Vanessa Riley takes And Then There Were None, but sets it at a Regency-era dinner party where guests are stranded for days by a blizzard. On top of a murder mystery worthy of Agatha Christie, we get incredibly satisfying developments in our characters, great relationship development, a look at how Haiti's revolution was viewed in England, and a stunning twist at the very end. This is an absolute banger and my favorite book in the series so far.

As the story opens, our main character, Abigail Carrington Monroe, aka Lady Worthing, and her cousin have accepted a ride from their neighbor to Cheapside, where they'll spend the holidays with family. The neighbor, Captain Stapleton Henderson, has been invited by Lord Duncan, the magistrate, for dinner and will be dropped off along the way. A blizzard makes them all stop at the magistrate's house, as traveling to Cheapside has become impossible. The dinner party is an annual "Night of Regrets" affair with men who live around Berkley Square and the presence of Abbie, her cousin, and their maid delays the dinner. As guests start turning up dead, Abbie and Henderson team up once again to investigate.

Riley has a way of revealing the backstories of her characters slowly and this installment in the Lady Worthing series reveals more of Abigail's and Lord Duncan's past. We knew the basics of Abbie's rise to Lady Worthing, but the full picture becomes clearer in this story.

The most delightful scene comes after Henderson's drink is laced with belladonna and he becomes affectionate with a very sober Abbie. Of course, this comes during a murder investigation, so they are interrupted by the task at hand. The big twist leaves us with a cliffhanger of sorts.

Abigail's involvement in the abolitionist movement runs through this series and the new from Haiti and details connected to Martinique solidify the timing of this Regency-era story. Many books set in this period use Napoleon as a reference point and pass over the West Indies.

The start of this story would seem to suggest a Christmas themed story and yet! Who knew that accepting a lift with a neighbour would have such unexpected consequences.

Once again Lady Worthing and Stapleton Henderson work together looking to identify the murderer as soon as they can. So many things are not what they seem and that certainly keeps it interesting. There are plenty of twists and turns and some quite unexpected revelations.

We certainly get to hear a little more about Lord Worthing in this one and so I'm expecting the next book to move this personal storyline forward. It should make for interesting read.

I found this particular storyline just a little on the dark side for me so it became a three out of five

With thanks for #Netgalley, Kensington Books and the author for my Advance Reader Copy in exchange for an honest review.

Riley does Regency so well. I was truly transported through time. The cast of characters were interesting and the dialogue crisp. Lady Worthing's investigations and peril are always worth the ride.

Another strong murder mystery for Abbie to solve with Stapleton. A houseparty gone wrong and a whodunit with twists and turns.

Exciting, fast paced while still adressing the underlying issues of an abandoned wife of color who is smart, independent but looking for more.

#netgalley #murderinberkeleysquare

Kindle Copy for Review from NetGalley and Kensington Publishing.

I received a free, advance copy of this book and this is my unbiased and voluntary review.

Accepting a ride out of London, Lady Worthing becomes an excuse for her escort not to attend a dinner party. But a sudden blizzard has them stranded at the dinner party where women are not really wanted at an official magistrate home. Death soon turns up with a nursery rhyme quote as tension mount among the guests. Rill justice be served in this case or is something more is going on? A compelling read that will keep you guessing.

The story flowed well and the characters were well developed. I recommend this book and look forward to more from this author.


****Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for my honest review****