Murder, Mayhem, and Stolen Treasure
Newly engaged sleuths Constance and Solomon face a puzzling case: a treasure stolen from a locked strong room with no sign of a break-in. Is a family member responsible—or did the treasure never leave the ship, casting suspicion on the crew?
When a key suspect is murdered, danger escalates. Treachery, family secrets, and unexpected twists will keep you on the edge of your seat.
Meanwhile, Constance wrestles with feelings of unworthiness, while Solomon is determined she’s the only one for him.
And then there’s the mystery of Solomon’s missing twin, who was aboard the ship where the treasure vanished. Locked-room theft, family intrigue, and treasure hunting gone awry make this historical mystery with a dash of romance a real page-turner.

Each book in this series sees Constance and Grey getting closer and closer. He's a staunch supporter of her and her adventurous spirit. She is slowly accepting of the constant love and affection.

A treasure finding hunt leads the intrepid couple to interview, family, crew and the household to find the suspects plentiful, but the answers insufficient. Slowly things starting coming together for them to successfully close yet another case.

Love reading what Mary Lancaster writes and this book was another great story from her pen.
It is the continuing story of Solomon and Christine and the cases bought to their investigating agency and their developing relationship.
The Lloyds who employ them in this book are a very mixed up family and test the skills of Solomon and Christine to the full .
I really enjoyed reading this and look forward to reading the next book in the series

The Trick of the Treasure by Mary Lancaster is an extremely interesting detective story, amongst all the other things it is. It is a romance between a working madam, Constance Silver, and a bi-racial man called Solomon Grey. Constance had agreed to marry Sol, but she had no clear idea how it would work. Meanwhile, she focused on their business, Silver and Grey Investigations. The client they were interviewing at present was a man just returned from a treasure-hunting voyage, Mr. Grey. Mr. Grey insisted his treasure had been stolen from a very secure location within his home. Given his description, it seemed hard to imagine, but as the case progresses, it turns out Mr. Grey had left out important details, details that could make a difference. At one point, the pair wondered if the treasure even existed.

This is an interesting pair of people, as described. Constance had earned her own way in the world and owned and ran a successful business. Sadly, a great many people knew her and that hindered investigations sometimes, and certainly hindered her relationship with Sol. They had hired Janey, a former employee of Constance’s who thought this type of work might suit her better. She was right. Solomon was an excellent character, secure in himself, which was a boon to them all. Lancaster has a way of writing a character than instantly turns them into a positive person, no matter their background. These two certainly were likable. The mystery was interesting, but solvable, as soon as all the information was available. The pacing was perfect and the historical elements included were accurate, within reason. Excellent read!

I was invited to read The Trick of the Treasure by Dragonblade. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #Dragonblade #MaryLancaster #TheTrickOfTheTreasure

Our two lead characters in this historical mystery are really great fun. Our heroine is a lady with a dubious enterprise behind her. This new career of investigation is intriguing and addictive. Her partner and our hero is a very big part of that. He is a wealthy business man who moves in the highest in society without being part of it. He doesn't care about their rules.
This treasure hunt will be more dangerous than they think.
I love this series. Each book could be read on its own ,but I personally think they are much better read in order to truly understand the dynamics between the pair. I look forward to reading the next one.
Great fun.

A good mystery with a good twist
Initially a little slow, but once it catches the pace, I was glued.
The twist was a good one!!
Well written. It also managed to capture the essence of old London

Solomon Grey and Constance Silver have two things to celebrate, the success of their Investigative Agency and their recent engagement. The office is busy; even Janie has a case. Their latest case is quite intriguing. Mr. Barnabas Lloyd, a full-of-himself treasure hunter, has lost his latest treasure. It disappeared from a security room in his residence. Constance and Solomon must weed through an unfriendly household, an untrustworthy client, a ship’s crew, evidence, clues, secrets, and deceit to find the treasure and catch a murderer. They realize that almost everyone in the family and household, as well as one or two of the ship’s crew had motive and are suspect. The outcome is an eye-opener for their client. This is another well-written, complex mystery. Solomon and Constance are on their game. Their romance is flourishing. Constance is beginning to trust Solomon’s love and protection. There is one thing bothering Solomon. One of the ship’s crew looks very familiar, and like himself. A great addition to the series. I look forward to what comes next.
I received a copy of this book via NetGalley and voluntarily reviewed it.

The next adventure of the sympathetic pair of private investigators is once again gripping and entertaining. The story begins with a stolen treasure, a complex family with a selfish patriarch and culminates in a murder. Of course, there are again many secrets, suspects and twists, some of which are expected, others unexpected for the reader. A lot is also happening in Constance and Solomon's private lives now that they are engaged and a new hot lead in Solomon's own mission has opened up.
The book can be read as a standalone, but I still recommend reading the series in order to better understand the backstories and the relationship between the two protagonists.

Constance and Solomon are hired by the egotistical and snobbish adventurer Mr Barnabas Lloyd to recover a treasure he found during his last voyage and that has been stolen from a safe room in his house. The crime seems impossible, but it gradually becomes clear that their employer and his family were not always completely open with them and that some of the house and Lloyd’s ship's crew had a motive...

I recommend this book to anyone who likes captivating Victorian sleuth stories mixed with a slow-burn romance that has endearing lead characters, twists and turns, mystery, suspense and action. I am looking forward to Constance and Solomon’s next case!

I received a free ARC of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own and left voluntarily.

Constance Silver and Solomon Grey have a new client. Barnabas Lloyd, an avid explorer, is missing his treasure. An elaborate plan takes Silver and Grey on many interviews spending much time to find the thief. Is it someone in Lloyd's family or one of the crew of the ship that brought back the treasure? Solving this mystery will have tragic results. Meanwhile, Solomon must reassure Constance he's serious about their engagement and has no intention of backing out. A well written series moving at a fast pace with twists and turns. More investigations with upcoming books in the series. Implied sex.
I voluntarily read and reviewed a copy of this book from NetGalley.

I love this series and continue to be surprised with each book. Solomon & Constance are moving along with their romance and dealing with another mystery. Each story brings them new adventures, romance and excitement. I don't plan to miss out on any of these great adventures.

Wow the Author must have read my last review and knew I was just dying for more information about Solomon's back story. These books are so much fun. I will say, the romance actually felt strong in this book. I could feel the love between our two characters and I liked Constance's struggle. She never let it create distances between them and Solomon quickly worked to help eliminate the distance she was feeling. He really sees her value. (SOOO SWEET).

I don't t the who was a shock but the investigating is good. They work so well together to follow the clue and information they learn. I like Janey a lot too. She is such a nice character.

Note: this is more mystery than romance and it is clean.

Tropes: MC's team up to solve a mystery
Steam level: 1-2 (kissing; non-graphic consummation)
Part of a series; Ok as a standalone but recommend reading in order.

3.5 stars rounded up. This one started off slowly for me on both the romance and mystery front. At first I felt like Con and Sol's engagement had actually made their relationship slightly awkward and their chemistry was put on the back-burner for much of the first 30%. It wasn't until the second half that I felt like they gelled again, and then their relationship started to deepen further. Very low spice (barely level two steam) but I continue to enjoy their emotional bond. Conflicts involving class and social standards pop up and provide roadblocks for them to navigate, but they manage to find their footing and fit perfectly together.

The subplot involving Sol's brother re-emerges later in the storyline. I liked how some closure was provided while still leaving a door open.

The Lloyd family was rather intriguingly dysfunctional, but the mystery was not all that enagaging to me, to be honest. It felt low stakes--I really didn't care whether Lloyd got his treasure back--and it was too circular, with Con and Sol going back and forth with family members who continued to lie, be remarkably (conveniently) clueless, or puzzlingly cavalier. The plot picked up in the last third but their investigation should have expanded; loose ends would have been tied up more quickly. Silver and Grey's investigations should start routinely including key informants from the underworld and the shipping world (they both have connections, after all) and I'm not sure why Janey isn't being used more as an assistant on their actual cases, if they're giving her time off to investigate minor ones.

Overall: not my favorite of this series, but Sol and Con are sweet.

Nothing is as it seems in this intriguing mystery, when Silver and Grey are tasked with finding stolen treasure. Solomon and Constance quickly come to the conclusion that everyone in the Lloyd household is keeping secrets. The family patriarch may not have committed theft or murder, but he is the villain in his own story. Tracking down suspects and dealing with subterfuge, the partners discover the true depths of their feelings for one another, and for the first time, Constance learns what it means to be loved and protected. When the truth comes out, no one expects the results, and the fabric of the Lloyd family is, to an extent, destroyed. Solomon and Constance make a great team, and their feelings for one another survive the aspersions cast on Constance's role in giving women a choice. I received a copy of this well-written novel as a gift through Dragonblade Publishing and NetGalley, and this is my honest and voluntary review.

Another good book in this series. Constance and Solomon are hired to find out what happened to some missing treasure. Their relationship is growing even closer, and I'm here for it. I really enjoy watching them become a couple. Some large strides are made in Solomon's brother David.
Good job, and I look forward to the next book.
Thank you to Dragonblade for the copy of this book. Opinions are my own.

I received this book for free from Netgalley. That did not influence this review.

Constance Silver and Solomon Grey are at it again in The Trick of the Treasure, Book 4 of Mary Lancaster’s Victorian mystery series.

Constance is the owner of high-priced brothel and safe place for disadvantaged women. Solomon is a hugely successful self-made businessman. And they have fallen in love.

They are also the detectives running the Silver and Grey Agency. Their latest assignment is finding a treasure that has gone missing from the safe room of an adventurer, Barnabas Lloyd. Lloyd is addicted to treasure hunting, to the point that he has nearly bankrupted his family. This treasure, literally discovered on a deserted island with the help of an old map, is desperately needed to pay off creditors and keep the family afloat. The family consists of a grown son who accompanied Barnabas on this latest trip, a sixteen-year-old daughter who is discovering suitors, a twelve-year-old daughter who is wiser than her older siblings, and a wife who finds life more enjoyable when her husband is away than when he is home. There is also Barnabas’ spinster sister, who is ignored at home but finds her joy in charitable endeavors.

The treasure was unloaded from the ship, inspected by customs officers, then carried to the Lloyds’ home, where it was locked in an interior room with no windows and only one door. The next morning, when Barnabas went to show the treasure to his youngest daughter, the treasure chest was empty.

Someone stole it. But who? And how?

Constance and Solomon dive into the mystery with their usual conscientious flair. Along the way, they begin to question whether the danger of investigative work is worth it. Although each is willing to risk their own life, it’s different watching a loved one do so.

This is another intriguing, well-plotted historical mystery. The romance between the two leads is progressing apace. I recommend this series highly – but strongly suggest you start with book 1.

Third in the series, but can be read as a standalone.
The impossible mystery provides an engaging drive for the character developments. The relationship between Constance and Sol is maturing as they discover more about each other. Rachel is a character that is easy to sympathize with and admire. Hope, she’ll get a spinoff, when she grows up. Also, Jenny gets a side-plot which makes the installment richer and more layered. If the agency sees more sources or co-workers, it would diversify the plotlines and their methods even more.
An intriguing mystery with a lot of red herrings and loveable characters. Enjoyable, easy read that keeps you glued to the book.

Thanks netgally for the arc. Opinions are my own.

Loved it!
The impossible heist and the continuing love story between Solomon and Constance is absorbing and page-turning. Read it, you won’t be disappointed! No requirement to have read the other books in the series.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The Trick of The Treasure reminds me a lot of Nancy Drew or the Hardy Boys in that, while it definitely has an overarching plot and developments, I didn't have any trouble hopping in here instead of at the beginning. The book is succinct in a very well done way, providing just enough details for you to fully understand the character's opinions/perspective but nothing more, and the characters themselves are well done. Unfortunately, the bread and butter of the book, the mystery of the missing treasure, is executed in an incredibly boring manner. Our main character's primary and seemingly only method of gathering information is to go and interview somebody, who gives them a name, so they go interview that person, rinse repeat. I think that there's a lot of potential with the series, but the repetition of the interview process, and the almost complete lack of any other kind of investigative measures, makes it a dull read, just good to pass the time.

(Additional details are provided in the link, but that contains spoilers, so be warned.)

Constance and Solomon have a person and professional partnership.
As they run their investigative agency, they have to come to grips with how to proceed with their engagement.
They are hired to find a treasure but it is often hard to decipher the clues in between the lies.
Solomon is also searching for his twin brother from whom he was separated many years ago.
Constance at times cannot believe how lucky she is a in love given her past and present.
Sweetly subtle and always tugging at my heart.
Enjoyable read, addictive series.

Struggling with the novelty of their engagement, Constance and Solomon are delighted to dig their teeth into a new mystery, the vanishing of a treasure hoard from a locked strong room. The treasure, only just brought home by adventurer Barnabas Lloyd, was supposed to pay off his debts and rebuild the family’s finances.
The fourth book in this brilliant series, whilst it could be read on its own, Solomon & Constance’s relationship has changed, grown & deepened so to fully appreciate this book reading from the start is my recommendation. I love both Solomon & Constance & love how they bring out the best in each other & how he really does treat her as a true partner. The case is intriguing, there are twists & turns, the suspects aren’t exactly forthcoming with the truth either, which leads to misassumptions. There’s also a surprise for Solomon, which I’m sure there will be more about it in later books. A very well written mystery with more than a touch of romance & I can’t wait to read the next instalment
I voluntarily read and reviewed a special copy of this book; all thoughts and opinions are my own