Murder at Somerset House by Andrea Penrose

A Wrexford and Sloane Mystery

One of the things I love about Andrea Penrose’s Wrexford and Sloane series is that I always learn something during their adventures. Her end notes are definitely a must read!

We start with a murder (of course) and multiple suspects but watch out for the red-herrings, they pop up early. Is it just a murder mystery or is it the hunt for Prinny’s missing monkey, is it the race to understand electromagnetism, stock market manipulations, the trouble regarding Napolean or something more? Of course it’s more.

Charlotte, Wrex, the Weasels and the rest of their inner circle decide they’re going to sit this one out, too much murder in their lives these past few years and a little quiet would be nice. But when the danger comes knocking on their door they’re all in to solve the case. The twists, turns and danger this one take things up a notch from previous books and include welcoming Michael Fraday to the ever growing list of real people from history showing up in the books. And surprise! Do we have another Weasel joining the ever growing family? How do they fit in and how is that going to affect the existing dynamic?

In the end, through danger and international turmoil, Wrex, Charlotte and the team save the day – but how they get there is well worth the read.

The books are always a good cozy murder mystery with a fascinating history lesson thrown in and Murder at Somerset House is no exception. If you haven’t read these books start with “Murder on Black Swan Lane” they’re well worth it.

Thank you NetGalley, Kensington Publishing and Andrea Penrose for the early copy.

It’s the year of historical suspense for me! I have really loved this series. Penrose writes engaging characters and stories and her plots are so well done. I will say that of all the books so far this was probably my least favorite. I just wasn't as engaged in the story arc. I do love seeing the evolution of the weasels as they grow and become more independent and the addition of a new member to the group was an unexpected twist.

You can’t go wrong with Wrex and Charlotte though and I look forward to learning more about Wrex’s father and what other mysteries and murders happen next.

Thank you for the early copy for review!

Oh, what a treat to rejoin Wrex and Charlotte as they pursue dastardly villains and seek justice, truth, and safety for family, friends, and neighbors. Set against the backdrop of a recovering Europe after the Battle of Waterloo, Murder at Somerset House is filled to the brim with red herrings, political intrigue, and history of the London Stock Exchange.

After nearly two years of working part-time for a financial advising firm, I thought I had a basic grasp of the stock market. Granted, this is from London more than a century ago, but I learned SO MUCH. It was written engagingly into the fabric of the story and we learn more about Raven, Cordelia, and Sheffield than ever before.

Ms. Penrose's ability to weave historical figures into her stories makes her fictional people seem truly real. I loved the story and the new characters introduced.

I received an ARC; this is my honest review.

Wrexford and Charlotte, along with their found family and friends become involved in a couple of different mysteries. Are they connected and what implications might they have on the whole of England?

I thought this was a good continuation of the series. The characters are fun. The mystery was enjoyable and kept me guessing. I really enjoyed the growth and changes in the family and their inner circle.

There was quite a bit of history dealing with the stock market and also science and early electricity. I admit, I skimmed over most of it. I didn’t feel like I missed any of the major plot points by doing so.

This is the first book that I have read in the A Wrexford & Sloane Historical Mystery series. 'Murder at Somerset House' is absolutely engaging in every way. I was overwhelmed at the knowledge about history, finance and scientific inventions that was expertly contained in the narrative in an easy and informative manner. I enjoyed the family dynamics and the apparent love expressed in so many ways. I intend to go back and get the previous books to have more exposure to this glorious world.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. The opinion expressed in this review are entirely my own.

What starts out as a murder investigation for Wrex and Charlotte turns into a much more involved scheme to take down the British economy during Napolean's escape. Everyone becomes involved with this, including a new weasel! I really enjoyed this book. I received an ARC from NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for my honest review.

I have this book marked as read in my Kindle, ready to make a review, but I honestly have no memories (good or bad) of this book. It just wasn't memorable for me.

Another great outing with Wrex and Charlotte! And of course, the Weasels, Aunt Alison, and the whole team.

I love these stories the best when the whole team is in on it - there were multiple instances of Wrex and Charlotte having to battle their desire to keep their friends and found family safe, while also respecting their independence and free will, not to mention the desire on the part of each of them to protect the others as well.

We saw an expansion of the Weasels, in a shake-up to the family that could have been so traumatic on several levels, but was well handled by the author (and I'm sure we'll see ongoing ramifications in future outings.)

I rated it 4 vs 5 stars because I got a bit lost in all of the mathematics and machinations of the London Stock Exchange - it was integral to the story, and fascinating to see all of the possibilites, not to mention the work to prevent bad actors from toppling a government on several fronts. I love to learn about real historical events in fiction, and I deeply appreciate the author's research to inform her books!

Much thanks to Netgalley and Kensington for the ARC!

Murder at Somerset House by Andrea Penrose is the ninth book in the Wrexford and Sloane series and if you haven't read the other books you are going to want to stop here and go pick them up before reading on as this one picks up shortly after the end of the last book for these characters. Yes, it's a new mystery but if you start here you'll miss all the prior history these characters have together and the story of how they came together. Although Penrose does a solid job of including a solid explanation (I'm assuming for anyone who does just jump in mid-series), I think you truly miss out if you don't read them all.

That said, Wrex and Charlotte have decided they want to take a break from solving mysteries and focus on Wrex's father and this mysterious "A" that was brought forth in the last book. Unfortunately, for them, things take a bit of a turn when an old friend of Wrex's shows up and asks him for help to solve a murder that his brother-in-law has been accused of.

As Wrexford and Charlotte and their friends and family dig deeper into the murder and what truly is behind it, they find out there is a bigger connection to money and politics than they expected. With ties to France and Napoleon that put everyone in danger, the group has to navigate their way through figuring out what was the truth behind the murder and why a new technology has the potential to create a crisis throughout Europe and impact London's financial world.

In the midst of all of that, Wrexford and Charlotte receive a bit of a surprise and everyone (including the weasels) have to figure out how to adjust to the change to their family. After a few bumps, it appears everyone has adjusted but we'll see if this sticks.

Overall, a solid addition to the series. It's clear Penrose does her research for these novels and while the science and the math were a bit heavy at times, I thought the story was still solid and the relationships with the characters kept the story going.

The murder at Somerset House by Andre Penrose, it’s a refreshing read from what I always read, I enjoyed the 19th-century setting, and I found it quite elegant and interesting.

When there a murder accusations in town an incident sends Charlotte and Lord Wrexford into
Investigation creates yet another crisis and suspense.

The novel deepens with complex characters and plot twists that even I didn’t see coming, I would hate to give spoilers to anyone

This novel is a fresh mystery, that is beyond a typical drawing-room mystery

I would suggest this to fans of historical mysteries and I hope you guys find it as interesting as I did.

Wrexford , Charlotte, and the Weasels are back, and embroiled in a murder plot that morphs into another mystery. This installment is full of suspense as regards the boys, scientific inventions--which I enjoy, and, a surprise change in the family. Though I appreciate the scientific explanations the stock market sections eluded me, yet I still found them interesting. The electromagnetism is my favorite this time, and it will be exciting to see where the new family development leads in future episodes.

For the newcomer to the series, I suggest reading a couple of the earlier books to get a feel for the characters in this book. You won't be sorry as this is an excellent series.

If you're a fan of the series, you will likely enjoy this entry. While I still feel like the main characters can use much more depth and development, the side characters liven up the storyline. With this installment we meet a new family member, and I think that will give the series what it needs to keep going. I did enjoy the layered mystery within a mystery/red herring!

Napoleon has been exiled to Elba and all apprears tranquil. When a monkey escapes from the Tower Menagerie, Charlotte and Wrex's wards, the Weasels, decide to go after it for the reward. The adventure ends in near disaster which at first is written off as unimportant. Then, there is a murder of a scientist working on advanced technology and suddenly the two events look to be possibly related. Charlotte and Wrex become inevitably involved and eveyone's off to another adventure. I enjoyed the interactions with scientists real and fictional during the investigation, as the characters lent color and depth to the story. There is also a new family member introduced that added to the fun here and will undoubtedly add more to future stories. This book is a bit different from the others in the series in that it has a few plot threads going rather than a single straightforward one. I prefer straightforward, but others may like the added complications involved here. I didn't buy into the premise that required the complications (I'm trying to avoid spoilers) but I went with them and enjoyed the book. I also found the frequent, detailed explanations of the workings of various securities and the securities markets to be somewhat tedious - and I worked on Wall Street for over 10 years. Again, it's a matter of taste. Some people may find the explanations (they were well done) interesting. As I often do, I found the "Author's Note" at the end of the book quite fascinating, as it fleshed out the historical facts and technical details used in the story, very well.

The two brilliant adults are in loco parentis to a small group of equally brilliant young men, two from the streets and one a discard from the aristocracy. This formidable bunch become involved in the investigation of the murder of a scientist with somewhat radical ideas and possible ties to the persistent followers of the warmonger Napoleon. Things just keep getting murkier and even the intelligence service becomes involved. A very convoluted mystery woven around and through the history of scientific exploration.
This is not an unbiased review because I geek history and love this series.
Be sure to read the author's note at the end to learn more about electromagnetism and the development of distance communications AKA telegraphy.
I requested and received a temporary uncorrected digital galley from Kensington Publishing | Kensington via NetGalley. Pub Date Sep 30, 2025 ***** #review @goodreads #bookbub
#MurderatSomersetHouse by @andreapenrosebooks #WrexfordandSloaneBk9 @kensingtonbooks
#historicalmystery #regency #procedural #whodunit #electricity #messaging #intrigue #murder #attemptedmurder

There are parts I loved and parts that I felt dragged on. The characters and the overall household of adventure is just as lovely as previous books in the series (I would recommend reading those first!). This book lacked any real romance - which I miss from previous books in the series). The explanations of the early financial markets was tedious at times (from someone who does carry an interest in this subject in the real world but not in my leisure reading time). I’m still glad I read this book, just not my favorite.
Thank you Netflix Galley for the advanced copy!

Thank you to NetGalley and to Kensington Publishing for the ARC of Murder at Somerset House by Andrea Penrose.

I love this series so much, and with there being no new releases in the Veronica Speedwell or Lady Sherlock this year, this book is filling the entire void for me in historical cozy mystery romance. I'm interested if Penrose will add another Lady Arianna Hadley book to complement this section of the timeline with Napoleon, especially as those characters are a bit more embedded in spy work and are probably having an interesting time.

I loved returning to Charlotte, Wrex, the Weasels, and friends. It really feels like the Weasels are growing up so fast, especially Raven. Penrose writes in the afterword that she opted to mix things up with this book to keep the series from being formulaic, and she definitely did that. The murder still happens in the first chapter, but past that the murder part doesn't really heat up until the 40% mark or so and it feels like there are multiple mysteries and historical events happening at once. It means the plot takes longer to develop, but in the end it all comes together with developments on solving the murder, larger historical implications, and family developments and changes. While it may seem like Penrose is misleading the reader on the true mystery, or throwing a lot at the reader to put together, everything she is writing about has meaning in the overall story and setting the scene/time.

Current fans of the series will enjoy this new addition.

I think what pulled this book down a bit were three things: 1) There is very little interaction between Charlotte and Wrex -- everything seems focused on the mission (even before the mission really exists/is known) or the Weasels. I think Wrex kisses Charlotte once on the brow, but we don't see much intimacy or focus on them and their relationship like we used to, and I miss that. With the last book pushing more of a revelation for Wrex, I was hoping we would dive a bit more into his family and reckoning with the death of his father and this book felt like a missed opportunity to go deeper on that -- maybe the next book will? 2) There is a lot of science and math talk and explanation in this book. I appreciate a lot of the historical background and how Penrose is trying to teach us about the age while making it relevant to the mystery, but some of the paragraphs in these sections can be quite dense. I think this resulted in her having to explain the mystery/how the pieces all came together at the end in a streamlined order because people may get lost or confused in where the technical pieces matter to the overall story. 3) I don't mind the new addition to the family, but I do worry we are dealing with a lot of characters now and it seems to be stretching individual character time thin. I also thought a bit of the character's gift with a horse was a bit much in the solving of the mystery.

Another fun addition for fans of the series. If you already love the characters and how history and science are woven together, you can forgive some of the pacing challenges. It’s dense at times with the stock market details and electricity. I’m not Cordelia or Wrex, after all. Yes it has infodump moments, but the mystery and tension are good. I still think new readers should read the first book or two rather than start here.

I still miss the tension and connection between Wrex and Charlotte from the earlier books. That head and heart combo was the soul of the story, along with the science that drove the mystery solving. Now it’s the family as the whole that has the focus, but I find myself wishing for more page time with these two. I’m underwhelmed by the addition of yet another family member. The ensemble cast is already pretty large imo. That said, I’m devoted and will be back for the next book.

Murder at Somerset House in the ninth book in Andrea Penrose's Wrexford and Sloane mystery series. I wouldn’t recommend starting here. There are a lot of friend and family dynamics which are the main reason for reading the series at this point. In this entry, Wrexford is confronted with an unknown family member, who rocks the family dynamics. As usual there is a political mystery to unravel, and Napoleon continues to cast a huge shadow on England (and France).

Penrose does considerable historical research and it shows. Her books are full of science and math – one might call them cerebral. This one also includes a lot (a lot) of dense information about the English stock market and electromagnetism.

If all you want is action, this series is probably not for you. I have enjoyed getting to know Charlotte Sloan, who publishes insightful, sometimes punishing cartoons under a male pseudonym, and the Earl of Wrexford, as he has changed from a somewhat arrogant loner to a family man with a wife and three orphaned wards. Good friends and servants who are more than servants help make up the found family. I imagine it’s a challenge to include people of color in Regency-era books set in England, but one of the wards is of African descent (and an aristocrat).

The mystery is nothing to get excited about, but it’s fine. The math in particular can be a bit much, although the author tries her best to offer enough information without overwhelming the reader. (The stock market stuff was particularly dense.) But it’s worth wading through the science and math to enjoy the interpersonal relations. This book also included a mischievous escaped monkey and carrier pigeons.

If you enjoy historical mystery series set in Regency England, I recommend this one. I read an advance reader copy from Netgalley.

Always a pleasure to delve into the world of Wrexford, Charlotte, Weasels, and all.
At Royal Society meeting words angry words are exchange on the probability of electromagnetism and how France is advancing in that field. The relationship with France is a still a bit of a hot topic, and angry words are said. At the end of the evening one of the debaters is found murdered.
Napoleon has been defeated and is on Elba, but apparently the war is not quite over as he escapes. What is the implication for Brittain?
And what about a plot to create havoc on the stock exchange?
Oh and a new “Weasel” gets added to the mix!
Once again, a great instalment, that will have you on the edge of your seat.

This is actually the first Andrea Penrose book I have read and I must say that this is a very intriguing story. Charlotte and Wrexgord are an amazing team of characters who are very good in their line of work. I will admit I wish I had read some of the other books in the series beforw reading this one. Overall with what I got from this book it's a nice creative piece of historical fiction.

I received an arc copy from Netgalley and all opinions are of my own.