I enjoyed the first book in this series, but like all first books in a series there was a lot of set-up and getting to know you. Murder in Drury Lane was a much easier read, especially now that I know the characters and their relationship dynamics.

Lady Abigail Worthing is a married woman with an estranged, absent husband, an interest in solving murders, and a champion for abolition. In the previous book, she became involved in helping her neighbor, Stapleton Henderson, solve his wife’s murder. Which has left them with kind of an awkward, tentative friendship. Neighbors who feel safe with each other, yet don’t necessarily trust each other fully, investigate another murder.

The murder happens early on, in the backrooms of the theater, and the victim is the third son of an aristocrat, working to turn his criminal past into a promising future writing plays to support his new wife. Abigail is an avid theater-goer, who is determined to figure out what happened and the identity of the killer. Henderson is intimately involved in the murder, as the wife of the victim is as close to him as a sister and she currently staying at his house.

This is a convoluted mystery, with many, many suspects and the politics of the abolition of slavery. Lady Worthing is in a tight spot- wanting to catch a killer, but knowing the likely culprit is the same man who is championing a bill she feels passionately about as a Jamaican woman. Her home has also been vandalized which adds a layer of fear that threatens her mindset. There is also quite a bit going on in her life, from the absence of her husband and her realizations about what that means for her future, to her tentative relationship with Henderson, and the ongoing turmoil within her family. I found all of it fascinating and loved how the author threaded all of the plot lines together until the very last scene and set up for the next book.

I’m fully on board with this building relationship between Abigail and Henderson. As a romance reader, you can feel the intensity and chemistry between them. Henderson’s protectiveness is warring with his respect for Abigail and her independence. Abigail is determined to be respected in a world where women, especially women of color, are maligned and marginalized.

I’ve truly become invested in this series and these characters. Make sure to read the author’s notes at the end, Vanessa Riley gives insight into the time period, characters, and her research.

Lady Worthing is trying to get over the shock of vandalism to her home with a night out at the theater. Instead of enjoying the show she dwells on the fact her husband has still not come home from his travels. When an actress come onstage screaming the playwright has been murdered Abigail takes it upon herself to solve the mystery in order to save her favorite place. With the help of her neighbor Stapleton Henderson, Lady Worthington uncovers shady dealings, a secret marriage and family secrets. This all in the midst of parliament passing and abolition bill that has the country in a stir. Will she and Henderson be able to save Drury Lane? Will the abolition bill pass?

This Second Lady Worthing mystery did not disappoint. With characters you’re never sure are telling the truth and have their own hidden agendas you want to keep reading until the end. With the prominent issue of interracial marriage and the abolition movement this murder mystery offers more than just a who-done-it!

I am deeply invested in Lady Worthing! So much so that I am not sure if I am rooting for her husband to return or for news of his death to reach her so that her neighbor can be a love interest. The chemistry between those two is so expertly written. The setting also plays a key role here with a political fight over the abolition of slavery in the British Empire. These mysteries merge Riley's strength as a historical fiction writer with enough of what she does best in historical romances, plus it's sprinkled with thriller elements. I really could not have asked for more.

This is not a frothy mystery. It deals with the fight for the abolition of slavery in Great Britain's colonies, prejudice, violence against women and stalking. Oh, and a murder. Lady Worthing, half Jamaican and half Scottish, is not content with the constrained role of women in Regency Britain but she is very much aware that being a mulatto any unseemly behavior on her part could have repercussions on the fight for abolition. However, she will not let a murder of an aspiring playwright in her beloved Drury Lane theatre be pushed under the rug just to please the theatre's owner and MP Sheridan.

I find Abigail a fascinating character because she is so real and her life is complicated. Her marriage is unsatisfying because her husband is absent most of the time, she is trying to help with the abolition cause and find her way in society and life. Throw in an attraction to her co-amateur sleuth and next door neighbor, she is anything but your typical aristocratic lady in either a Regency Romance or Mystery.

A decent mystery and strong characters that will upset what you think you know about the Regency Era makes it a good read. Try it!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest opinion.

Set in Regency England, this intriguing mystery will engage you from the first.

Lady Worthing is trying to keep herself entertained since her husband seems to be absent from her life. Luckily she can entertain herself at her box at Drury Lane, but never expects to get involved in a murder investigation that occurs during the performance.

Great world building and characters, you will be pulled in until the end!

Lady Worthing, a Jamaican by birth, has an absentee Lord but she is an independent woman and takes advantage of the wealth accorded to her through the marriage. From her love of theatre, she patronizes the Drury Theatre. As such, she is aided by her neighbor, surgeon Stapleton Henderson, when an actor is murdered. She could be a suspect, she could be killed or attacked via the dark tunnel or passage that leads to the sea where sailors or anyone could escape. The time period is of Regency England, the early 1800s when William Wilberforce is attempting to abolish slavery and yet a strong supporter of such is also a suspect. I did have trouble with such a long list of characters/alternate titles (thankfully there is a list of characters at the beginning of the book). The notes of the author is most helpful for a reader of history. Thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing Corp. for an advanced reader copy; the review is my honest opinion.

Lady Abigail Worthing just can’t help herself when it comes to solving a murder mystery. She is often accused of being nosy and pushy. In this case she has her neighbour, Stapleton Henderson investigating with her. They are becoming close friends. Abigail does have visions although she isn’t always clear on their meaning. Along with the mystery is the strained relationship between Abigail and her father. Gradually, the reader is told more of her background. Alongside this, is the Abolition bill that is going through Parliament. Abigail manages to get herself into some dangerous situations, not all of her own making but she is resourceful. There is also the relationship between Abigail and her adventurer husband. This was a very entertaining read with a mystery that kept me guessing. I received a copy and have voluntarily reviewed it. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.
While I wasn’t wowed by Vanessa Riley’s first attempt at crafting a Regency mystery, I was more than willing to give her another chance, as I saw the potential in Lady Worthing. And I’m glad I did, as Murder in Drury Lane built on that potential, resulting in a much more engaging story this time around. I really liked how the politics of the time period regarding abolition served a more prominent role in the plot this time around, with it informing not just Abigail’s personal arc, as before, but the mystery and its key players, giving her a personal stake in it all, and making the story much more effective.
I felt Abigail as a character was a much more rounded character this time around. I got a sense of her in the first book, but I really became invested in her and her championing of the abolitionist cause. I was also intrigued at what direction her marriage with her absent husband would go, and was stunned, albeit not entirely surprised when that aspect came to a head.
The mystery itself was compelling, and I liked how the progress of the case and the elimination of suspects was illustrated through an evolving suspect list (although I’m sure it will look much more polished/less muddled in the finished copies). I did think it was a little strange how it became increasingly obvious it was a particular person, but it took so long for the confrontation to happen, but when it did, I was satisfied with how it all panned out.
Vanessa Riley has seemingly found her footing in the historical mystery genre, and I’m excited to see what happens next, especially given the tense nature of the ending! If you enjoy historical mysteries, and are looking for one featuring Black or mixed-race characters, I’d recommend checking this series out!

This is the second book in the Lady Worthington Mysteries. Lady Abigail Worthing has entered into a marriage with Lord Worthing. I haven’t read the first book, but it appears that her husband is off galavanting around the globe and hasn’t seen Abigail in several years. Apparently she solved the mystery of who killed her neighbor, Stapleton Henderson’s wife. She is now intent on solving the latest murder of reformed ne’er do well, Danielson. Danielson was the third son of a nobleman, and instead of going into the clergy, he fell into the wrong crowd. He is trying to turn his life around by writing a play and taking over the Drury Theatre.Lady Abigail and her neighbor, Mr. Henderson happen to be at the theatre when the murder occurs. Abigail and Stapleton are off and running trying to catch to murderer. This was a fun little mystery set with a background of abolition in London (Abigail is mixed race, so she has a vested interest in abolition passing). Overall, an enjoyable read. I received an arc of this book from NetGalley for my honest review.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for this Advanced Reader Copy and the opportunity to review “Murder in Drury Lane.” All opinions and comments are my own.

Will Abigail, Lady Worthing ever have a moment of peace or happiness? “Murder in Drury Lane” is only the second book in which we have met the young woman (“Murder in Westminster” being the first), and her life is another but calm and uneventful. We learn immediately of trouble, neither mind that prologue; her husband is still a vagabond and her home has been vandalized. And once the murder at the theatre is revealed, readers know that Lady Worthing can’t be far behind, with the help of her neighbor, Stapleton Henderson.

Oh, and how nice that Richard Brinsley Sheridan (a real person) identifies her using her racial identity immediately, when she’s at the theatre. But of course, he wouldn’t be the only one, as we know from real life as well as the pages of this book and many others. It’s part and parcel of her identity, and forms the lady’s background and character. And race is definitely a plot line – is the would-be playwright dead because of it?

The end comes with a big finish. And just when everyone thinks that there will be no justice for all else, there is. And what of the wandering husband? We’ll have to wait for the next book to find that out. I would have liked “Murder at Drury Lane” to have been a tighter story, but do enjoy reading about a “woman of color” making her way through the society of the time. It was a rather rough go.

An Author’s Note relates all the research done to make the Drury Lane setting as authentic as possible, noting that the play used as part of the plot was real, and discusses the history of the time regarding abolition, and persons of color living in Regency times. Also included are short biographies of the characters and places mentioned in the pages.

Pressed into a union of convenience, Lady Abigail Worthing knew better than to expect love. Her marriage to an absent lord does at least provide some comforts, including a box at the Drury Lane theatre, owned by the playwright Richard Brinsley Sheridan. But on one particular June evening everything collides, and the performance takes an unwelcome turn. Onstage, a woman emits a scream of genuine terror. A man has been found dead in the prop room, stabbed through the heart. Abigail’s neighbour, Stapleton Henderson, is also in attendance, and the two rush backstage.
Abigail soon discovers a tangled drama that rivals anything brought to the stage, involving gambling debts, a beautiful actress with a parade of suitors, and the very future of the Drury Lane theatre.
The second book in the series & to fully appreciate it I’d recommend reading in order. I really like Abigail but feel I’m only just getting to know her & that there are still plenty of skeletons to be revealed. I also like Stapleton & like how they feed off each other. There are plenty of twists & turns & I was left guessing. A well written engrossing mystery
My review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

This turned out to be the second book in the Lady Worthing Mysteries and I had missed the first one so I had to guess what had happened between Lady Abigail Worthing and her absent husband. Anyhow he was not missed, as Abigail developed a very worthwhile relationship with her next-door neighbour and fellow sleuth, Stapleton Henderson. A murder at the theatre in Drury Lane leads the two of them on a very dangerous investigation.

This was an intriguing mystery with a background of politics, particularly the progress of the abolition of slavery. Lady Abigail is herself Jamaican and therefore very involved in such a cause. However she is even more involved in finding the truth and punishing the perpetrator in a crime. She is also a woman who refuses to remain in the role expected of her by men. It makes for a very interesting book.

If you enjoy a good historical mystery then I recommend this one!

Pressed into a union of convenience, Lady Abigail Worthing knew better than to expect love. Her marriage to an absent lord does at least provide some comforts, including a box at the Drury Lane theater, owned by the playwright Richard Brinsley Sheridan

A perfectly fine historical mystery.

If you love an independent woman, history, and mysteries, this book will be right up your alley!
Lady Abigail Worthing, despite a marriage of convenience that has brought her many comforts, still has a past that haunts her, as well as visions. But these visions are often a clue of something to come that will help solve the mystery.

Set in the 1800s during England’s abolitionist movement, women were not expected to be outspoken, especially women of color. Even so, Abigail can’t help trying to solve the murder that happened at her beloved Drury Lane Theater. And while putting together clues, she makes both friends and enemies.

I hadn’t read the first book in this series, so I had to refer frequently to the character list at the front of the book. Especially since the characters go by so many names/titles. Also, I looked up some of the words from that time period, which makes me thankful for e-reading!

There are many characters, and you get bits and pieces of their background as you continue through the book. I felt a little confused at first, but the story moved quickly and kept me engaged.

I will definitely read the first book in this series now, and look forward to the next!

Thank you to NetGalley for an eARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are expressly my own.

This cozy mystery drew me in from the beginning, with its initial setting in the theater world of Regency London. I was immediately intrigued by its characters: a mysterious playwright, an aging star actor, a debt-ridden theater owner, a rising female star, and a gambler--all of whom have a stake in the murder that occurs in the first chapter.

Add to the mix the novel's amateur sleuths: theater patron Lady Abigail Worthing, the mixed-race wife of a wealthy but absent husband, and her neighbor, naval physician Stapleton Henderson. Can these two solve the puzzle of not one, but two murders before the plot comes to a close? And what will be the nature of their relationship?

Vanessa Riley immerses her readers in the world of her story, from the coffee houses to the manor homes, from the stage to the political arena, as she develops her multi-layered murder mystery. Her characters are clearly drawn and in part, based on historical figures, adding to the realism of her story which navigates through the world of anti-slavery politics, racial tension, women's roles, and class division. At times the murder mystery takes a backseat to the socio-political storyline, but ultimately the mystery is solved and the reader is left satisfied.

A different sort of Regency novel- and one likely most appreciated by those who read Murder in Westminster if only because Lady Abagail Worthing- Abi- has a really big back story that's parceled out over both novels. In this, she's happy at Drury Lane in the box she has access to thanks to her missing husband but then the playwright is murdered! She hops in to investigate using not only her special senses but also pretty solid forensic stuff, Her neighbor,, a physician is again a player, as are just so so many other characters, Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. It's a challenge at times to keep everyone straight but this is a good read.

It was a complicated and intriguing storyline which kept my interest throughout. This time the story revolves around the Drury Lane theatre, a place that Lady Worthing holds dear! Once again, her next-door neighbour, Stapleton Henderson is a key character and together they slowly identify the guilty. There are plenty of twists and turns and some quite unexpected revelations.

The dynamic amongst the key characters is most entertaining. The reference to Abi's mother's visions, as well as hers, may also trouble some - though they don't form a big part of the overall storyline. The division along cultural and racial lines as well as the backdrop of the abolition of slavery added another dimension.

I hope we hear a little more about Lord Worthing and his role sooner rather than later. It really feels like its time now.

This is the second in this historical mystery series. Its four out of five for me

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

Death in the theater!

Playwright Anthony Danielson is dead, murdered in the bowels of the Drury Lane Theater. A theater patronized by Abigail Monroe.
Abigail Carrington Monroe, Lady Worthing, is a part Jamaican woman who has occasional insights, premonitions of things that have or might happen.
Her godfather Neil Vaughn, is an associate of the Prince of Wales.
It’s a time when the Abolition Bill is coming before parliament. Something concerning a great many across the country.
Abbie entered into a Marriage of Convenience with James, Lord Worthing, a man condemned to hang until Abbie helped clear his name. James was in dire straits until Abbie proved his innocence when accused of murdering his wife. Once they were married James left to pursue adventure across the globe. We’re unsure about what’s happening here.
Now Abbie is again embroiled in murder.
There’s Donaldson’s wife who’s an actress, a famed actor and a Duke—all possibilities as the murderer.
Not just any Duke but the one who’s leading the charge with the Abolition Act.
Abbie’s neighbor, Commander Stapleton Henderson, a physician, annoyingly lends his support to Abbie. One she comes to appreciate.
There’s a plethora of characters to get your head around and the relationship between Abbie and her husband, and Abbie and her neighbor adds a certain frisson.

A Kensington Books ARC via NetGalley.
Many thanks to the author and publisher.
(Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.)

I received this book for review, and I started it before realizing it was book 2.
There just seemed to be too much I didn't know. So, I found book one and listened to it, and still found there was a lot I didn't know. Abigail, Lady Worthing has a huge backstory that comes out in bits and pieces in each book.
Born of a Scottish father and East Indian mother, she enters a marriage of convenience with Lord James, who she somehow saved from hanging. He does not appear in either book but is out sailing around, presumably in the East Indies.
She is estranged from her father, her mother apparently left her father for Lord Vaughn, her sister is missing, and Abigail helps a magistrate, Lord Duncan solve murders. This is all learned in the 2 books.
The most interesting part of this book is the historical parts, which had me googling people and events as I read.
Drury Lane theater was owned by Richard Sheridan, a playwright as well as a member of Parliament. His play, A school for scandal is still read today.
However, the main historical part of this book is the passing of the Slave Transport Act, which plays an important part of this book. It is worth reading just for that.
Riley writes books showing the diverse cultures we are not expecting in Regency times. Her "blackamoor" and mulatto characters open a new understanding.
In addition, the growing attachment between Abigail and her neighbor Henderson, is growing quickly, so I am particularly intrigued by the ending of the book, and will have to see how Riley intends to deal with it in the next book.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my copy.

Curtains Closed

As I opened the second book in the Lady Mystery series I was in awe of the number of characters listed. The prolougue ending had me thinking no matter how may characters are listed I am in this story till the bitter end.
As I entered into the theater the comfort zone of Lady Abigail Worthing where she puts all her secrets, and the fears of her life to sleep as she enjoys a good play.. A piercing scream set Lady Worthing on a new path. I found myself asking why theater, is Abagail now in over head?
Throughout the book the character kept me making notes and asking questions, as the charters evolved I became one with them.If you a looking for a shock factor,turmoil,,and vivaciousness, Murder in Drury Lane is the book for you.
Thank you Vanessa Riley, NetGalley, and publishers for the ARC, above is my honest review.