and Prejudice go down nicely, too. It works well enough as a standalone that I wouldn't hesitate to hand it to historical mystery lovers who haven't read the previous novels.

When we last left Rosalind Thorne, she had committed to her path as a self-supporting 'useful woman', giving up her previous hopes of rejoining the peerage. In The Secret of the Lost Pearls, Rosalind once again enters a household to find a much larger problem than she had initially bargained for. Contacted by an old school friend to determine if her renegade sister had stolen a pearl necklace, Rosalind discovers several potential scandals looming, each more damaging then the rest and eventually ending in murder. With the help of her friends and the stalwart Adam Harkness, Rosalind tries to avert catastrophe both for the family and her livelihood.

As someone who greatly enjoyed the first few Rosalind Thorne books, but felt that they dipped in quality a bit when they focused more on Rosalind choosing between love interests, I thought this entry in the series was an excellent return to form. The mystery is loosely inspired by Pride and Prejudice and is a dark re-imagining of how the Lydia and Wickham connection might play out. I thought the book moved at a good clip, the mystery took a number of interesting twists and turns, and there was some good character development. One of the best entries in this series so far and I look forward to the next one.

Regency is one the popular themes for stories these days. The Secret of the Lost Pearls looked interesting to me, so I requested to read it on NetGallery. The characters and story is fun and different. The author, Darcie Wilde did a wonderful job with this story. The book is a great introduction to A Useful Woman Mystery series.
My thanks to Kensington Publishing for a digital copy of this book for my review!

Wilde continues her enjoyable Regency era mystery series starring the useful lady, Rosalind Thorne. With less of a focus on Rosalind's family and her backstory, this story focuses more on the mystery she is meant to solve, even as her romance with Bow Street Runner Adam Harkness continues to develop. Recommended for Jane Austen fans as well those who enjoy a well-plotted historical mystery with engaging characters.