This one was so good! I loved that we dove into Keira's artistic knowledge to identify the forgeries. It was great to revisit the artwork. I really missed her painting and that whole side of her personality. I love her interactions with Emma. She is going to be an amazing mom. I also love that Gage is getting closer to his half-brother Henry. I think that will be a great development in future additions to the series and might even lead to a new series featuring Henry.
The mystery was great. I suspected who the poisoner would end up being, but I couldn't figure out who was driving Keira crazy with memories of her mother. (Which was a really interesting subplot.)
I couldn't put this down and I have already started the next book in the series.

A Perilous Perspective is the 10th Lady Darby historical mystery by Anna Lee Huber. Released 19th April 2022 by Penguin Random House on their Berkley imprint, it's 400 pages and available in paperback, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.

Set in the 1830s in Scotland, this is a long running series with distinct and well rendered characters who are believable and established. Although it's the 10th book in the series, the mystery, denouement, and resolution are self contained and it works well enough as a standalone. The author is quite adept (and prolific) and this was my first foray with Lady Darby and her associates. I'm more familiar with the author's interwar British series, featuring Verity Kent.

Lady Darby is more refined, more earnest, and more cerebral, and I've been impressed at how different the series are. Both are very well written and readable, but entirely different setting, time period, and atmosphere. This volume sees Lady Darby and her husband/partner Sebastian on a trip to see friends be married. Murder soon intrudes and it's up to Kiera and Gage to untangle the mystery.

The unabridged audiobook has a run time of 11 hours 30 minutes and is capably narrated by Heather Wilds. She reads the characters distinctly and does a good job of differentiating the accents. Except for the dialogue (which she does competently), I found her voice unobtrusive and neutral, in a good way.

Four stars. More than competently written, engaging, and cleverly constructed. It would be an excellent choice for public library acquisition or substantial binge read. An 11th book in the series, A Fatal Illusion, is due out in 2023.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

Kiera, Gage and little Emma, are tired of the city and wish to escaper to the Highlands for some quiet and peace. Thankfully, Kiera's cousin Rye and her now dear friend Charlotte are getting married in a private family ceremony with our heroes invited to attend. Suspected Art forgery and murder put a damper on the wedding plans until Kiera and Gage volunteer to investigate. What follows is a bit of a nail biting adventure. I was thrilled with the close up discussions of the artwork and being an Art Historian myself, those little details thrilled me. Another amazing novel by Anna Lee Huber. I'm looking forward to the next book!!

A Perilous Perspective is the tenth installment in the Lady Darby mysteries. Kiera and her husband, Gage attend a wedding when a murder happens. I love the relationship between Kiera and Gage! They are a loving couple that support and help each other. I also think that Kiera has grown throughout the series! She is more confident and sure of herself. She is a strong woman who is very sure of her skills in observation. Therefore, Kiera has grown into a mature woman who is respected for her skills. The mystery was very compelling, and it held many secrets that relate to Kiera. This series is a must read for it keeps getting better after The Anatomist’s Wife! I recommend this for fans of Rhys Bowen, Jacqueline Winspear, and Tessa Harris!

Gabe and Kiera investigate a murder that centers around a decades long feud and art forgery scheme. I'm enjoying watching Kiera's character grow and become more confident. Gabe continues to be very protective and supportive of Kiera, but she's getting better at making her own decisions and solving her own problems.

Set in Scotland in the 1830s, A Perilous Perspective is the tenth book in Anna Lee Huber's historical mystery series. As a series fanatic, usually I won't jump into a series this late without reading any of the previous books. However, the premise for this book intrigued me so I jumped right in. In this installment, Lady Kiera Darby and her husband Sebastian Gage are about to attend a wedding of Kiera's friend Charlotte in the Scottish Islands. They bring their three-month-old daughter Emma along with them. As the wedding will be taking place on her uncle's estate. this affords Kiera the opportunity to seek answers regarding her own past.

However, there are some definite hiccups along the way. For one thing, Charlotte's father does not approve of her soon-to-be husband Rye. Her father was quite a stickler for propriety. Charlotte of course is old enough to marry Rye without permission, but she at least wants her father's blessing. But Charlotte soldiers on, and expects her wedding to be quite lovely.

More than Charlotte's concern for her father's position regarding her upcoming wedding, far more serious things are happening. Soon there is a shocking murder, and this is right up Kiera's ally. Along with Sebastian, Kiera begins an investigation. She wants to solve the murder so that the wedding can go on. There is even more, and this involves some type of forgery scheme.

Factor in long-buried secrets that are now unraveling, Kiera and Sebastian, in their role as inquiry agents, will leave no stone unturned as they try and find the identity of the killer, all while getting behind the forgeries, lies and secrets that are casting a dark cloud over what should be a delightful occasion

Although I came into this series quite late, this book did quite well as a standalone novel. It had enough of a back story, its own conflicts and strong characters that all made this book quite easy to follow. However, I did check my online libraries and I can get the first nine books in the series and hope to read them before book eleven is released.

Many thanks to Berkley and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

Please also enjoy my YouTube video review - https://youtu.be/suyI29zSyPQ

Ten books?! How in the world are we are ten books already in this series?! I cannot believe it! It seems like just yesterday that I found this series and devoured all the books (at that time five) in like one sitting! This series overall has been completely solid. There were books I liked better than others and for different reasons but I would rate this entire series as five stars. SOLID!

I love Anna Lee Huber’s writing style and other books she has written but the Lady Darby books stand out above the others and I cannot say enough good things. Some of the books you can jump around in the series but honestly I think this is a series better read beginning to end. Not only area the characters great and the mysteries engaging, but you really gain a full appreciation for the character relationships and larger narrative.

Yes I know this cover is stunning and maybe you haven’t read the other books and just want to start here, by all means go for it but if you want to fully appreciate Kiera and Gage as well as the nuances of this book (and there are plenty of them and references from other books), then you definitely want to go back and read the other books—-pretty cover or not! For one this book features Kiera’s cousin, Rye, and if you miss the other books you will miss out on fully appreciating their relationship so basically read the other books first!

Summary
An all-new historical mystery in this USA Today bestselling series featuring beloved inquiry agents Lady Kiera Darby and her dashing husband, Sebastian Gage.

Argyll, Scotland. July 1832. After a trying few months in Edinburgh, Kiera and her husband and investigative partner, Sebastian Gage, are eager to escape to the Highlands with their three-month-old child. Kiera is overjoyed for her cousin Rye and her detractor-turned-friend Charlotte who are being wed in a private ceremony at the estate of Rye’s great-uncle, the Marquess of Barbreck, in what seems to be the perfect wedding party.

But when Kiera is invited to peruse Barbreck’s extensive art collection, she is disturbed to discover that one of his most priceless paintings seems to be a forgery. The marquess’s furious reaction when she dares to mention it leaves her shaken and the entire house shocked. For it turns out that this is not the first time the word forgery has been uttered in connection with the Barbreck household.

Matters turn more ominous when a maid from a neighboring estate is found murdered where the forged painting hangs. Is her death connected to the forgeries, perhaps a grisly warning of what awaits those who dare to probe deeper? With unknown entities aligned against them, Kiera and Gage are forced to confront the fact that they may have underestimated their opponent. For they are swiftly made to realize that Charlotte’s and Rye’s future happiness is not the only issue at stake, and this stealthy game of cat and mouse could prove to have deadly consequences. (summary from Goodreads)

Review
For some reason I tend to forget that Kiera was first and foremost an artist! Over the last ten books she has become quite the detective and sometimes I find myself forgetting that when I first met her in book one, she was an artist and in all the earlier books her art was absolutely her outlet and identity. In this book we see a return to the art world with the investigation of a forgery. I really enjoyed the catalyst for this mystery being the forged painting! I loved reading about that and the process in which Kiera discovered it. For me this really added a lot to the mystery and made the book extra interesting! I loved the smart mystery that was both easy to follow while still remaining exciting and intriguing. I obviously don’t want to give anything away but this was a well crafted mystery with lots of past grudges and motives for various characters! It was very well done and I loved it!

Once Kiera and Gage were married (several books back), I loved that Huber refocused readers who love romance in their historical mysteries to another couple. Sometimes for me (who loves romance in their historical mysteries by the way!) once the principal characters end up together I find myself kind of bored after that. I love the ‘will they won’t they’ aspect of the stories. I think Huber is aware that many readers feel the same so early on she introduces Bree and Anderly and worked to develop an ‘investable’ couple. Meaning as a reader I felt connected and invested in their budding romance and the ‘will they won’t they’ aspect of their courtship. While keeping the focus on Kiera and Gage and yes there are heartfelt moments in this book too, but readers now have another new couple to cheer on and root for in Anderly and Bree.

Having this book set in Scotland was a welcome change from so many books set in London. Many of the Lady Darby books are set in Scotland and I always feel so relieved since so many historical mysteries are set in London. I also love that Scotland really provides a nice moody backdrop in these books and in this one it’s no different. Great setting! This book held my interest and really made me excited for future books! I loved that the author gave us a little hint of what’s to come! Obviously no spoilers so just go read it already! I love this series and this book was no different, another 5 star book for the series!

Book Info and Rating
Paperback, 384 pages

Expected publication: April 19th 2022 by Berkley

ISBN 0593198468 (ISBN13: 9780593198469)

Free review copy provided by publisher, Berkley, in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and in no way infuenced

Rating 5 stars

Genre: historical fiction, mystery, detective novel

Brought to you by OBS Reviewer Jeanie

I completely enjoyed connecting with Lady Kiera Darby, her family, and friends! The characters are engaging and easy to become invested in. The author described the 1832 setting so well that at times I felt I was there. The Scottish Highlands sound incredibly gorgeous, wild, and beautiful whether in sunshine, the gloaming, or a storm. The mystery is complex, with roots from about fifty-four years ago.

It is almost beyond my imagination to live in or visit a manor house so huge that dozens of servants are required. It was mind-boggling to consider how that manor was filled with incredible, original works of art with names we read about in humanities and art classes today. The estate is large enough to have cottages for pensioners when they can no longer work.

Charlotte, a close friend of Kiera, and Rye, Kiera’s cousin, are getting married in a couple weeks. The small wedding party and their spouses arrive early enough to help the bride and groom to be. They are at the grand estate of Lord Barbreck, great uncle of Rye and his sister Morven. She and Kiera have been close friends as well as cousins since childhood.

Kiera, an excellent artist and very knowledgeable about famous artists and their styles of work, noticed and told Barbreck about one, possibly two forged paintings in the “long gallery”. Furious, he rode off to a nearby estate where former friends, the Campbell sisters, live, thinking one of them is behind the forgeries. Two nights later, one of the upstairs maids of the Campbells was found dead, underneath one of the paintings. Her death was thought to be caused by poisoning.

The days before the wedding pass in flurries of activities, and all involved want the murder solved quickly. When another poisoning resulting in death occurs, the pressure increases on Gage and Kiera, inquiry agents who are more than capable of investigating the deaths. Adding to the drama was the arrival of Charlotte’s father, who wants to keep her from marrying Rye.

I have not read many novels set in the Georgian era, but plan to read more, especially in this beautifully described area of Scotland. The author shares about their attire, some of the foods, and the plant life of the area as well as some of the history of the area. it is easy to see and appreciate the depth of research that has gone into this mystery. It has been a while since I’ve read from this series, and this makes me want to catch up with those I’ve missed!

The characters are very well defined, some being three-dimensional. I enjoyed the interactions between Kiera, husband Gage, and their infant, Emma, who becomes sick for the first time in her young life. It is also enlightening to see how the couple interacts with Kiera’s lady’s maid, Bree, and Anderley, Gage’s very loyal valet, who both provide much help in their investigations. They are more than staff and helpers; in many ways, they are friends, a very refreshing attitude. Kiera herself had gone through exceedingly difficult years for her young age. I appreciated the brief, summarized backstory of those years, and was reminded why she is mature beyond her age.

I was so wrapped up in this complex mystery and cold case that I didn’t spend much time thinking about who killed two victims, who forged the artwork, and the location of the originals. When I did consider the story and made my own determination, I was not disappointed. It was difficult at first for me to accept the depravity of the perpetrators and their extremely poor excuses. The ending was very satisfactory, leaving no loose ends. I highly recommend this novel, especially to those who appreciate late Georgian-era mysteries and drama.

Kiera and Sebastian are traveling to the home of a family friend. He is known to have a full gallery of paintings by famous artists. But Kiera notices something is amiss. More than one of the celebrated paintings looks... wrong. Her host is really not excited to learn that they might be forgeries but he knows who is probably at fault; it's the neighbors. He had been engaged to one of them decades before and both sides are still bitter.
I think regular readers will enjoy this book as much as others in this series.

Four stars
Follows A Wicked Conceit
This book comes out April 19, 2022
ARC kindly provided by Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley
Opinions are my own

During a wedding party, artist Kiera Gage discovers forgeries in the collection belonging to the groom’s great-uncle, the Marquess of Barbreck. As Kiera and Sebastian begin to look into the matter, a young woman is found murdered in the gallery. Are the two things connected? Readers of the Lady Darby series probably know the answer to that. For anyone new to the series, you will have to read the book to figure that out.

The mystery in A Perilous Perspective is tied up in a half-century relationship between the Marquess and his neighbor who he was once engaged to. Some good, but mostly bad feelings between them have been complicated by things like forgeries and siblings. Kiera and Sebastian will have to dig through all the unsavory family history to root out the forgers and killers. Doing so will inevitably put Kiera in one or more precarious situations.

As a long-time fan of the series, I have grown to appreciate the give and take between Kiera and Sebastian as they work all the angles. I am also familiar with several of the secondary characters such as Charlotte and Rye (bride and groom) and Sebastian’s brother Henry. In this book, Henry is overcoming the challenge of becoming part of a family that did not know he existed until recently. I look forward to Sebastian and Henry becoming closer. The Gage’s new baby girl brings a delightfulness to what can become a dire situation.

If you are new to the series, know that this book can easily be read as a standalone. A Perilous Perspective is for mystery readers who want to step back in time, soak up the 1800’s Scottish countryside and test their wits solving a mystery.

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

"A Perilous Perspective", the 10th in the Lady Darby series, starts strong and ends strong. Huber gives plenty of space to how heroine Kiera has transitioned into motherhood, and how she and Gage are settling into their new roles as their family grows. There's a significant focus on Kiera's art background thanks to the plot, and the climactic twist is a juicy one.

The middle of the story does drag somewhat -- Kiera and Gage spend most of their time reacting to things happening than ever getting ahead of the curve, and the perpetual catch-up aspect of the story makes us, the readers, feel the duo are more than a little out of their depth. That's rarely a good sign in a mystery with seasoned investigators, especially this far into a series.

That said: Kiera and Gage are still compelling characters, and Huber has done an admirable job keeping them interesting after ten novels, developing and evolving their dynamic to keep them fresh even after marriage and parenthood. I have no plans to give up this series; I just hope the next installment is a bit stronger.

I would like to thank Anna Lee Huber, Berkley, and NetGalley for allowing me to read a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this installment of Lady Darby! It’s so nice to see her happy and in love with Gage and motherhood. I adored the scenes with Emma as well as related to them, since I have a five-month-old niece. The mystery was intriguing, and only a couple of times did my mind wander briefly during the middle of the novel (which is excellent considering my short attention span). I didn’t guess the culprit until precisely when Huber wanted me to. My only criticism is the number of characters; I had a very hard time keeping track of who was who and who was related to whom and how. Otherwise, no complaints! I can’t wait to see what’s going on with Gage’s dad in next year’s installment. I’m also eagerly anticipating the next Verity Kent this fall, and, hopefully, fingers crossed, a gothic myth book this summer!

From the first, Anna Lee Huber’s Lady Darby mysteries brought the early Victorian era to life with the atmosphere and gritty backdrop and cunning plot. Add in complex characters led by Lady Darby with a dark past and the layered relationships around her and the series soon became a must-read. A Perilous Perspective is no exception, and I was eager to see Kiera and Gage detecting once again while also learning the ropes as new parents.

First Line:

“There was nothing quite like the sight of proper, normally reserved ladies and gentlemen flailing and dashing about a moor.” (Loc 81)

Highland Wedding Plans and Artistic Contretemps

Kiera and Gage are visiting the Marquess of Barbreck’s estate in the Highlands along with several other family guests to celebrate her cousin Rye’s wedding to her dear friend Charlotte. Kiera enjoys watching the joie de vivre among her family yet doesn’t miss the undercurrents between Charlotte and Rye’s governess who seems set on undermining her in Rye’s household. Charlotte’s greater fear is that her stuffy father will look down on Rye as her second choice in husband because he’s a mere mister and his disapproval will cloud over the wedding celebrations.

Not long into the visit, Kiera takes Lord Barbreck up on walking through the gallery to view his reputedly fine art collection. She is disturbed when she takes her first look at the most outstanding pieces in the collection. Gage is swift to note her perturbation.

“Kiera,” he said, waiting for me to look up at him. “You look troubled.” His brow furrowed as his gaze searched mine. “What is it?” I hesitated, wondering if I should keep my suspicions to myself. But then I realized, this was Gage. There was no need to keep such a thing from him…”I think…I’m fairly sure…” I huffed, aggravated with myself for vacillating, and then looked him squarely in the eye to declare with confidence. “I’m nearly certain this painting is a forgery.” (Loc 441)

A Clan Clash and A New Case

As she surmised, breaking the news to Lord Barbreck does not go well, but she is not the only one who is surprised when most of Barbreck’s vitriol is directed at a nearby neighbor from the Campbell clan and the history between the two families is brought to light. Kiera and Gage are engaged to get to the bottom of the matter and Kiera is really tested when one of the secrets revealed is from her own past.

Kiera in the Crosshairs of a Devious Villain

Someone gets nervous when Kiera and Gage get too close to the truth and the murders begin followed by threats to Kiera’s well-being and her very life and that of a person dear to her. Kiera isn’t the same woman who was abused by her first husband and soiled by the scandal the man created, but she feels vulnerable and unsure. Her Aunt Cait gives her a bracing reminder.

“The fact of the matter is, in spite of all you’ve been through, you’ve emerged stronger and wiser. You triumphed in the end. And had you not been through it all, who’s to say whether you would have ever captured Gage’s heart, or given birth to darling Emma…And Who’s to say whether these murder investigations you’ve undertaken would ever have been solved.” (Loc 2705)

In the end, Kiera’s fiery spirit shines through, and she rises to the challenge. She’s not alone and doesn’t have to go it alone, either.

“I noticed one set of eyes staring back at me instead. I dabbed at the wetness in the corner of my eye and smiled at Gage, feeling every ounce of his love directed at me. He looked so dashing in his deep blue frock coat, his golden hair artfully tousled.” (Loc 5648)

Slow Start, Resounding Finish

A Perilous Perspective got off to a slow start for me. I wasn’t bored, but neither was I thoroughly caught up in the affairs of the story. Then, a third of the way through, I felt the change as it shifted from simply describing to driving the plot forward with a build-up of tension and the occasional spikes of suspenseful action. I was immersed in the world, the people, and the mystery.

A Keen Detecting Lass

Kiera is a colorful character. For all the scandal of her past, she is now coming into her own. Gage’s unwavering support along with her family and the confidence she recieves from solving cases beside her partner in crime, Gage. She’s not as defensive or stubbornly insistent on pushing into danger alone and not confiding in her partner.

Incidentally, I thought it was a nice slice of life to show how detecting with a newborn around does alter matters, though I could have done without the many mentions of Kiera feeding Emma.

Highland Danger

The mystery started out as investigation of forged paintings, but then added murder and that atmospheric quality Huber puts into her writing. I tagged the culprit right away with no real reason other than their reaction during an interview and an idea about opportunity. Happily, I was right, but I still felt the tension of Kiera and Gage in danger. I do appreciate that the book still held some surprises for me despite knowing who was behind it all. And of course there was that bit of tease there in the last pages to make me want the next book pronto.

Whisky All Around

In summation, ‘twas a fabulous layering of Scottish Highlander setting, clever and not-so-obvious murder mystery plotting, and sparkling characters and relationship development. I am nudging historical mystery as well as romance fans to put themselves in the way of the Lady Darby mysteries.

Lady Darby is one of my favorite historical mystery series. I binged through the first eight books in 2020. When we first meet Lady Kiera Darby at the beginning of the series, she is an infamous woman, shunned by society when they found out her late husband had her sketch the dead bodies he dissected for an anatomy journal he planned on publishing. At the time fresh bodies were hard to come by, not many would donate their body to science for this purpose, so medical colleges and people like Sir Darby resorted to buying corpses from questionable sources. It was later found out that some of these suppliers not only robbed fresh graves, but also murdered people to sell as dead medical subjects. Kiera had no knowledge of this, and even if she did there wasn’t much she could’ve done about it since her husband threatened her to comply or else. He was an awful man, as we learn from Kiera’s memories, and so I was thrilled he died before we’re introduced to her.

This unwanted, unsolicited knowledge of anatomy as well as Kiera’s superb deductive skills have made her an excellent partner to Gage as in inquiry agent tasked to solve murders or other crimes.

We’re now on book ten in the series, so there are bound to be spoilers if you read on.

Kiera and Gage, along with their three-month old daughter, Emma, are in Argyll, Scotland to attend Lady Charlotte’s wedding to Kiera’s cousin, Rye. Kiera’s overjoyed at the match and it’s evident that both her and Gage are besotted with their daughter. Things start off well until Kiera notices that a couple of the paintings in the Marquess of Barbreck’s great hall are forgeries. Barbreck doesn’t take kindly to the revelation, sparking an uproar, unearthing old dramas and finally leading to murder.

Half of the appeal of this series is the relationship between Kiera and Gage! It wasn’t all smooth sailing at the beginning, but it’s a pleasure to see them so in love now with each other and reveling in the love they share for their daughter. Emma sounded so adorable! Ms. Huber vividly captured that intense love you feel for your child, especially when they’re a baby.

There was an interesting revelation about Kiera’s mother that shocked and unsettled her. Bree and Anderly continue to dance around their feelings for each other, even though it’s obvious they still care.

The mystery was methodically investigated, a historical crime procedural, if you will. It wrapped up nicely but set things up to jump right into the next one and I can’t wait!

Another solid addition to the series. The mystery takes place in Scotland a few months after the exciting birth of baby Emma as Kiera and Gage attend the wedding party of her cousin Rye and Lady Charlotte. However, wedding matters take a backseat to art forgery and poisonings. After discovering several forged paintings in her relative's collection, Kiera unwittingly sets off a murderer. This mystery had a lot of layers to untangle and held my interest more than I thought it would.

As usual, the connection between Kiera and Gage holds the story together, I can't get enough of these two or the wonderful parenting scenes with baby Emma. There's also a romantic tension brewing between their servants, Bree and Anderley, which is fun to watch.

Fans of the series will want to know that Bonnie Brock does not appear to provide sinister comic relief in this one., but you can never keep a good villain down long. Next, it looks like Kiera and Gage are off to see Gage's father who is injured after a mysterious attack. Tally ho!

This is the second book of the Lady Darby mysteries that I have explored (don’t come at me for skipping from book one to ten, I will read the rest I PROMISE), and it was thoroughly enjoyable, cementing the potential this has to become a new favorite mystery series.

Keira and Gage remain to be my favorite characters. I loved each and every one of their reactions, in fact many of my favorite scenes were ones in which they were together, and because I am greedy and can never get enough, I wish they spent more of the story together (honestly just let Gage follow Keira around in every scene and I wouldn’t complain). I loved seeing how their partnership has developed throughout the course of the series, as well as seeing how effortlessly they work together, down to their ability to communicate through a mere glance. I also adored the moments they shared with their daughter, Emma. Watching Keira and Gage share quiet moments with their child allowed for some moments for tenderhearted peace, especially once danger around the mystery started intensifying by the end.

As for the supporting characters, Bree and Anderley definitely stole the show for me. I see a lot of similarities between them and Keira and Gage in their interactions, and am looking forward to seeing their relationship develop more in future books. I love the added layer that their contributions, along with Henry’s as well, brought to the typical crime-fighting duo that I am used to.

The mystery itself was compelling and one heck of a tangled web. Although I was able to predict the killer, the motive and method remained a question mark until the final reveal. Even further, I felt that the specifics of the reveal were pretty twisted, especially regarding the extent that the killer went to to achieve their goals, as well as the open-ended question as to how many people they actually killed throughout their life.

My only issue with the book was its pacing. I’m not sure if this can be attributed to my headspace while reading, but I wish the intensity ramped up a bit earlier in the story. It felt to me that there was too great an emphasis placed on the forgery plotline, especially at the beginning of the story. This could have been remedied possibly by introducing the psychological manipulation aspect of the mystery with Keira and the mysterious woman who reminds her of her mother.

Overall, my struggles with the book’s pacing did not take away from my enjoyment of the story. It was a compelling mystery, with so many different elements at play, combined with a unique, and at times creepy, setting. If you enjoy a mystery series that allows you to follow a lovable cast of characters as they attempt to unravel the nefarious plots that seem to follow them, mixed in with a healthy dose of tension and a little bit of romance, then this is for you.

I am just as big of a fan of the Lady Darby series with this tenth installment as I was reading the first book. A PERILOUS PERSPECTIVE continues the adventures of portraitist Kiera and her partner in love and sleuthing Gage. This time the pair finds themselves in the Scottish Highlands to attend Kiera’s cousin’s wedding. While there, Kiera discovers several of their host’s paintings are forgeries, and while trying to get to the bottom of the fakes, murders and long-held secrets complicate matters.

A PERILOUS PERSPECTIVE is a thoughtful, well executed yarn about loyalty, lost loves, pride, greed, and art. The Highland setting is delightful, and Huber’s vivid descriptions bring it to life. I relish each moment with Kiera. Kiera has grown so much during the course of this series, and I love seeing her as a mother here. She admiringly balances motherhood and investigating and is definitely a woman ahead of her time. I enjoy the information about art and learning more about Kiera’s mother. Gage continues to be the perfect partner for Kiera, and I love that Lord Henry, Anderley, and Bree are well represented. I confess that I guessed whodunit fairly early in the story, but this did not diminish my reading enjoyment at all. Of course, there were plenty of twists and turns to make me question myself throughout.

A PERILOUS PERSPECTIVE is a wonderful addition to the Lady Darby series. Highly recommended to any historical mystery/fiction reader!

I received an ARC of this title from the author and Kensington Books and voluntarily shared my thoughts and opinions here. #APerilousPerspective #NetGalley

Goodness, this is the tenth book in the series and it is every bit as good as the first. The characters are wonderful, the mystery is – well – mysterious, the writing is outstanding, and – we have a new baby to love and a wedding to attend! I have read each of the books in this series and they are all outstanding. You can read this as a stand-alone, but to get the full, immersive view of the relationship and background of Kiera and Gage, you should read at least the first couple of books. But, heavens, why would you stop there – you really should read them all because they are all so good.

Kiera, Gage, and new baby Emma; along with their entourage of servant/friends are at Barbreck Manor on the shores of Loch Craignish in Scotland for the wedding of Charlotte (Lady Stratford whom we met in the first book) and Kiera’s cousin, Rye Mallory. Kiera is so happy for her friend and her cousin and is looking forward to spending a couple of weeks prior to the wedding with friends and family.

All is going splendidly – until – well, Kiera being Kiera, she had to look at the paintings in the art collection. To her shock and dismay, she discovered two were forgeries. What to do? She knew she had to tell the Marquess, of course, but she dreaded it because he was such an irascible man. To say he didn’t take it well would be putting it mildly. After systematically going through the entire collection, Kiera identifies several more paintings as forgeries. How did the forgeries get into the collection? Did they come in as forgeries in the beginning – or – did the originals come in and were later replaced with forgeries?

As the investigation into the forgeries progresses, a young maid from a nearby estate is found, dead, beneath the first painting Kiera identified as a forgery. The maid didn’t just die – it was horrible – it was poison. How did she get into Barbreck Manor – and why was she there?

With an additional death, Kiera’s maid being poisoned, Kiera being taunted with strange happenings, and people not telling the whole truth, can they solve the mystery. Not just the deaths, but the forgeries as well?

There are a lot of things going on besides the mysteries that will keep you interested. We learn a lot more about Kiera’s family – especially her beloved mother – and we see the relationship grow between Gage and his half-brother Henry. Then, of course, there is the wedding and sweet baby Emma to make you smile. So, the book has something for everyone.

I hope you’ll read the book and enjoy it as much as I did.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

July 1832, Argyll. Kiera and Sebastian Gage are attending the wedding of her cousin Rye Mallery to friend Charlotte, Lady Stratford, at the home of the Marquess of Barbreck. Kiera makes a discovery, the art collection that Lord Barbreck is so proud of contains many forgeries. But soon a body of a maid is discovered below one of the forgeries. Can Kiera and Sebastian solve both mysteries.
Another enjoyable and well-written historical mystery with its cast of varied and likeable characters. Another good addition to this series.
An ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 stars. Anna Lee Huber’s Lady Darby series captivated me from its beginning in The Anatomist’s Wife, and Huber’s writing has only gotten stronger since. Marriage and recent motherhood have softened Kiera’s prickly edges and given her a greater wisdom and confidence, but her investigative instincts and artistic vision are as sharp as ever. She and Gage are full partners now, without barriers or major conflicts, which made it easier for me (and, I presume, for them!) to focus on the mystery itself, while still enjoying the personalities of the investigators.

The mystery begins with the discovery that some of Lord Barbreck’s most prized art works are forgeries and deepens with the poisoning of a maid from a neighboring household. It seems probably there is a connection, for her body is discovered in the Long Gallery near the forged Titian. But who poisoned her, how, and why? And who is responsible for the forged paintings? Kiera and Gage are determined to find out.

A Perilous Perspective is both well-written and well-constructed. The mystery kept me guessing for quite some time. I began to suspect the real villain about two-thirds of the way through, but Ms. Huber cleverly deflected my suspicions onto several other suspects whose involvement seemed just as plausible or implausible, if not more so. I wasn’t really sure my solution was correct until shortly before Kiera or Gage caught on. The murder weapon was also clever, and one I had not encountered before.

Huber’s evocation of time and place is masterful. As always, she provided just the right balance of well-researched historical and artistic details, which help to create a completely believable picture of Victorian nobility and gentry within the Scottish milieu. Relationships within and across classes—the drawing room and the servants’ hall, as it were—are skillfully drawn; the main and secondary characters’ feelings and interactions ring true throughout. This is particularly noticeable in Kiera’s case, since the first-person narrative lets us share her thoughts and emotions. I was pleased to see her balancing motherhood and investigation so well (although a good nursemaid is certainly a help in that regard.) And I really enjoyed seeing her and Gage so comfortable and happy together.* But I was surprised and a little disappointed that she does no painting in this book, and little sketching; her artistic focus is mainly on the forgeries.

Here’s where I should admit that I jumped several installments of the series in order to read A Perilous Perspective. I’m glad I had read enough of the earlier books to have a good sense of both Kiera and Gage’s background, but other than that, the book worked perfectly well on its own. While I would recommend reading the series in order because of the long character arcs, particularly Kiera and Gage’s relationship, I don’t think you’ll have a problem if for some reason you miss a few. As for me, I love the series, and plan to go back read all the books I missed (or more likely, listen to), just as soon as I can.

*For those who crave romantic tension in their mysteries, rest easy; the fraught relationship between Kiera’s maid Bree and Gage’s valet Anderley is far from resolved.