Kiera and Sebastian are eagerly awaiting the birth of their first charge when Kiera’s past is once again front and center. Who appears to be killing and selling the bodies to schools for students to learn the anatomy of corpses? Is it the same ones who sold them to Kiera’s late husband? Kiera and Sebastian look for clues to solve the case.
Goodreads

An excellent addition to the Lady Darby series. Lady Darby and her husband Sebastian Gage head to London where Lady Darby has not been since she left under circumstances beyond her control.

We get a look at the different classes of people in the 1830’s. The haves and the have nots. People just trying to survive. Parents unable to care for their children sending them away for a, hopefully, better life. The dregs of society preying on others. This book is just delicious!

The mystery is one that had me stumped for a while, but it seemed to stump Gage and Keira even longer! I loved the interaction between Keira and Gage’s father. Perhaps understanding will eventually develop between them.

If you haven’t read the Lady Darby series, you can certainly read this book as a stand-alone, but why deprive yourself of hours of reading enjoyment! Read the series!!

We learn a little bit more about Kiera's life with her first husband and the abuse he put her through. I'm getting a little annoyed with Kiera's meekness. She's in a healthy and supportive marriage with Gage. I'm hoping future books Kiera's meekness takes a backseat and she see's her value. I think that's coming with society know fully understanding the horror Kiera went through in her 1st marriage. Fingers crossed.

In An Artless Demise, the 7th book in the Lady Darby series by Anna Lee Huber, Kiera and Gage have returned to London. Kiera’s past is brought front and center when a gang of body snatchers are arrested for killing people and selling their bodies to medical schools. Kiera and Gage are also asked to investigate the murders of young men of nobility. Are these murders related to the trial going on with the body snatchers?

This is a historical fiction mystery and I found the history and the mystery fascinating. The Italian Boy murder and the resurrectionists trial did happen in 1831 and I really enjoyed learning about this moment in history as told in this fictional mystery. I also loved reading about the affect that this time period had on society.

Many people judge Kiera because of her past. They talk bout her, say unkind things, make assumptions, some don’t include her. I like the look into what that feels like for a person to go through. I learned from those who saw her for herself and not her past and were kind to her. Kiera is so worried about how her scandal affects Gage and her friends and family. But they stand by her and let her know she is not alone.

The history in An Artless Demise pulled me into the story, the mystery hooked me and the look at society and the affects of how we treat others kept me enthralled.

Another great Lady Darby and Gage mystery that fans of this series will definitely enjoy. The way the mystery is solved will keep fans enthralled, I was pleasantly surprised myself.

This is out of my normal genre, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. The London setting added to the extra creepiness to the body snatchers. You could just picture it all happening in the London fog. The mystery was very intriguing and kept me turning pages. I will be reading more historical mysteries and more in this series. Really enjoyed it.

When it appears that there are burkers once again digging up people (and maybe even killing in order to provide the medical community with corpses), Kiera is pulled back into a spotlight she never wanted to have. One of the suspected victims is Lord Feckenham. A dissolute scoundrel (and not the lovable kind), very few mourn his passing, even his own family. But the family does want to protect their younger son and Sebastian's father has ordered them to help so Sebastian and Kiera are pulled in. As if the threat of Kiera's past being brought up by the burkings, someone is threatening to publish her first husband's journals.
A very nice addition to the series with great character growth and relationships being strengthened.

Four stars
This book came out April 2
ARC kindly provided by publisher and NetGalley
Opinions are my own

Masterful story telling, great characterisation, and a cracking story that powers on through to a satisfying end without flagging. An Artless Demise has it all. The relationship between Kiera and her second husband, Sebastian Gage brings loving emotion to every page, and the interweaving of historical detail and layered settings bring the city of London alive. I loved that in the author's notes at the end, Anna Lee Huber says she always knew she would have to bring Kiera back to London for the "London bodysnatchers" trial and she's done that brilliantly in Book No Seven. of the Lady Darby series. A great read, not to be missed by historical mystery fans.

Another adventure with Kiera and Sebastian! This series could go on forever and I'd be happy. In An Artless Demise Kiera and Sebastian have the gall to think they can settle down and begin their family. How dare they! Drama follows them of course and mystery and adventure abound. If you've made it to book 7 then you know you'll read and enjoy this one as well so go ahead and pick it up!

4.5 stars

Lady Darby has been a favorite heroine of mine for some time now. I only recently discovered the series a couple of years ago, but from the moment I started reading The Anatomist’s Wife, I was completely in love with her character.

Reviewing this book was a no brainer. I have loved watching this series evolve and progress, shifting from mystery, to romantic suspense, and back to more mystery and I have loved every single book. Plus Huber is a wonderful writer with many of her books ranking highly on my recommended list!

I have recommended all of her books to everyone I know and have loved seeing friends and family fall in love not only with Lady Darby but with Verity Kent as well! Each could be read as a stand alone book in my opinion as the author does a great job orientating the reader within the story and the character backstories, so if you have your eye on this book but haven’t read the others, don’t fret you won’t be horribly lost.

Summary

November 1831. After fleeing London in infamy more than two years prior, Lady Kiera Darby’s return to the city is anything but mundane, though not for the reasons she expected. A gang of body snatchers is arrested on suspicion of imitating the notorious misdeeds of Edinburgh criminals, Burke and Hare–killing people from the streets and selling their bodies to medical schools. Then Kiera’s past–a past she thought she’d finally made peace with–rises up to haunt her.

All of London is horrified by the evidence that “burkers” are, indeed, at work in their city. The terrified populace hovers on a knife’s edge, ready to take their enmity out on any likely suspect. And when Kiera receives a letter of blackmail, threatening to divulge details about her late anatomist husband’s involvement with the body snatchers and wrongfully implicate her, she begins to apprehend just how precarious her situation is. Not only for herself, but also her new husband and investigative partner, Sebastian Gage, and their unborn child.

Meanwhile, the young scion of a noble family has been found murdered a block from his home, and the man’s family wants Kiera and Gage to investigate. Is it a failed attempt by the London burkers, having left the body behind, or the crime of someone much closer to home? Someone who stalks the privileged, using the uproar over the burkers to cover his own dark deeds? (summary from Goodreads)

Review

I thought this book had a lot to offer when it comes to mystery. This series has always been a mystery series, but some of the books focused quite a bit on the romance between Lady Darby and Gage, which were easily some of my favorites. However, now they are married so the focus has shifted from building a romance between the two, to building a more complex mystery story.

I loved the burkers angle of this book. Considering Lady Darby’s past, this book was appropriately placed and was a wonderful bookend to the first book. I loved how this book dun into the body trade and the anatomists. It was interesting and the mystery itself was complex and with different angles.

This time the victims were easily unlikeable which made the challenge of solving the murder even more tedious. I absolutely hated the first victim and can easily say that I was glad someone did him in. However, other bodies start popping up and not every victim is as easily dismissed as the first. This kept me guessing and interested in the story.

While I loved this installment, for me I could have done without the Italian Boy storyline in some ways. It was ok, but clearly not the focus and for me it just seemed a little forced and used as a way to give Anderly a backstory. While all this was nice, I didn’t think it was necessary in the larger narrative. Overall though I gave this book 4.5 stars!

Brought to you by OBS Reviewer Daniele

Once again, author Anna Lee Huber demonstrates her writing chops, weaving a complex, multifaceted mystery with historically accurate attention to detail and well developed, fascinating characters.

In An Artless Demise, we find newlyweds Kiera and Gage back in London after their honeymoon and expecting their first child. However, their bliss is soon put to the test when Burkers (criminals who typically suffocate victims in order to sell the bodies to medical schools and anatomists) turn up in London. This puts everyone on edge, and the Ton is quick to disparage Kiera, sometimes going as far as to blatantly accuse her of associating with the Burkers, because of the scandal Kiera faced when her anatomist husband died several years prior. Kiera and Gage soon find themselves in the midst of an attempted blackmailing scheme and murder investigation when a young nobleman is murdered near his Mayfair home.

Kiera has come a long way since the first book in the Lady Darby series, The Anatomist’s Wife, and in many ways she has come full circle in An Artless Demise. I worried for her throughout this book, but I should never have doubted her inner strength and fortitude. To this point, so much of Kiera’s thoughts and actions have been influenced by the scandal and its self-imposed guilt. Now she faces her past without flinching and emerges victorious. This feels a bit like the end of the series, but Huber has assured readers that it is not, and I cannot wait to see the future Kiera, unencumbered by her horrendous first husband Sir Anthony.

The mystery involving the deaths of more than one nobleman, who are only tenuously connected to one another, is consistently suspenseful and well paced. The entangled investigation allows for the seamless allocation of clues throughout, and I grappled with the killer’s identity for most of the book. The Burkers and Kiera and Gage’s romance and family interactions plump up the tale without being filler.

The Lady Darby series is a favorite, and An Artless Demise is a wonderful addition. Highly recommended to historical mystery fans.

*OBS would like to thank the publisher for supplying a free copy of this title in exchange for an honest review*

Lady Darby comes up against her nightmarish past and must fight emotionally and mentally to keep her new life together. Her new husband Sebastian Gage has been understanding and sympathetic, but gets more of a taste of what she faced before. Even Lord Gage, Sebastian's father, who has never accepted Kiera, gets a glimpse of what her life was like with her deceased husband and the public hatred she withstood.

The setting of London has been covered by scores of books and authors and yet Ms. Huber weaves historical facts seamlessly to create a layered and atmospheric large city. The main plot of handling two investigations, the "burkers" trial with an unidentified young "Italian Boy" victim they are trying to id, and the case of a young heir, a truly black-hearted individual, whose murder was loosely made to look like a "Burking" are enough to keep the story hopping. But the added black mailing and Gage's right-hand-man Anderly having a personal stake in identifying the young victim make the story emotionally layered and rich. It is an absorbing story that draws you in and is hard to put down.

The climax is to prevent another wealthy heir's death as the city is on tender hooks after the "burkers" trial and impending public execution. It has exciting elements of a ticking clock to save a life with some harrowing elements. Wonderful climax. The wrap-up gives a hint of Lord Gage's tendency to "arrange" his family's lives to suit himself and paves the way for the next story.

It is hard to believe this is the seventh book and if anything the series just keeps getting better and better. I love how history is made fascinating and alive through this series. The themes of ethnic prejudices and the poor becoming political pawns shows how "the more things change, the more they stay the same." The story was immersive and an experience I highly recommend.

Rating: Near Perfect - Couldn't Put it down. Buy two copies, one for you and one for a friend.

I had been eagerly awaiting this new addition to the Lady Darby mysteries. I have been reading along as the books have been published, and this is still one of my favorite mystery series. An Artless Demise opens with Kiera and Gage returned to London after their last case. Society has more or less accepted Kiera back into the fold, when all of London is suddenly thrown into chaos as several men are arrested on charges on body snatching and murder. Suddenly Kiera’s past is brought back to the forefront of Society’s collective memory, and a new murderer is taking advantage of the tension and fear permeating all levels of society. Kiera and Gage must investigate the murders as quickly as possible, as Kiera’s past is threatening to destroy her reputation entirely, and all chances at a happy life.

I enjoyed this particular title very much. Besides the always-delightful relationship between Kiera and Gage, I really loved how much historical research Huber put into this book. All of the Lady Darby mysteries are based on historical facts or events, but some more so than others. This title in particular was steeped in historical events and featured characters from history. The historical details about the Resurrectionists and trial were so well described that it was easy to become immersed in the London of 1831. The tension and fear permeating the streets seeped off of the page, and just perfectly captured the atmosphere of the time period. I was so intrigued by the historical events in the book that I started looking for more information about the Resurrectionists (and Huber is kind enough to share some of her research materials on her website).

Overall I thought this was one of the best Lady Darby mysteries, and I’m excited to see what the next book has in store for Kiera and Gage. This is definitely a series I will continue to recommend to our library members.

How do I love this series? Let me count the ways:
1- Sebastian Gage
2- Kiera
3- Sebastian with Kiera
4- Sebastian

Okay, so I'm a little (a lot) partial towards Sebastian. I was afraid that great chemistry between them would start dwindling after they got married, but it's still there, thank goodness, which (let's be honest) is the main reason for reading this series.

This story was particularly creepy in certain ways. Given Kiera's past and what she endured at the hands of her first husband, the theme of grave robbers and burkists was one that touched her and Sebastian more closely than some others. To know that this went on for real, and to that point, was really creepy to read about. It might be one of the reasons why the old cemeteries in my country all have very high stone walls.

If you like historical (Georgian era) clean novels with decidedly Gothic elements and romance, awesome characterization and engaging setting, then I recommend this series. You can't go wrong.

I received a copy from the publisher through NetGalley and this is my honest opinion.

I'm so glad to get back to this series and spend time with Kiera and Gage again. Kiera's pregnancy adds a sweetness and increases the stakes for clearing Kiera's name and reputation. I enjoyed seeing Kiera adjust to being the focus of public scrutiny again as well as having people who care for her. I liked her group of friends and how they stood up for her.

The mystery itself was fascinating and introduced me to the whole business of burking and burkers which I was vaguely familiar with though not by that term and not in such detail. It was fascinating and terrifying and made me glad I wasn't running around London in 1831! I mean there are a few more reasons too - corsets and lack of indoor plumbing are also high on that list. I enjoyed the atmosphere that Huber created and I feel like she really made the time period and the setting come alive.

This is a solid series with complex but likable characters and solid interesting mysteries. Throw in the history and I thoroughly enjoyed this mystery!

Raw emotion and gripping mystery!

I found myself absolutely immersed in this unforgiving historical murder mystery set in 1831 London.
The public anxiety about resurrectionists, a spate of lordly murders, "the life of Italian Boys, the Reform Bill, and the Anatomy Bill, " all part of the historical record, form the background for this Lady Darby mystery with Kiera and her husband Sebastian Gage.
What is not part of the historical record is Kiera's dread and fight to survive censure from the ton with all that is happening. Her fears are so real that they jump off the page with dread. The past once more intrudes upon the present and she rages against it, “and so it begins again...The old accusations. The frightened glances and furious snubs...Will the past never leave me be?”
"Burkers" were named after Burke and Hare, two resurrectionists from Edinborough who'd smothered their victims and sold their bodies to the local anatomy schools. "They had killed sixteen people before being caught."
With this latest rampage the London public is up in arms and mob mentality is being reflected in the tonnish ball rooms. A pregnant Kiera is the one being targeted.
The death of three of their own gives the ton the excuse to drag up what they see as Kiera's past iniquities. Never mind the fact that as the former wife of the once great, now infamous anatomist Sir Anthony Darby, Kiera had been threatened and forced to draw the bodies he'd procured from resurrectionists.
Meanwhile Kiera is being blackmailed by unknown persons, a publisher is about to print Darby's private journals, and she and Gage have been asked to bring their skills to bear on deaths of three Lords apparently by resurrectionists and other burker deaths, including an Italian boy.
Another raw and gripping mystery that Kiera and Gage find themselves reluctantly thrust into. The murderer must be found. Along the way both Kiera and Gage have to relive and in Gage's case learn more about, the emotional and physical abuse done to Kiera by her former dead spouse, and the resultant fears for Kiera's personal safety are revisted.

A Berkley Publishing Group ARC via NetGalley

The Lady Darby Mystery Series is one of my favorites, and AN ARTLESS DEMISE is a wonderful addition. Huber never disappoints, filling the pages with historically faithful details, well defined, enjoyable characters, and an artfully crafted, intelligent mystery.

In AN ARTLESS DEMISE, newlyweds Kiera and Gage return to London following their honeymoon to find political unrest and a town up in arms about Burkers (criminals who murder their victims with the intent of selling the bodies to medical schools and anatomists). This brings Kiera’s scandalous past with her deceased anatomist first husband back to the forefront of the Ton. Some of the members of high society go as far as to accuse Kiera of being in cahoots with the Burkers. When a member of their own class is murdered in Mayfair, Kiera and Gage are tasked with finding the killer. As the body count rises, Kiera faces more troubles of her own when someone threatens blackmail.

Kiera has grown a great deal over the course of the series, but the publicity of the Burkers brings her self-imposed guilt and shame full circle. A younger, more damaged Kiera would have fled society to hide, but here she comes to terms with her past displaying confidence and mettle. At times I found myself disgusted with the way people treated her and amazed at her inner strength. She even finds her voice to stand up to her demeaning father-in-law. I admire her and cannot wait to see what her future as a wife, mother, and sleuth holds.

The mystery is intricate and finely paced. The clues are logically laid out, but I still struggled to pin down the killer for most of the story, which does not happen often. I love to be challenged. Highly recommended.

I received an advanced copy of this title from the publisher and voluntarily shared my thoughts here.

Body Snatchers Threaten London and Lady Darby’s Reputation

Lady Darby, Kiera, and her husband Sebastian Gage are back in London. Kiera fled London in the aftermath of the scandal concerning her first husband, Sir Anthony and the body snatchers. Now, she is happily pregnant and beginning to believe her nightmare is over when it seems the body snatchers are back at work and an ex-colleague of her late husband threatens to publish his anatomy journals and implicate her.

When a dissolute young lord is found murdered, the family asks Sebastian and Kiera to investigate. The murder has been staged to make it appear the work of the body snatchers, but Kiera and Gage are not convinced.

While this is a mystery, the author manages to create a realistic historical picture of the era. The body snatchers killing people on the streets and selling their bodies for medical research was a serious problem and rightfully had the citizens of London terrified.

I enjoy the Lady Darby novels because in addition to the mystery, the author paints a delightful picture of Kiera and Sebastian as loving newly weds and their support each other in the trials of a judgmental ton and the disapproval of Sebastian's father.

If you enjoy historical mysteries with a background of romance, this is a good one.

I received this book from Net Galley for this review.

An Artless Demise is another great addition to the Lady Darby mystery series. In this book Lady Darby and Gage return to London only to get involved in another murder investigation. It seems that the body snatchers are killing people in order to sell their bodies to medical schools, creating panic and unrest in the city, and it appears that the past Kiera was trying so hard to put behind is still haunting her. Some of the people in Kiera and Sebastian's circles believe that Kiera has a connection to the body snatchers and blame her for what is happening. It's up to Kiera and Gage to not only solve the murders but to clear her name and reputation once again. I really enjoyed this installment. I loved London setting and I found the murder mystery part very interesting. Lady Darby series is one of my favorite historical mysteries and it continues to surprise and delight me well into book seven.

The latest book in one of my favorite historical mystery series returns Lady Darby to the place where Kiera’s life first got far too interesting. London, 1831. Also, just to remind Kiera why she left the city in the first place, a rash of body snatchers is plaguing the city again (still?). A recent body, sold to anatomists, has been declared a murder victim.

I ached for Kiera, now back in the thick of things, suffering everything from condemning glances to outright accusations. With so many reminders of her life with her deceased husband, anatomist Sir Anthony, Kiera must persevere when Gage and she take on the latest Mayfair murder case. A young lord killed, with the murder made to look like a burking (body snatching). At the same time, a blackmailer is targeting Kiera. And just for good measure, a former associate of Sir Anthony plans to publish the anatomist’s journals, sure to include unsavory details about Kiera’s life with Sir Anthony.

So, not a pleasant visit to London Town for Kiera.

Always, when being reminded of Kiera’s past, I am outraged at culture and the treatment of women in 19th century England, making them possessions of their husbands with no rights of their own. As it happens, Kiera’s new husband Gage is 180 degrees from Sir Anthony and just the man Kiera loves and appreciates as he supports her and partners with her. Gage and some of Kiera’s stalwart friends are a breath of fresh air in what often feels a very burdensome environment for Kiera.

An Artless Demise is a mystery to be sure. But it also sheds light on a very dark side of London: body snatchers, filthy conditions, exploited children and society’s lack of regard for the poor.

The author does a good job of providing Kiera’s background without boring the seasoned readers of the series. Many characters from other books show up in this book. In fact, at times I struggled to recall who some of the characters were. However, like Kiera, I persevered and was rewarded with enough details to figure out who was who.

Why do I keep reading this series? Two main reasons. 1) Kiera is quite the unique heroine. Self-doubt and fear combined with such intelligence, courage, and tenderness make her special. 2) The historical setting has so many amazing details, evidencing the authors careful research. As long as Ms. Huber feels Kiera is worth writing about, I will keep reading this series.

Anna Lee Huber has done it again, giving us plenty of suspense, history and heart in An Artless Demise.

Through Netgalley, the publisher provided a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.