One more series being added to my growing list of series and books!

It was on a whim that I decided to request for the audiobook Arc on NetGalley. I have heard of the author Darcie Wilde in passing but never felt the interest to read her books but when I saw this historical mystery series was inspired by Jane Austen books I got curious and decided to give it a go.

Did not disappoint at all!

I enjoyed listening to the audiobook and was surprised at how cleverly the whole story and mystery was plotted using Pride and Prejudice as the source of inspiration for this book. The quotes at the beginning of each chapter taken from Pride and Prejudice are not the well known ones but suit each chapter's content.

This book has perked up my interest and I will definitely try to read the earlier books in the series to see how it all began for Rosalind Thorne.

The narration by Kitty Kelly is also well done!

My thanks to NetGalley, the audiobook publisher Highbridge Audio and the author for the audio Arc of the book.

I really enjoyed listening to this book. The reader used different voices to identify certain characters which added to the story. There were many twists and turns throughout. I listened to the book in just 2 settings.

I love getting completely lost in a layered mystery. I especially love the escapism of when that mystery takes place in another time or place. The Rosalind Thorne mysteries have always been engrossing reads, but The Secret of the Lost Pearls was delightfully complex and I found myself completely transfixed by the story.

Rosalind helps society women navigate difficulties and is hired to both usher some young women through the little season in London while also finding a missing necklace, a family heirloom. Of course, the layers start piling on quickly when Rosalind moves in with the family and their baggage is revealed. Of course, a dead body pops up because this is a Rosalind Thorne story. There is so much going on that you don't have time to try to guess who did what...you just have to hang on and enjoy the ride.

While there are many characters in this cast, they are distinct and it's easy to keep them straight. As I listened to the audiobook, I was impressed by the narrator's ability to manage dialogue between many characters. Amelia, Rosalind's maid, has a more prominent role in this book. The other regular characters are here, but play a lesser role. There is a beautiful scene between Rosalind and her friend/roommate Alice about the lives they've built for themselves despite their untraditional paths. Rosalind's love interest, Adam, is away for his work, but appears later chapters to assist in her investigation.

This book could be seen as the start of a new phase of the series, one where Rosalind and Adam are more formally attached. There's a lovely scene between Adam leaves for his work trip where she confides her fears in him and he reassures her. It was a favorite moment of many between these two.

Book Title: The Secret of the Lost Pearls
Author: Darcie Wilde
Series: Roalind Thorne Mysteries #6
Narrator: Kitty Kelley
Publisher: HighBridge Audio
Genre: Historical Fiction, Mystery and Romance
Pub Date: December 27, 2022
My Rating: 3 Stars

Story setting is 1820 Georgian England; each chapter starts with the name of a chapter from Jane Austin novel “Pride and Prejudice” ~ which is a bit of foreshadowing.
Our protagonist Rosalind Thorne is a detective whose clients are society ladies who want Rosalind to solve situations without drawing attention to them. She lives with her friend Alice, a gossip columnist, in a cramped flat.
Rosalind has been contacted by Bethany Hodgeson who wants to her to find a pearl necklace. Bethany lives with a house full of people ~her husband, two small children, her husband's sister, Penelope, as well as Bethany’s parents and two sisters, Nora and Mariah.
Her sister Nora has recently returned home destitute. Three years ago, at age sixteen she ran off with the handsome Bryan Cantrell – a friend of Mr. Hodgeson.

While attending a society party as part of Rosalind investigation the supposedly dead Mr. Cantrell shows up claiming he wants Nora back.

Oh the plot thickens~.
Narrator Kitty Kelley does a great job performing the characters!

This was my first read in this series so had to do some catching up.

Want to thank NetGalley and HighBridge Audio for granted me this early eGalley.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for December 27, 2022

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

I loved how quotes from Pride and Prejudice started off each chapter and I loved how multi-layered the story was. This was an exciting read and I love the time period in which it took place. This book may be part of a series, but it works well as a standalone novel.