An interesting start to an intriguing new series. Lady Abagail, daughter of a Jamaican mother and Scottish father. is on her way to a meeting of abolitionists when she encounters Stapleton Henderson and then they find his estranged wife- murdered! Henderson, a naval hero, claims Abbi as his alibi which puts her in a tight spot but makes her more determined to find the villain than she otherwise would have been given that she's had a contentious relationship with him. There's a lot going on- Abbi's own marriage to a man she saved from the gallows, her missing sister, and so on will no doubt figure in future installments but are a little distracting here, Regardless, it's a good read. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. A different sort of Regency novel..

I loved the premise of this book but the writing felt a little unfinished to my taste. I didn't care for the victim so had a hard time getting caught up in the story. Lady W was an interesting character, however.

Sometimes all it takes is a small change in point of view to make a huge difference. Vanessa Riley’s lively historical mystery set in 1806 London sets itself apart from the several other Regency historicals out there at the moment by simply creating a black main character. At the time the black population in London numbered up to 20,000, out of a population of about one million. They were referred to as Blackamoors and included Africans and East and West Indians. (Riley’s notes at the back of the book are invaluable.)

Her main character is Lady Abigail Worthing, a young Blackamoor married to a naval officer. Through her marriage she saved her family from debt, but in the process became estranged from her sister. Her husband is rarely home (not at all in this novel, but I’m thinking he might appear in future installments), so when her neighbor’s wife is discovered murdered in their mutual back yard, she is forced to deal with it alone. She and the neighbor have a prickly relationship, but they give each other a mutual alibi and spend the rest of the novel becoming more comfortable with one another, while solving the crime.

1806 is a very specific year. Abigail is a fierce advocate of abolition (unsurprisingly) but in 1806, black rule in Haiti had temporarily stopped all abolitionist efforts. One thread of the novel finds Abigail attempting to connect with William Wilberforce, a well-known abolitionist, and often failing for one reason or another. I am thinking this thread may also be picked up in future novels. The other recurring thread was Abigail’s search for her sister. I am hoping that one will also be picked up in the future.

Abigail’s personal journey find her mostly occupied with her neighbor’s murder, however, and the investigation takes her further into the woman’s backstory and connections. The investigation is carried out with the help of her well-placed godfather, who helps her with background research; her friend and cousin, Florentina, and the official investigator, Lord Duncan. Because Abigail has helped him in the past on some minor crimes (thefts) he is willing to listen to her.

Abigail has a smattering of her mother’s gift of second sight and another smattering of plain old intelligence that allows her to analyze events and evaluate them clearly. In short, she’s a perfect detective. Even though she is a woman of color, she is also a woman of means married to a naval hero, so she can access most places and speak to the people she needs to speak to.

Riley’s storytelling gift is strong and her prose is lovely and evocative. She made me see 1806 London in an entirely new way – I’m a fan of Jane Austen as well as Dianne Freeman and many others – but she gave me the gift of an expanded perspective, along with a really well told mystery. The denouement is particularly clever and includes both grim irony and a dandy twist. I’m hoping this will be a long-lived series and I can visit with Lady Abigail again soon.

This one didn't hit for me. I found the writing difficult to connect with, and none of the characters are likeable so far. There was a lot of potential, but I couldn't quite get past my irritation with the way things were set up. Especially since this is supposed to be a romantic mystery, and our hero and heroine are both maybe not HAPPILY, but most definitely married for what feels like a significant amount of time. I don't like going into a romance where both parties are already attached to someone- and if death ends it, historically speaking- well, I won't get into all the specifics. Safe to say this missed the mark for a devoted histmyst reader. I think if you're jumping in from another genre or already like the author's style, you would be fine, but this wasn't for me.

This is the type of book that should have been a favorite with me. I found it very hard going, however. The story begins in 1806 with Juliet Henderson, apparently estranged from her rich husband but not too concerned about it, basically breaking in to take some things away with her. The servants aren't too thrilled, but she's still, technically, "the mistress" so what can they do? The first chapter ends with Juliet Henderson meeting an untimely end in the garden. Then we are introduced to Lady Abigail Worthing, Juliet's next-door neighbor. Abbie is secretly involved in abolitionist movements and has to sneak around to attend their meetings. Abbie and her husband have been feuding with the Hendersons over a fence that Mr. Henderson is erecting to separate their properties in order to keep Abbie's annoying terrier, Teacup, out of his yard. Teacup is hostile toward everyone except Abbie and frequently chews up the interiors, so what is endearing about him is not apparent. Anyway, Abbie and Teacup are the ones who find Juliet's remains. Abbie is determined to get to the bottom of the crime, much to the annoyance of everyone.

I found the writing style very difficult to follow. The story didn't "flow" for me and it was hard to tell at times what was going on. There were some comments that Abbie had helped solve three other crimes in the past, so I though perhaps I should have read some previous books to better understand what was going on, but no, this is the first book featuring these characters. I was never really able to get into the story or have much interest in the characters.

This is the first book by this author that I have read. I found it a little slow to start but once I got into it, it was a very enjoyable read. I found the characters well written and enjoyed the interaction between them. For me, there was a little too much description but for others, I am sure they would like it. The mystery had me guessing till the end although there were a lot of well-written clues throughout the story. I didn’t realize till the end that this was the first in the series because of the talk about other mysteries being solved by the heroine. I would like to read more about the beginning of her life as a baroness. I look forward to more in this series and seeing where the relationship between these two neighbors goes. I received this as an ARC from NetGalley and freely give my review.

Do you have a favorite historical mystery series?

I read Island Queen by Vanessa Riley last year and I LOVED it. I was very excited to receive a copy of Murder in Westminster by Vanessa Riley from Netgalley to review. This is the first in the new Lady Worthington Mystery series. I greatly enjoyed it and I can’t wait for the second book in the series!

Lady Abigail Worthington has a husband at sea, and a very aggravating neighbor. Lady Worthington’s family is from the Caribbean and her skin color and family history has certain members of the ton whispering about her. When her neighbor’s wife, Juliet, is found murdered on the fence between their properties, Lady Worthington starts her investigation. Her neighbor, Stapleton Henderson, is a trying man that has a complicated relationship with his wife. They were separated and she was going to run off that evening with another man. Would this cause Henderson to murder his wife? What about her lover, did he kill her in a fit of rage? Or her brother who needs cash from her? There seems to be no end to those that might have killed Juliet.

I loved this novel. Lady Worthington is a capable and independent woman. She is an excellent sleuth. I loved the mystery, but I also really enjoyed Lady Worthington’s thoughts on abolition and on being a person of color in high society Regency England. What I was really intrigued about was Lady Worthington’s husband. It sounds like it was a marriage of convenience, but he spends the entire novel at sea. I want more of the back story of their marriage. There is a lot of great storylines that could go on in this series that I would enjoy.

Overall, Murder in Westminster is the first in a great new series and I can’t wait to read what comes next.

Book Source: A Review Copy from NetGalley and Kensington Books. Thank-you! I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This is one of those first books in a series that is super ambitious, there’s a whole lot going on and at times I had to wonder how it would all fit together as the series progresses.

Lady Abigail Worthing is the main character and detective in this mystery and I enjoyed her quite a bit. She’s married to the absent James Monroe, Lord Worthing, who she met while solving another crime he was involved in, which is all just alluded to in the past tense, but does set up their marriage and her current relationship with the local magistrate.

Lady Abigail is heavily involved in the Abolition movement and does in fact sneak out of a theater performance to attend a meeting the very same evening she finds the body of her neighbor, Juliet, which complicates her alibi. Her neighbor’s husband, Stapleton Henderson, is also one of the chief suspects, leading to the two teaming up to solve Juliet’s murder, even though they dislike each other quite a bit.

Like I mentioned above, there is A LOT going on in this first book… the abolition movement, murders, Abi’s relationship with her sister and husband, and the “visions’ she has that help her solve crimes, which seem to be hereditary. I did enjoy this murder mystery, but at times I just wanted the pacing to pick up and for the author to focus more on the murder victims rather than everything else. I will be reading the next installment in the series, I’m hoping now that the backstories and worldbuilding is established that it will be a faster-paced read.

Murder in Westminster by Vanessa Riley is book one in her Lady Worthing historical mystery series.

Vanessa Riley has gifted us with a great new female protagonist, in Abigail Carrington Monroe, Lady Worthing. This character is fully developed, though some others seem a little one dimensional. In fact, I was so taken with Lady Worthing that I kept forgetting she was black. She was simply Lady Worthing, and her race ceased to exist. However, it did seemed as if Ms. Riley only scratched the surface of some of the other characters. Hopefully, the principal players will be fully fleshed in future installments.

I will say that the author did her research, and the novel is historically accurate, though with some literary license taken to fit the storyline. This is a good mystery, and Ms. Riley also tackles some major issues in the novel. There are both cultural and racial themes. She took a big bite and managed it well. I give Murder in Westminster 3.5 rounded to 4 out of 5 stars, deducting for character development. I still highly recommend it to readers of historical fiction and those who enjoy a good mystery.

My thanks to Kensington Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book. However, the opinions expressed in this review are 100% mine and mine alone.

This is probably the first historial mystery set in this era that Ive read. And Vanessa Riley really stretched her writing chops with this one.

The title of this book attracted me. However, as i started reading, I realized I'm not one for characters with 'second sight, especially when they don't seem to want to accept they have that ability. Also, it just didn't pull me in like I thought it would. Books written in first-person are a hard sell for me, so if it doesn't hook me immediately, then it's guaranteed I won't finish it. Sadly that was the case here.

Thank you to Netgalley and Kensington Books for the online ARC. I give it a more 3.75 starts
Maybe historical mystery is not for me. It was not a bad read it was just not the read for me and it had wonderful reviews and Im mad at myself for not liking it more.

An interesting historical mystery. Lady Abigail Worthing and her feuding neighbor, Stapleton Henderson, find the body of his estranged wife murdered. He offers her an alibi for the murder, which is fortuitous since she can't reveal where she actually was, an abolition meeting. Nevertheless she is worried the murder will be pinned on her as a woman of color who has married up and feels compelled to investigate. Interesting mystery and I enjoyed the historical details.

This was a good mystery but there was a lot happening and the protagonist wasn't a concrete as she maybe should have been . I think this is such a great concept and the rest of the series is going to be spectacular!

I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

1806 London. Lady Abigail Worthing discovers the body of her neighbour, Julie Henderson, murdered. She suspects the husband Stapleton Henderson at first because of his jealous over her numerous lovers. Can they work together to find the motive and killer.
I didn't find Abigail particularly likeable, that with her mathematical cousin, activities with abolitionists, her visions and her horrible little dog equals somewhat of a lack of interest in the story though some parts were enjoyable.
An ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book was great, a very good "who done-it" story. Hard to put down, it kept my interest from beginning to end. Vanessa Riley is an amazing and talented author, this novel kept me going until the very last page. My thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Discovering a body on her property presents Lady Abigail Worthing with more than one pressing problem. The victim is Juliet, the wife of her neighbor, Stapleton Henderson. Although Abigail has little connection with the lady in question, she expects to be under suspicion. Abigail’s skin color and her mother’s notorious past have earned her a certain reputation among the ton, and no amount of wealth or status will eclipse it.

Abigail can’t divulge that she was attending a secret pro-abolition meeting at the time of the murder. To her surprise, Henderson offers her an alibi. Though he and Juliet were long estranged, and she had a string of lovers, he feels a certain loyalty to his late wife. Perhaps together, he and Abigail can learn the truth.

Abigail, whose marriage to Lord Worthing was not a love match, knows well how appearances can deceive. For all its surface elegance, London’s high society can be treacherous. Yet who in their circle would have killed Juliet, and why? Taking the reins of her life in a way she never has before, Abby intends to find out—but in the process she will uncover more danger than she ever imagined...

What a fantastic book! I was totally hooked… I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough...

I enjoyed it very much. I liked the inclusion of the abolition movement. It was an interesting and different read. Good story, and a nicely plotted mystery, highly recommend!

I received a copy from NetGalley and this is my freely given opinion.

I really enjoyed this murder mystery. Vanessa Riley really set the atmosphere in the opening pages, when you meet Juliet Henderson, the estranged wife of Stapleton Henderson. There is quite a dramatic entrance of Juliet into her husband's home, appearing to promote mischief, and chaos. In those brief opening pages, you get quite an idea of Juliet's thoughts, and character... and then the abrupt ending of her life.

Stapleton Henderson and Lady Abigail Worthing are feuding neighbours. Her rather spoiled terrier and his greyhounds are a bone of contention between the two neighbours, and you know the saying about good neighbours and fences? Well Henderson believes it too, and it is on his monstrosity of a half finished fence where Lady Worthing and Henderson find the b0dy of Juliet at night. When the magistrate is called, Henderson gives an alibi for himself and Lady Worthing, linking them together, and trapping Lady Abigail, because to deny him, would also point suspicion at her, as she was also engaged in suspicious activities herself, though not related to murder, but to her desire to help the abolition movement. Besides, she is a Blackamoor woman, who married up, and knows that given a choice, she would suffer more suspicion and accusation than a noted naval war hero, like Henderson.

She does have the advantage though, of being known to the investigator, Lord Duncan, having some minor success in solving a few other minor crimes and mysteries in the past, including proving the innocence of Lord Worthing, and saving him from jail and a hanging, before their marriage.

She decides that the best thing for her, as they likely are both suspects for the death of Juliet, was to find out who murdered Juliet; with suspicion heavily weighted towards Henderson.

This was an interesting book because there was quite the mix of interesting characters, history, and circumstance. Henderson is a dark, brooding man, a naval war hero who is a trained physician, and who fought at the side of Lord Nelson, and was there for his death in battle. His relationship with Juliet sounded very contentious and fraught, as he appeared to have angry arguments with her and ended up throwing her out on the street dramatically, because of her numerous, well known affairs, including with his own staff. But their relationship was far more complex and interesting than that. He has sailed with Lord Worthing, who has been away from his wife for a long period, and the relationship between Lord and Lady Worthing is in itself an interesting character in the story, as there is a lot of mystery or uncertainty about that too. Henderson and Worthing have a contentious relationship - with their neigbourly dispute to start with, then their enmity cum partnership regarding the murder.

The story was all written from the voice and viewpoint of Lady Abigail, and I liked the sideline history of the time, including the history of abolition, Wilberforce, and Hannah More, and how this wove into the story. But I really really wish there was some idea of what was going on in Henderson's head - he is such a stoic, and inscrutable character, and the tension and dynamic between him and Lady Abigail was so interesting.

I really did enjoy this mystery and the resolution of it and was drawn in by the relationships of Abigail and Henderson, as well as the sideline characters. There were a lot of loose threads leftover though, such as the relationship between Lady Abigail and her in absentia husband, her missing sister (a running thread in the story as well), and the inconclusive status of the relationship between Henderson and Lady Worthing - he seemed to grow in appreciation of her intelligence and respect and like her, but then what?

This was just such an interesting study of relationships overall...

Curiouser and curiouser...

4 stars out of 5.

The characters in this novel are larger than life, and the plot twists kept it interesting. Perhaps the resolution of the murders may leave some unsatisfied but I think it reflected the times.

It was a convoluted story and a little different to what I expected. I loved the dynamic between Abigail and her cousin Florence as well as the one with her next-door neighbour, The absence of the authorities for the vast majority of the novel was an interesting plotline and a little disconcerting.

There are certain brutalities from this time that some readers may find distressing (around slavery), so that is something to watch for. The reference to Abi's mother's visions, as well as hers, may also trouble some - though they don't form a big part in the overall storyline.

I found the summary, in Netgalley, misleading: as she's not a widow and the local vicar does not name her a prime suspect

This seems to be a great starting point for a new historical mystery series. I do hope we hear a little more about Lord Worthing, and his role, as the series moves forward.

With thanks for #Netgalley, Kensington Books and the author for my Advance Reader Copy in exchange for an honest review.