Murder at the Serpentine Bridge by Andrea Penrose overall was a good to okay book. I don’t want to give too much of a synopsis of the book since it is a mystery, but I will give my general thoughts on the book. Now I did make the mistake of not realizing that this is the 6th book in the series which likely led to 3/5 stars. Although I haven’t read the first five, the author did an excellent job of introducing all the characters and has enough back story that I didn’t overly feel like I was missing any vital information. To me some of the characters were flat and uninteresting, which again may be because I missed the earlier stories. This is a murder mystery which I live for, but I had such a challenging time finishing the story. At one point I thought it caught my interest but quickly I went back to making myself finish the book.



Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for allowing me to review Murder and the Serpentine Bridge! I have received an ARC through NetGalley for my review. All thoughts and opinions are my own and left voluntarily.

Murder at the Serpentine Bridge
by Andrea Penrose
I have loved this series from the beginning and this one was not a disappointment. I like the addition of another young character and the fact that the boys featured prominently in this story. It ended with a bang, literally.
My only complaint is about the author’s continued misuse of the word chuffed. I think she means huffed but I wish she would stop. Otherwise, a very enjoyable addition to a well-loved series.

I have really enjoyed this series from the very beginning. It has great characters that while perhaps not unique in their description (wealthy titled man turned detective), when you get right down to their characters they distinguish themselves for readers. Charlotte is the character who has changed the most throughout the series. Wrexford has remained fairly constant in his persona, but Charlotte’s changes have been exciting to watch.

Naturally when this come came up for review, I couldn’t pass it up. I am fully invested in watching the series continue to grow and am excited to see that more books will be forthcoming! If you are a fan of historical fiction novels, no doubt this series is on your radar and you have seen this stunning cover around the blog-o-verse or social media. The cover is truly stunning and the story inside is pretty good too!

This is a great series for fans of Anna Lee Huber, Deanna Raybourn, and Tasha Alexander. Smart heroine, broody male love interest, and of course a solid cozy historical mystery. While there was lots to love about this one, I am going to be curious to see how some of the plot lines are going to be addressed going forward. This book adds in an unexpected character that I am wondering how he will figure into the larger narrative down the road.

Summary
For fans of Bridgerton looking for a mysterious twist on the glittering ballrooms of the Regency—a masterfully plotted story from a USA Today bestselling author that combines engaging protagonists with rich historical detail and international intrigue, plus a touch of romance that readers of Amanda Quick and Deanna Raybourn will savor.

Charlotte, now the Countess of Wrexford, would like nothing more than a summer of peace and quiet with her new husband and their unconventional family and friends. Still, some social obligations must be honored, especially with the grand Peace Celebrations unfolding throughout London to honor victory over Napoleon.

But when Wrexford and their two young wards, Raven and Hawk, discover a body floating in Hyde Park’s famous lake, that newfound peace looks to be at risk. The late Jeremiah Willis was the engineering genius behind a new design for a top-secret weapon, and the prototype is missing from the Royal Armory’s laboratory. Wrexford is tasked with retrieving it before it falls into the wrong hands. But there are unsettling complications to the case—including a family connection.

Soon, old secrets are tangling with new betrayals, and as Charlotte and Wrexford spin through a web of international intrigue and sumptuous parties, they must race against time to save their loved ones from harm—and keep the weapon from igniting a new war . . .(summary from Goodreads)

Review
Without giving away too many spoilers, fans of the series will know that Raven and Hawk have been Charlotte’s wards for much of the series. Early on they are much younger and needed a mother figure but now that they are getting older they need her less and less. Now that Charlotte and Wrexford are married it’s only a matter of time before we readers Charlotte finds herself ‘in the family way’. I am wondering how that is going to impact Raven and Hawk and their relationship with Charlotte and Wrexford. Will it change? Does it need to? And now that the new character introduced in this series, Falcon, is growing closer to the unconventional family, I will be curious to see what that means for some of those plot lines and if it will impact anything for the main characters.

For me personally I could have done without the addition of Falcon. The Wrexford family dynamics are already complex enough and I don’t know what his character is going to add to the larger narrative. I think there is plenty to mine from Rave and Hawk’s characters without complicating things. Now that’s not to say that I didn’t like his character—-I did—-I just don’t know how or what purpose his addition served in the series but perhaps we will see in future books. As a secondary character in this book it worked but as it seems like he will play a larger role in the upcoming books, I did have to wonder what that’s going to look like.

Overall though, this was another fun installment. I liked the exploration and historical background on the use of weaponry within the story and I think history fans will find a lot of historical bits to enjoy. The mystery had some twists and turns and each clue left me wondering who the villain could be and what motives they might have. Penrose always crafts a well researched and thought out mystery with interesting characters! I have loved watching Charlotte and Wrexford evolve throughout the series and see how their relationship has changed. It’s been a slow burn but one I have enjoyed so much. I am certainly looking forward to future books!

Book Info and Rating
Format: 304 pages, hardcover

Publication: September 27 2022 by Kensington Books

ISBN: 9781496732538

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

Rating: 4 stars

Genre: historical fiction, mystery, cozy mystery

This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart


Review copy was received from NetGalley, Publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

I love this Wrexford & Sloane series so much. The main characters are building a found family with courage, compassion, and cleverness. I am tickled by how clever it is. They support and encourage each other's strengths and protect each other's weaknesses. There is plenty of great science, mathematics and art to fill their imaginations.

Since this is the sixth book, some spoilers are inevitable. Rex and Charlotte are now married, raising the weasels who they have adopted. They go to a family event and meet an orphaned child, Peregrine living with his aunt and uncle. Raven and Hawk quickly befriend him and they invite him to go back to London with them.

Rex and the boys had stumbled onto a dead man right before they left and now Rex is asked to investigate since the man was an inventor working on a government project. It turns out he was also Peregrine's uncle. The whole team / family soon is investigating what really happened and where his invention is.

There is also a conventions of nations with a large number of foreign dignitaries in town. Our team discovers that there is to be an auction for the plans and weapon prototype. With access to the highest, and lowest, rungs of society they investigate. Some suspects are eliminated and others are added.

There is much more to the story which I enjoyed immensely but will leave for you to discover. Peregrine is adopted by the weasels, becoming Falcon. He shows some of his uncle's talent at mechanical invention. I was so thrilled to see them become connected. They work and learn together well.


I am ecstatic to have the series continue after the marriage of Charlotte and Rex. They continue to expand their circle of learning, sciences, arts and those they love and protect.

This is one of my favorite series - after six books it has never disappointed me. It's 1814 and London is celebrating the end of the Napoleonic War now that Napoleon is in prison on Elba. Wrexford and Charlotte are newlyweds and are in Hyde Park with Raven and Hawk enjoying the excitement. What they find is the body of Jeremiah Willis in the lake. What it a tragic accident or was it murder? Given that he had invented a very top secret weapon the loss of the prototype has international repercussions. Everybody wants to be the highest bidder.
Certain people are determined to involve Wrexford and Charlotte in the case and one will not hesitate to use threats that include blackmail. The situation will put their family in danger as they and their extended family and their friends use their skills to recover the stolen weapon. Along the way Wrexford and Charlotte add another member to their family, a young boy, Peregrine. A very good addition.
If you like British historical mysteries then this is a must read series. Not only is each one a very well crafted mystery but the research is vast, giving the reader a glimpse into the Regency Period that is very entertaining. The recurring cast of characters become old friends. Now I'm eager to see what happens next.
My thanks to the publisher Kensington and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

Another wonderful read by this author. This book although part of a series can be read as a standalone story. It is much better though to read the ones before to fully understand the relationship between the characters. This is well written with lots of twists and turns, humor, suspense, mystery, and intrigue. It is very hard to put down once you start. I love the characters and the relationship and interaction between the adults and the children. There is no sex or swearing in this book which for me makes it even more enjoyable. I now look forward to the next one. I received this as an ARC from NetGalley and freely give my review.

This story had me hooked at the first chapter. I enjoyed the relationship between Charlotte and Wrexford and their awareness of each other’s feelings and thoughts. I just love Raven and Hawk and their antics. The murder mystery was complex but intriguing, involving various governments from different countries. There is racial prejudice and I particularly felt for Peregrine. I enjoyed the descriptions of the celebrations for peace and the author’s notes were very informative. This was and entertaining read with dangerous events but also humour between friends. I received a copy and have voluntarily reviewed it. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This installment sees our dynamic duo and their wards meeting new friends, making some new enemies, and of course, solving crimes! This time, the stakes are higher, the rewards are greater, and their emotions are even more connected to the story. While this does feel reminiscent of Penrose's other Lady Arianna series, Wrex and Sloane are a force to be reckoned with. Their characters shine through the story, and the relationship between them really forms the core of this series. Their wayward wards get into all sorts of scrapes, but it's the family bond that really makes this book stand out from the rest of them. We get to see their softer sides, as well as the way that love makes them vulnerable and even more determined to keep their family safe from threats- threats that are growing ever more dangerous.

This series should be read in order, and you'll feel doubly intrigued if you've read any of Lady Arianna- this is clearly the same world, and some dangerous key players are starting to raise their heads. While I like crossovers at times, this did feel a little too close to one of the LA mysteries, which I'm also currently reading. However, Lord and Lady Wrexford have my heart, and I can't wait to see where Penrose takes our dear, sarcastic sleuths next.

Another intriguing mystery from Penrose.

Prototypes and plans for multi shot long guns, and the threat of nations outjockeying each other in their pursuit for dominance, dog the steps in this latest tale of Wrexford and Charlotte. Threads throughout the investigation all point to a treasonous government insider being part of a plot of stolen prototypes, and a secret bidding war being conducted for interested parties. The ruthless Lord Grentham sits at the center of it all trying to curtail the reach of friends who might be enemies. He demands Wrexham’s assistance, using the tactics of blackmail, with veiled references hinting at exposing Charlotte’s activities as A.J. Quill, one of London’s most famous satirical artists. But is it smoke and mirrors? Charlotte and Wrexford can’t take the chance.
The man who invented the gun action, Jeremiah Wilson has been found dead, fallen into the Serpentine. Murder or an accident?
Coincidentally, they are attend a family house party at the Belmont estate. The Belmonts’s are relatives by marriage to Charlotte’s brother.
The weasels have a new friend Peregrine, or Falcon as they call him. In reality he’s Lord Lampson, a title he’s inherited much to his uncle’s disgust. The uncle, Thurston Belmont, a diplomat, sees a tainted line. Charlotte sees a young talented boy whose becoming fast friends with her peculiar lot.
Wrexford has been strong armed by Pierson into assisting with the Governement inquiry. What he doesn’t reckon on is how this will effect all members of his vey different family.
A twisted tale of acceptance, diversity and state secrets gone awry.

A Kensington Books ARC via NetGalley.
Many thanks to the author and publisher.

I received a copy of this title from the publisher, but all thoughts expressed are my own. Murder at the Serpentine Bridge is the most recent title in the now long running series featuring the Earl of Wrexford and Charlotte Sloane and the first after their marriage. While visiting the park with Weasels, Raven and Hawk, Wrexford comes across the body of inventor Jeremiah Willis. Unexpectedly, while visiting with extended family, Wrexford, Charlotte and.the Weasels come across Willis's nephew, Peregrine. Peregrine is Lord Lampson and in the care of his paternal aunt and uncle, who resent his entire existence since he inherited his father's title instead of his uncle. What follows is an interesting mystery involving a potentially game changing invention when it comes to future wars intermixed with real life events involving the Czar of Russia and other European leaders visiting Britain after the initial fall of Napoléon including a re-enactment of a naval battle on the Serpentine. The secondary cast was as interesting like always and I hope to see the relationship between Sheffield and Lady Cordelia continue to grow. As always, I enjoy visiting the world of Wrexford and Sloane and look forward to future titles as they continue to settle into married life including the addition of a new unofficial ward.

This is a terrific addition to a favorite series. Charlotte, Wexford, the Weasels and their friends are joined by a new addition to the "family": Peregrine, Lord Lampson, a connection of Charlotte's through her brother's marriage.

This time, Wexford and Sloane's adventures take place amid the excitement, glitter, and political machinations of the meeting of the allied sovereigns in London in June 1814, celebrating the defeat of Napoleon. In the story, the allied countries are vying to get control of plans for a new weapon. Patriots, traitors, spies and criminals are all jockeying for power, and Peregrine's late uncle held an important key.

Penrose's series just keeps getting better. The math geek in me was delighted by the afterward and her explanation of how she was inspired by economic game theory.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This is a review for Murder at the Serpentine Bridge by Andrea Penrose. When I chose this book, I didn't realize it was the 6th book in the series. I was drawn to this book by its cover, genre, and that it was a murder mystery. I have never read any books by Andrea Penrose, so I decided to give it a try, and I am glad I did. It was a little hard to understand since I hadn't read the other books in the series, but I figured it out pretty quick! I am going to read the other books in the series because I did like it.

It begins in London with Jeremiah Willis, an inventor who has been working on a top secret invention that has drawn the attention of many people including royalty from nearby countries as well as the British government, and finds himself walking home from a social event, and who gets attacked and thrown over the Serpentine Bridge to his death. So then enters the Earl of Wrexford, and his two young wards, Raven and Hawk, who are out taking their dog for a walk, and they come upon the body of Jeremiah Willis. Lord Wrexford works for the British government solving crimes along with his partner and new bride Lady Charlotte, the new Countess of Wrexford, and their network of crime fighting team which include their two beloved wards, whom Lady Charlotte and Lord Wrexford have adopted, and who Lord Wrexford has dubbed "the weasels", and other crime fighting colleagues.

Lady Charlotte, who just got married to Lord Wrexford, just wants to lead a quiet life as the new countess, enjoying her new husband, and work on raising her two wards, all of whom make up her new family. But when they come home from walking their dog, and tell her there has been a murder, she knows she must do her duty to find out who killed the inventor, and why. The trail leads them to royalty of many countries who are in London what appears to be for an social event, but those dignitaries become suspects quickly!

So Lady Charlotte and Lord Wrexford are called to do their duty again, which leads to some very unsavory places and characters, and surprising places that they never expected to go, and even betrayal. They must meet up with old friends and fellow sleuths to solve this murder, and work together with even the weasels, and their new young friend Lord Peregrine, a relative of Jeremiah Willis, whom they dub with the nickname Falcon, and who helps lead them to the murderer, and the reason why, in conjunction with also working with the British government of whom may be involved in the treachery.

This story was fast paced, interesting, and exciting! Like I said, I didn't realize it was book 6 in the series, but the author did a good job explaining as I went along. It was well written, and there were even words I had to look up, which I love, and I thought the character blended well, and the book kept me interested all the way through! It was a little hard to follow sometimes, but it was explained well, and I found myself following it fairly well! The last quarter of the book actually took a turn that made my heart pump as I was reading it. It was so surprising what happened, and I thought the author did a great job, and I dub this a great mystery. So I would give it 4.5/5 stars because it was a little hard to follow, but that was my fault, not the author's, because I didn't realize it was book 6. Maybe the publisher should have put that on the back of the book so we would know...so worth the read, and I did like it!

Another great addition to the series. Wrexford and Charlotte are now married, everyone is gathering in London to celebrate the end of the war, but the intrigue isn’t over. A man working on a secret government weapon has been murdered and Wrexford is tasked with the investigation. A twisty mystery and excellent historical fiction.

I had been eagerly looking forward to book six in this series and I wasn’t disappointed – it’s absolutely wonderful! The author manages to come up with the most ingenious plots that fit in so well with the time period – the Regency – and I’m in awe of her skill at weaving it all together. The series is going from strength to strength and the cast of characters is expanding and becoming an amazing, tight-knit group of friends and allies that you can’t help but want to spend time with. I loved the addition of Falcon and really felt for him – no spoilers but I can’t wait to see more of him in future books. Set against the backdrop of the (premature) Peace Celebrations in London in 1814, when the European leaders congregated for a month to honour their victory against Napoleon (who had been imprisoned on the island of Elba), the story once again involves murder and intrigue. Wrexford and Charlotte are newly married and hoping for some peace and quiet, but instead they are drawn into a dark web where it’s hard to know who is friend and who is foe. Loved ones are threatened and there is even more at stake as their investigation could have huge international ramifications. It’s lucky they have sharp intellects and each other, plus their stalwart friends, as they race to solve the mystery. I honestly couldn’t put this down and yet again can’t wait for the next book in the series – just fabulous!

"USA Today bestselling author Andrea Penrose's atmospheric mystery series sends newlywed sleuths, Lady Charlotte and the Earl of Wrexford, beyond the glittering ballrooms and salons of Regency London and through a web of international intrigue to save loved ones from harm...

Charlotte, now the Countess of Wrexford, would like nothing more than a summer of peace and quiet with her new husband and their unconventional family and friends. Still, some social obligations must be honored, especially with the grand Peace Celebrations unfolding throughout London to honor victory over Napoleon.

But when Wrexford and their two young wards, Raven and Hawk, discover a body floating in Hyde Park's famous lake, that newfound peace looks to be at risk. The late Jeremiah Willis was the engineering genius behind a new design for a top-secret weapon, and the prototype is missing from the Royal Armory’s laboratory. Wrexford is tasked with retrieving it before it falls into the wrong hands. But there are unsettling complications to the case - including a family connection.

Soon, old secrets are tangling with new betrayals, and as Charlotte and Wrexford spin through a web of international intrigue and sumptuous parties, they must race against time to save their loved ones from harm - and keep the weapon from igniting a new war..."

I spent the summer reading Andrea Penrose's Regency set Lady Arianna mysteries and am bereft I have no more to read at the moment. Thankfully she's written more than one Regency set series! And Basil's in both of them!

Newly married Charlotte and her husband the Earl of Wrexford are attempting to adjust to married life. Wrexford and their wards have come upon a body floating in the pond at Hyde Park. And it turns out the man was working on a top secret government project, and Wrexford is now charged with finding out what happened. Great historical fiction, and you really get a feel for all the festivities surrounding the defeat of Napolean. Highly recommend this series and the author.

I've been following the Wrexford & Sloane series since the first book and I'm in complete love with this series! The latest, Murder at Serpentine Bridge, was a great read, though it didn't quite meet the bar set by the previous books. While the mystery did have a good twist, some of the plot just didn't make sense. For example, the Russian showed up at the house at the end to tie all the loose ends together, when there was no hint on how he knew Wrexford & Sloane were the ones that solved the case. Seemed this was for setting up an enemy to contend with in future books. Also, certain support characters, such as Henning, just appear in the book though play no real part in it.
Besides some holes in the plot, I do enjoy Penrose's writing style.
Overall, I would recommend this book, just not as highly as the rest of the series. 3.5 stars.

This series keeps getting better! I was interested to see how the dynamic would shift now that Wexford and Sloane are married, but the transition felt seamless. Finally getting to see them show affection for each other without them overanalyzing their own feelings and worrying about what the other thinks really elevated the story and shows how much the characters have grown over the past few books. (I love romantic tension and a bit of angst, but it's also nice to see a happily-in-love couple taking down bad guys together.) The group as a whole works together so well, with each individual having their roles and working together with the team to solve the mysteries. Peregrine -- the ward of Charlotte's sister-in-law's older sister -- is a cute addition to the Weasels. Kit also finally gets some sense knocked into him after acting like an idiot with Cordelia. I also liked that the team also gets to travel a bit in this one, with events taking place in and around Oxford, as well as London.

Overall, this was an excellent addition to the series, and I can't wait to read more of their adventures!

Thank you to Kensington and Netgalley for providing an ARC for review!

Charlotte and Wrexford are now happily married, but the they still need to solve murders. The dog Harper finds a dead man at the Serpentine Bridge as the Weasels are walking him in the park. Soon it is realized that the dead man was Mr. Willis, a weapons designer, who had plans for a new kind of gun. When Charlotte and Wrexford visit Charlotte's brother's sister in law and her husband Belmont, they meet Belmont's ward, Peregrine, a very likeable boy. When they find Peregrine is being mistreated by Belmont, they offer to have Peregrine visit them. Peregrine is quickly named Falcon by Hawk and Raven as they become friends. It turns out that the dead man, Mr. Willis, is Falcon's uncle.

Wrexford is asked to help find Willis's murderer. There are many foreigners in London celebrating the end of Napoleon's war, and soon there appears to be competition to obtain the plans for the Willis gun and someone is arranging an auction for the plans. Unfortunately, with all the Russians as well as British subjects, it is difficult to find the guilty parties.

Can Wrexford and Charlotte with the help of their friends and the Weasels and Peregine figure out who are the guilty parties for murder, as well as who is trying to auction the gun plans. This book is very exciting!

Andrea Penrose has certainly come up with a winning series! The characters, both main and supporting, are likable, fully formed, and someone you’d want to call friends if you met them in real life. The writing is excellent and the solution to the mystery leads you through a labyrinth of clues and red herrings until the villain is finally revealed. Excellently done!

Charlotte Sloane and the Earl of Wrexford have only just recently married and they are looking forward to some quiet time to get accustomed to their combined household and to living together. That, of course, isn’t going to happen because Wrex and the ‘weasels’ (two street urchins Charlotte and Wrex have taken guardianship of) have found a body in the Serpentine. Wrex has absolutely no intention of getting involved in the investigation and reports finding the body to the constabulary. After all, they are all leaving to attend a house party and there is no time for such inquiries.

Ah! The best of intentions often go awry. After arriving at the house party, they learn the identity of the victim – and his relationship to the people who are hosting the party. Still – it is best to leave it to Bow Street. At least, it is best until they return home to find a summons for Wrex to meet with a high-ranking government official who is asking for his help. It seems the victim was a gifted engineer who was developing a revolutionary new weapon for the government. Now, the engineer is dead and the prototype along with the plans are missing. The government thinks the perpetrator might be someone within the higher ranks of government and they can't trust themselves to investigate.

As Charlotte, Wrex, and their myriad mix of friends and informants spread out through all of London, the clues begin to pour in. Some they eliminate, some they have to investigate further until the exciting climax at a naval re-enactment held where it all began – on the Serpentine.

With danger around every corner, and more bodies showing up, Charlotte and Wrex are more and more determined to find the culprit and protect those they love.

I loved this latest addition to the series and I enjoyed seeing how Charlotte (a reformer through and through) is settling into her new, more constrained role as the Countess of Wrexford. I also loved meeting a new character, Peregrine (Lord Lampson) who is the young nephew of the first victim. It is going to be fun to watch how Peregrine blossoms under the love, care, and acceptance he receives from those in the Wrexford household.

All in all, it is a great read and a great series. I hope you will read it 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.