I very much enjoy this Regency mystery series, featuring the newly revealed Lady Charlotte whose alter ego flits about London at night in boys' clothing to gather gossip for her anonymous but widely read political cartoons.

She is also adopted mother to a pair of street urchins, the Weasels, who are entertaining and touchingly loyal. The other main character, the Earl of Wrexford, was (and still can be) a cynical, coldly logical and very astute man. It is no giveaway to say that he and Charlotte are slowly working their way toward each other. Because they both are so independent and so fearful of emotional attachment, it's often difficult for them.

The surrounding cast is great as well -- Wrexford's valet/cum Bunter Tyler, and McClellan, who basically runs Charlotte's household as well as other friends and relations. This time out, a dear friend of Wrexford's has managed to get himself in serious trouble due to his naivete and the evil manipulating character of the bad guys. He is in grave financial and societal peril and as Charlotte and Wrexford investigate, they discover they are up against the almighty powerful East India Company.

One of the delights of this series is the fascinating history that is incorporated into the plot. The real story of the East India Company, and their far reach and dark motives including the opium trade, are compelling. A sidebar into an actual invention makes a great addition.

This might be a tad confusing without the background of the earlier books, but it still would be a rollicking good read. Thanks to the publisher and to Net Galley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Another excellent mystery solved by Wrexford and Sloane. Author Andrea Penrose continues to do great job of balancing the mystery with the historical details, in this case financial schemes, economics, and early computers. Some of the mathematics was lost on me, as I do not have an analytical mind, but it was explained in such a way that I didn’t truly feel stupid. Also, this is book 4 in the series, and I love the character growth, not just with Charlotte and Wrexford, but also the Weasels and Sheffield. They’ve become a lovely little family, and I’m looking forward to more adventures.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Another fabulous adventure with Wrexford & Sloane! All the amazing tension and chemistry we’ve loved in the first three books, finally blooms into something more and I loved every moment of it!

When a brilliant mathematician and her brother go missing, Wrexford and Sloane are once again working together to unravel the truth. To clear their friend’s names and discover the mystery behind a web of secrets and lies, the race is on as they dig deeper into the rumours of corruption surrounding the East India Company. We’ve got more wonderful moments with the Weasels, fabulous scenes with Wrexford & Sloane as they navigate their feelings for one-another and twists and turns that will keep you glued to these pages, getting lost in the world that Andrea Penrose so beautifully creates.

A big thank you to Kensington Books for providing a digital copy in exchange for my honest review.

#NetGalley #MurderatQueensLanding #Goodreads #BookBub
** This review can be found on NetGalley, Goodreads, BookBub

Another convoluted brain puzzler! Wrex and Charlotte are drawn into a complicated and unsettling dilemma as two of their friends are caught in a scam that could ruin their lives. Not only is the fraud multilayered but no one knows who the ultimate beneficiary is. Suspects are dying like flies. Charlotte and Wrex are each suffering as friends and loved ones are threatened and lives are put in jeopardy. I was quite caught up in this story as the scheme and the villain were revealed.

Another Charlotte Sloan, Lord Wrexford mystery involving blackmail, murder, early computers and The East India Company. This book is historically very interesting and the mystery is very good. All the main characters are here again with nice developments for them all. A good, fun read.

This is a wonderful continuation of the series and I absolutely loved it! It had everything I was looking for – adventure, mystery, romance, unshakeable friendships and a perfect ending. I love the characters in this series, including the ever-growing cast of secondary characters, and I really like how they have all developed from book one through to this one. The reader is drawn into their lives in a way that makes it difficult to stop thinking about them when the book is finished. Although the story can be read as a standalone, I would advise anyone wanting to read this series to start with book one – you won’t regret it and it will make reading this one even more amazing. Highly recommended!

Full disclosure—Andrea is a friend of mine. That said, I only review books I absolutely love, so I’m not doing this out of just friendship. Andrea’s books can be devoured by an experienced reader of historical romance and mystery or anyone looking for a good story. Fully developed, sometimes curmudgeonly characters with flaws and quirks, a continuing romance (with a lovely twist in this book!), history that beautifully sets the story (including Ada Lovelace’s computing machine), and a twisty, atmospheric mystery—what’s not to love?

I was very excited to get an ARC of this because I've enjoyed the series a great deal.

This was a solid mystery and the setting, as always, is well drawn and tangible. I had three suspects almost until the reveal so definitely kept me guessing.

That said I was a little disappointed. The thing I loved most about the early books was that Charlotte, despite being a woman in the time period, was very self assured, intelligent, and confident. Unfortunately in this book, she seems to turn into a nerve wracked, emotional mess who doubts herself and her mind constantly.

Also, without spoiling anything I hope, there is something that happens in this book that should have happened in the third book. I don't know why the author felt the need to stretch that subplot out over four books when it would have worked better to wrap it up in three.

I immensely enjoyed “Murder at Queen’s Landing.,” the fourth title in Penrose’s Wrexford and Sloane series. I found the mystery to be well-plotted and interesting. Whereas the previous installments in this series took a scientific focus, this mystery hinges on matters of global trade. Penrose does a fine job explaining the necessary economic and historical details, without bogging the reader down in information.

The development of the various major and more minor characters is also very satisfying. One of the pleasures of this series for me is Penrose’ s use of the third person narrative voice to switch points of view between Wrexford and Sloane, giving the reader insight into both character’s inner thoughts and motivations. She does this well in Queen’s Landing, and includes a few other characters’ points of view for good measure.

All in all, I found “Murder at Queen’s Landing” to be an entertaining read and an excellent progression of this series of books. I’m already looking forward to seeing what comes next!

I have read all the books in this series. The first 2 were great, the 3rd was a bit over the top, and this one unfortunately continues the downward trajectory. The plot was convoluted and required way too much explanation, which resulted in long pages of characters info dumping. The characters are in danger of becoming two dimensional and overly self righteous. The language was off - sometimes words were overused to the point where I could barely keep reading (the word "dastard" became ridiculous after a while) while in other places, bizarre synonyms were used - one character's hands "tremored" instead of trembled.

There was too much telling instead of showing.<spoiler> One particular example was when Charlotte is about to talk to a potential witness to the crime, and instead of reading the conversation between the two, the scene ends and the very next scene is Charlotte after the conversation, rethinking what she learned in her head. That's a much faster way to write, but it's duller to read. </spoiler>

The book was well researched and historically fairly authentic, the author has clearly done their work in that regard.

The plot could have been okay, but the writing made this a slog to get through. I'll probably try to read the next one in the series, but I'm growing disillusioned with the series.

Netgalley and the publisher provided me with an advanced copy of this book for a review.

4 1/4 stars. Another excellent addition to this enthralling series set during the glamorous Regency Period but this series focuses more on the underside of society, both high and low class, and the development in science and technology. Penrose tackles the powerful and ruthless East India Company in this story, which few mystery stories in the Regency Period that I have read have even mention. How this ties into an actual precursor of the computer is fascinating and oh so possible.

The strength of the series is the characters and their relationships. The street waifs are really coming into their own in this book and are essential to the solving of the mystery. Charlotte and Wrexford are slowly moving their friendship into the realm of romance. I love their relationship and though very different personalities complement each other well in sleuthing. Charlotte isn't the only intelligent and not so typical woman in the story but it isn't outside of the realm of possibilities because some are based on real people. You could be a woman, be a part of society and still be strong and non-traditional, even though you probably aren't a diamond of the first water.

Some details about financing and international trade were a little confusing but guess what, such things are complex and Penrose doesn't insult the reader by dumbing it down to a ridiculous level and the reader doesn't have to understand all the details to understand basically what is going on and the motivation: greed! That is a common enough reason for murder for any reader to understand. It is a little slow in places but overall well plotted, filled with twists and turns and very enjoyable. Kudos to Penrose for an intelligent story that isn't just filled with shiny and pretty things.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of the ARC in exchange for a impartial review.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of the ARC in exchange for a impartial review.

Murder at Queen's Landing is the newest installment in the Wrexford & Sloane adventure from Andrea Penrose. It was nice to get reacquainted with all the characters especially after where we left them in the last book.

Lady Charlotte has rejoined polite society after formerly being ostracized and we now get to see her complex emotions regarding her new change in station. She no longer has the freedom she once did and she fears that this will affect her talents as A.J Quill. After all, A.J Quill is supposed to keep the aristocracy in check and how can one do that if they are now a part of it? Then there's Wrexford. He is still as logical as ever, diving deep into the world of science but now his growing feelings for Charlotte cannot be ignored and unsettle his world. I love everything about these two and especially love my favorites, The Weasels and all the mischief they bring. The boys are growing up and turning into young gentlemen, especially Raven.

In this new mystery Charlotte and Wrexford team up to solve a murder that affects their good friends Lady Cordelia and her brother Lord Woodbridge. With the assistance of the Weasels and their gang of street urchins, Tyler, Lord Sheffield, and Lady Charlotte's aunt they try to uncover a plot that slowly unravels to be more than they might have bargained for.

There were times when I felt the plot was bogged down a bit by the complexities of the history and math explanations which led to some pacing issues. However, I enjoyed the banter and relationship building between Charlotte and Wrexford, especially at the end. (C'mon Penrose way to leave us hanging after that!) I can't wait to see what else these two have to bring in the next installment.

Thank you to Andrea Penrose, Net Galley, and Kensington Publications for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Love this highly cerebral couple, also, the "Weasles", the dowager, Lady Cordelia, her brother, her beau, Sheffield, the always ready to partake of good food, Griffin, the Bow Street Runner, Henning, the pithy pathologist! I am madly in love with Harper! Too cute, I hope he is featured in the next book! A truly good work, making math palatable to those of us who cringe at the thought! Excellent mystery, written with finese.
I highly recommend! Thank you Netgalley!
carolintallahassee.com

Enjoyable next installment of a series that I have enjoyed. We jump right into the action with a mysterious chase on the docks, juxtaposed with Lady Charlotte re-entering society, kickstarting a complex mystery involving the East India Company, Lady Cordelia's mathematical talents, a litany of double-crosses, and mysterious machinery that tax Charlotte and Wrexford at every turn.

As with the other installments of this series, I derive a lot of enjoyment from the characters - especially the side characters. This book continued the character growth and development of the side characters and the relationships with the protagonists, Charlotte and Wrexford. As always, I particularly enjoy Hawk and Raven - who I think are delightful and do not fall into the common trap of overly precocious child characters who are a bit trying. I also enjoyed getting to know Aunt Alison and hope she continues to return in previous novels.

I thought the premise of the mystery was really interesting and it's clear that Penrose did a lot of research to frame it. However, I thought it was bit overly-complex, which threw the pacing off a bit and led to some scenes of information reciting that didn't feel entirely organic.

Overall, an enjoyable read, particularly for those who have enjoyed getting to know the characters through previous installments. Thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Books for an advance review copy!

Unfortunately I just couldn't get into this book. The language is pretty old fashion and I couldn't make connections with any of the characters to keep my mind interested. I think there may have been a good story somewhere in there, but I just couldn't find the excitement to keep going.

Murder at Queen’s Landing is the fourth and hopefully not final book in this series, or perhaps there would be a spinoff into another series. This series is for historical mystery and romance fans. And that’s me.

Great character development. I love the two main characters as well as the secondary characters - Sheffield, Tyler, Raven and Hawk. Each has his own personality of course. Collectively as a group with their sarcastic, witty dialogue and interactions, it makes for a fun bunch of people to read about. Raven and Hawk, my favorite secondary characters in all the books I have. They are brothers, street urchins, who are turning into fine young gentlemen….maybe they will have their own series when they are ten years older.

Wrex and Charlotte got themselves involved in murder mayhem that revolves around greed, corruption, duplicity, and historical explanations of math and of ideas that eventually led to the invention of the modern-day calculator. One unique aspect of this series is that I get to learn in each book a STEM topic as it had begun or occurred in history. Book 1 was alchemy, book 2 was steam engines, and book 3 was electricity.

The murderous plot is solid, complex enough to keep have kept me engrossed but not too complex to the point of being convoluted. Hope that statement makes sense. While Wrex and Charlotte work well together in their sleuthing, I would have like to see more physical actions by Wrex. He has a body for it. LOL! A chase here and there, fisticuffs now and then. Overall, a worthwhile and enjoyable read. The book is well-written. I have read books in which the sentences and descriptions are flat.

As for the ending, all I will say is “Oh Wrex…..” {sigh}

After an initial slow start with a Murder at Queen's Landing, there was a large info dump of introducing characters. This would have been interesting if I hadn’t already read the previous three stories in this series. I cannot fault Ms. Penrose because this is what most writers do, but it was well over halfway in before things picked up speed. Before then, I found an overload of telling and not showing that caused me to struggle with the storyline.

Besides solving the murder, Lady Charlotte aka A.J. Quill or Magpie was contemplating what to tell her great-aunt Alison, Lady Peake, about her past. I was reminded of the importance of friendships at every chapter. The amount of history and fascination with math was strongly felt within the plot. And though there were musings from Wrex and Charlotte, I missed a chemistry.

A brief and interesting ending enticed me to look forward to the fifth story. I want a tighter mystery with more action, Wrex and Charlotte working side by side AND more vibes with affection and no more new characters. All in all, Murder at Queen's Landing earned three stars.

Thank you to Net Galley, Andrea Penrose and Kensington Publications for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Murder at Queen's Landing is the fourth installment of the Wrexford and Sloan series by Andrea Penrose. It would help you follow the recurring character's stories if you read the books in order, but it isn't absolutely necessary if you fall into the series not realizing there are previous books. This time a body is found at Queen's Landing and it looks like a friend of Wrex and Charlotte might be the murderer. As they race to discover the details and solve the mystery, we are also introduced to a wonderful computing machine. Penrose incorporated an Industrial Age invention for this book, and even a character based on the wonderfully brilliant Ida Lovelace. Be sure to catch the author's notes at the end about these details.
Thank you #NetGalley and #KensingtonPublisher for allowing me to review #MurderatQueen'sLanding for my honest opinion, I loved it.

It's time to find another word for dastard. I'm pretty sure this word was repeated 50 times the last half of the book.. Raven had it right when he said bastard and then got chastised for it. That should have been the end of it and both could be retired. But no. Dastard this and dastard that. It was very distracting.
The ending was a little too cutesy for me. I was anticipating an happily ever after and that Wrexford and Charlotte would get that much closer to making their relationship real but *spoiler* saving a handful of children to let them live on his estate. It was too much. This may be the last in the series for me.

For some reason I struggled to get through the first chapter, I think it was that the formatting was wonky in the review copy and it’s supposed to be very mysterious but it just made me confused about where it was going. Once the next chapter started and we get to see Wrexford and Sloane, it all kicked into gear.
Both Wrexford and Charlotte find out about a murdered clerk from the East India Company on the docks, but after previous close calls, they are staying uninvolved. Until, at least, Lady Cordelia disappears and they put information together to realize her brother was one of the last to see the deceased alive. Wrexford’s friend, Sheffield, has formed a business partnership with Cordelia and is concerned about her.
It’s great to see Raven, Hawke and friends again as they assist in investigating. This book features a lot of historical business and financial information that I really enjoyed as Wrexford and Charlotte slowly unravel the connections and who may be involved and why.
They’re both also wrestling for their feelings for each other and each other’s safety but after so much change for Charlotte in the last book, more change seems intimidating because it also means admitting to said feelings and possibly being rejected.
This is the fourth book in the series and I look forward to more.