Review: The Dark Enquiry

The Dark Enquiry

By Deanna Raybourn

Publication date: June 21, 2011

My review:

When Lady Julia finds out that Brisbane is involved in an investigation dealing with her brother Bellmont, she decides that he needs her help whether he wants it or not. This leads to humorous situations, complications, and danger for Lady Julia. A medium is murdered and Bellmont may have been connected with her. In her attempts to assist Brisbane, Julia may end up squarely in the killer's sights.

The Dark Enquiry is another excellent entry in the Lady Julia Grey mystery series. By now Lady Julia and her family are beginning to feel like old friends. I like how we learn more about Brisbane in each succeeding novel. Here the challenge is for Lady Julia to find a way to pursue her interest in investigative work while at the same time finding a way to compromise with Brisbane over her safety. Lady Julia has seen some really horrible things through the course of previous investigations and even been in danger but this book puts her in more danger than ever before. I like that Julia isn't afraid of grunt work as she learns to be a better investigator.

I was surprised by the mystery in this one. I wasn't expecting the identity of the villain. There were so many possibilities to choose from! I should have known better. While I was able to figure out the killer from the first book in this series, I couldn't figure out the killer in the other books because things are never straight forward. There is also a really interesting new character that was introduced and I have a feeling we will be seeing more of this person in the future.

My favorite part of The Dark Enquiry was the humor (the March family are such fun characters) and the relationship between Julia and Brisbane. I really love reading about this couple! They are strong people who don't always see eye to eye but they are perfect for each other. Overall I think this series just keeps getting better and better. I am eager to read the next book. If you enjoy mystery with a little romance, and historical settings, then this series might be for you. Be sure to start with book one, Silent in the Grave.

Readalikes: The Secret History of the Pink Carnation by Lauren Willig, the Ursula Blanchard mysteries by Fiona Buckley, the Parasol Protectorate series by Gail Carriger (because of the humor, romance, and mystery elements), the Lady Serafina Trent mysteries by Gilbert Morris (Christian fiction but similar with a lady detective)

Note: I received an e-ARC of this title for review from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review