Thank you to Netgally, the publishers, and Mary Lancaster

When I requested this book I was unaware that it was apart of a series, one that requires you to read the previous books for this one to make sense. I am unable to read all the previous books along with this one before the publish date. Therefore, I will rate this a fair 3/5 stars and will adjust the rating and review when I am able to read all the books in the series along with this one.

Excellent Historical Romantic Mystery

This book grabbed me from the first page. Elizabeth found a dead man under her bed after she observed someone following her home. The dead man was Joshua, a dangerous criminal from Elizabeth’s past, and the man following her home was the lord who went to prison for a crime he did not commit. It was a story of stolen diamonds, an injustice done, and a murder committed. Lord James was angry and wanted revenge, but it turned out that Elizabeth was as much a victim of Joshua's machinations as he was. Who killed Joshua? What happened to the stolen diamonds, and who set James to take the fall? This story had suspense, mystery, and romance that kept me turning the pages. I loved it and would recommend it to lovers of historical romantic mysteries.

This great series continues with another crime to solve. Accused of murder and the thief of diamonds, Lord James Andover is searching for the truth and revenge. Who set him up to spend three years in prison? Elizabeth Jarman becomes his ally in his search for the truth. Once again we have the unusual team of Lady Griselda and Dragan Tizsa to lend there expertise. A fast paced mystery.
Mild open bedroom door.
I voluntarily read and reviewed a copy of this book from NetGalley.

A beautifully written adventure love story. Elizabeth and James are the perfect couple to solve this mystery and take you along for the ride!

Such a great book! The kind of difficult the ton member had to go through... I had never read of something like that. It catch my interest. I would love to read the previous books... and the ones to come. Please, keep writing like this. I would love to read more from you in the future.

Passion series. James had spent time in prison for a crime he did not commit. He is full of vengeance when he is released and the man whose crimes he went to prison for is found dead in Elizabeth's room. James is the prime suspect, but Elizabeth doesn't believe he did it. Together, they work with Dr Tizsa and Griselda, his wife, who both love solving mysteries, to find out what really happened and in the process, James and Elizabeth grow closer and develop feelings for each other.
This was an interesting and fun story with a good mystery weaved within. I enjoyed the story and liked getting to know the characters. A really enjoyable addition to the seriea!
I received a complimentary copy from Dragonblade Publishing and Netgalley and am voluntarily leaving my review.

A good and not that long historical romance.
I enjoyed this one and had so much fun reading it
Thank you net galley for the arc

James and Elizabeth two lost souls who get together to solve a murder along with the Tzisas.

Twists and turns and seedy London and lots of danger later leads to the mystery being solved and James & Elizabeth in love.

Great fast paced read. Looking forward to more in the series

This is a fun read. I love the mystery and the fully formed characters. I recommend if you want a good mystery for spooky season.

Lost Lover by Mary Lancaster is a mystery, a bit of a departure for Lancaster, although she handled it well. It is Book 4 in her Crime and Passion series. Alice Gunn was not her real name, nor had she killed the dead man in her bedroom. She knew him, though. As a green youth he had tricked her into believing they were married. His name was Joshua Jarman and he was a criminal of the highest order. She had heard someone following her. She thought it was a killer. It turned out to be James Andover, the man who had gone to prison for Joshua’s crime: the theft of diamonds. That he had been set up was no longer in question. But, who had done it? Now Joshua was dead and she ran for help, to the only person she could think of: Dr. Tizsa. As it turns out, Dr. Tisza is married to Lady Grizelda, the daughter of a duke and they love solving puzzles. This one took their fancy after meeting Alice (who turned out to be Elizabeth Barker) and James Andover. It also turns out that Lady Grizelda was a bit of a meddler, arranging things so James and Elizabeth each came in contact with their families, who had disowned them.

This was such a fun read. It was, first and foremost, a pretty good mystery. The four followed each lead as it came, either together or in pairs. Lady Grizelda had the social standing to get them invited so social events where they came in contact with many people. Dr. Tisza was an excellent artist and used these events to draw pictures of many of the suspects so they would have something to show potential witnesses. The four of them were interesting characters and their personalities were unveiled so slowly that by the end they were fully humanized. The death of the murderer and thief solved so many problems, beyond proving James innocent that it felt meant-to-be. What a good book!

I was invited to read a free e-ARC of Lost Lover by Dragonblade, through Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #Dragonblade #MaryLancaster #LostLover

I loved this novel! I was hooked throughout my reading, from our main characters, Elizabeth and James, to the new-found friends, Lady Grizelda and Dr Tizsa.

Identifying the mysterious figure or who set James up was no easy feat - that is what I enjoyed the most. The simplicity of Lancaster's writing indulged me, and I kept visualising what a great television series this book would make.

I will be exploring more titles from Lancaster.

This historical romance is also a wonderful murder mystery.

Our heroine has bravely escaped from a very bad man once before, and is just about making a respectable living. Now it looks like that is about to be ruined for her.

Our hero suffered three years in prison for a crime he didn't commit. He needs to find justice or is it revenge ?

Luckily for them they get the help of a pair of unlikely amateur sleuths.

This book is part of a series that all involve our sleuths, who are the main characters of the first book in the series. Each book does have a completely different story, so can be read on their own. There are lots of lighthearted moments along with the danger and mystery. There are also several suspects to eliminate before we find the person behind it all.

Great fun.

Ever since meeting Lady Grizelda and Dragan Tizsa in Mysterious Lover, I have enjoyed this well-written series and the relationship between the unconventional couple. Dr Tizsa is once again called upon, this time to participate in finding the truth behind the death of Joshua Jarman, a violent and evil man who is found in the room of a seamstress. Hiding behind the persona of Miss Alice Gunn, Elizabeth is fearful for her life, especially as she senses that she is being followed. Finding the dreaded Joshua on the floor in her bedroom has her racing off to call the good doctor to the scene. When the man following her reveals himself, Elizabeth is fearful but she believes him when he tells her he is not responsible for Joshua's death, but he will not let up on the missing diamonds that resulted in him being unjustly sent to prison. As the Tizsas assist James Andover and Elizabeth in unraveling the clues, they are led into a seamier side of London, where the truth eventually emerges, but not without the endangerment of their lives and a fight to the end. Even as one criminal is unmasked, another takes his place, leaving James in a precarious situation. Fortunately, the novel does come to a good and successful conclusion, which leads both James and Elizabeth into a new and happier future. I received a copy of this entertaining novel as a gift through Dragonblade Publishing and NetGalley and this is my honest and voluntary review.

A mystery that will keep you turning pages after pages! 5 stars

I really enjoyed Mary Lancaster’s fourth installment LOST LOVER in her Crime & Passion series! It’s filled with intrigue and romance!

Having spent three years in prison, James has just been released. His only goal is to find the diamonds he was falsely accused of stealing and find the real culprit. He has in his sights a seamstress named Elizabeth who also has her own secrets. A man is discovered dead in her apartment. Who is he? Does she know him? James, Elizabeth and their two friends will team up to find the diamonds and find the murderer. During their investigation, James and Elizabeth fall in love! Danger, intrigue, and conspiracy is part of this fascinating adventure! It was a fast, entertaining read.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from Dragonblade Publishing and NetGalley

In the midst of a thick London fog, underworld chief, Joshua Jarman is found murdered in the bedroom of a poor seamstress.
Lord James Andover, icily vengeful after three years spent in Newgate Prison after being wrongly convicted, should be the prime suspect, but amateur sleuths Lady Grizelda and Dragan Tizsa, don’t believe he did it. Neither does Elizabeth, the reclusive seamstress, who has her own dreadful past with the dead man. Uniting to discover the truth, the four search for stolen diamonds, face dangerous criminals, and investigate the likeliest suspects from the east end docks to the mansions of Mayfair.
It’s been a little while since the Tizsas solved a case & I’m so glad they’re back. Another very well written murder mystery with a delightful romance. The characters have depth & are well portrayed, I love Dragan & Griz & it was great to catch up with them. I also loved James & Elizabeth, he’s adjusting to his freedom & she’s trying to forge a new life. There are plenty of suspects as well as twists & turns. An intriguing mystery which kept me guessing until the end. Thank goodness Dragan is a talented portrait artist! I also loved how James & Elizabeth fell in love. I hope there are more cases to come
My review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

This was an exciting read with an interesting mystery as well as the romance which is my favourite kind of story. The main characters were quirky and likeable and the supporting characters were such an eclectic mix that I hope to see more of them in future additions to the series. I recommend this book as it's well written and moves along at a great pace and I couldn't put it down. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Wow! What a Fantastic Story! Lost Lover will keep you spellbound as it takes you on a dangerous rollercoaster ride that weaves a story from the very beginning that will keep you guessing until the very end. It's a murder mystery to be solved with a number of suspects, with threads of intrigue, suspense, lies and deception. As an evil web is spun Elizabeth and James find themselves being pulled into a vortex of darkness as a despicable and sadistic villains who will stop at nothing to get what they want.

What a fantastic story! Take historical romance and add a large dose of mystery to it. The combination is out of this world! It begins with a stranger following Elizabeth and ends with a complicated murder being uncovered. In between we get to clearly know Elizabeth, James and a host of very intelligent, interesting and awesome characters. The writing is creative, insightful and captivating. I can't wait to go back to read this author's other works as well as going forward in anticipation of her new works. Hopefully, this series will continue as she has a large cast to choose from who needs a happy every after of their own.

Exoneration, renewed hope & romance statisfyingly combine!

A fun mystery, with dark elements, clinging to the thick fog that permeates the air, as fate brings two together and fortuitously puts them in the path of the incomparable sleuthing duo the Tizsas.
I'm so glad they're back, Griz and Dragan are so easy to love with this captivating quiet symphony of wit and deep love they encapsulate. Matched with their honest compassion, harmonious way of thinking...so in tune with each other...a head for puzzles and their unorthodox method of rooting out clues that really adheres you to them and in turn the romantic leads they come to support. And Elizabeth and James have so many contrasting layers and quiet thrumming chemistry, I was keen to see them unravel as they gave into the draw that kept pulling them together.
So when loathing and fear began to shift to attraction as they recognised the torment, sacrifice and suffering of a like victim, hope sprouted and bloomed through their joined efforts to uncover the web of deceit that clings to the murdered and stains them with his sins. Adding an engaging romance between two so mistreated and misused at its core.
With the addition of subcharacters that intrigue on first impression, and hook you in to wanting to unpeel their many multifaceted layers too and Solomon, Constance, Langley and Forsythe Niven are amongst those I desire the most to understand and suss out on closer inspection.
Ultimately, merging to make this a compelling race against time mission of self-exoneration, revenge and stubborn determination to uncover the malicious scheming, underpin the suspicious and sieve through the array of devious selfserving culprits to root out the parts they played in having James wrongfully accused of diamond theft and murder.
With a sweet dose of character affirming budding romance simmering in the aisles, entwined in the mix, that so enjoyably upped the ante on my desire to see James and Elizabeth get the happiness they deserved. As Lancaster, once again, cleverly sucked me into the precarious uncertainities of the time, instantly off the cuff, and plunged me into the dangers lurking in the murky fog that envelops the tale. A great addition to the series!

I was thrilled when I saw there was a new addition to the Crime & Passion series! We got three books – one right after the other – in 2021 and then they stopped, so I was afraid there wouldn’t be any more of them. Since I really loved our sleuths, Grizelda (Griz) and Tizsa, I didn’t want the series to be over! Well, now they are back and this time they are helping Lord James Andover and Elizabeth Barker – and believe me – those two really need help!

Lord James Andover, youngest son of a marquess, has just been released from Newgate prison after serving three years. Now, he is out for revenge and to be sure that whoever was responsible for his wrongful conviction is the one in Newgate. The person who committed the crime isn’t a secret – everybody knows who did it – yet there is no proof. James wants that person – and he wants everyone who conspired with him. To that end, he is following the man’s wife in hopes she will lead him to the stolen diamonds and the proof he needs. Though her home is modest on the outside, he’s quite sure the inside will be sumptuous – after all – well – stolen diamonds. And . . . why isn’t she living with her husband?

Elizabeth Barker was just seventeen years old when Joshua Jarman wooed her into sneaking off to marry him. He put on a false front and made her believe that he loved her and that he was undoubtedly a better alternative than those staid old bankers her father was trying to marry her off to. That was the worst mistake of her young life and she’s paid for it ever since. As soon as she could, she ran away from him and had only just returned to London. She knows nothing about a diamond robbery and certainly doesn’t have access to any diamonds – but she lives in constant fear that Jarman will find her.

When Jarman is found dead – in Elizabeth’s bedroom – she or James should be the prime suspect, but our amateur sleuths don’t believe either of them are guilty and set about helping them find the guilty party. They’ll have their work cut out because Jarman is not a popular fellow – even among his fellow criminals. With a suspect list a mile long, can they actually manage to identify the real culprit(s)?

Goodness, it was fun to watch Griz and Tizsa help guide the investigation through the lowest and highest parts of London where we encounter mightier-than-thou Lords and lowlier-than-the-low criminal elements. Of course, it was also great fun to watch Elizabeth and James come to trust and love each other as they worked through the case. That said, I would have appreciated it being just a tad longer because I wanted more of a wrap-up for family matters – like James’s sister and her outcome, etc. Plus – I NEVER want a story to end before the wedding.

From the spooky beginning through the harrowing end, this was an exciting read. The main characters were relatable and interesting and the supporting characters were such an eclectic mix that I hope to see more of them in future additions to the series. I recommend this book and I hope you will enjoy it as much as I did.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.