Murder at King’s Crossing is the 8th Wrexford & Sloane regency mystery by Andrea Penrose. Released 24th Sept 2024 by Kensington, it's 368 pages and is available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links. For Kindle Unlimited subscribers, this book is currently included in the KU subscription library to borrow and read for free.The earlier books in the series are currently available on KU as well.

This is an engaging and well written series. It's an ensemble character driven cozy(ish) historical murder mystery with a strong element of romance. The author has written the story around a framework of fictionalized historical characters and she does a good job of interweaving the real historical facts with the fictional narrative allowing for some minor poetic license regarding names, dates, and times. This installment, as most of them, contain a fair bit of science/technology/engineering of the period, and feature some cameos from well known names in the scientific world of the time.

Although self-contained in the narrative arc, the cast of characters have a long history together, so it works well enough as a standalone, but it's strongly recommend to read the series in order because of character development spoilers (in fact the titular series characters have progressed from near-enemies in book one to stably married and settled now). The language is very clean, there's some violence used in context, and very little sexual content.

The author does take some thinly veiled pokes at colonialism, racism, slavery, unscrupulous profiteers, and the military industrial complex in this book which have distinct takeaways for our modern world. The narrative arc and denouement and resolution are satisfying for the genre (a little swoony and overwrought, but not egregiously so). This is the eighth book, and there's a ninth due out in third quarter 2025 from the same publisher.

The unabridged audiobook has a run time of 11 hours, 46 minutes, and is expertly read by series narrator James Cameron Stewart. He has a well modulated light baritone voice and a surprisingly masterful control with regional UK accents of the period as well as a few non-local-accents (including southern German) without a hitch. Interestingly, his Scottish accent isn't painful to listen to (it's his native dialect), nor is his upper class Regency English RP type accent (which presumably isn't). Sound and production quality are high throughout.

Enjoyable cozy murder / romance. Four stars.

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

Murder at King's Crossing is the eighth book of Andrea Penrose's highly entertaining Wrexford & Sloane series. In this installment, we join Wrexford and Charlotte, as they celebrate the wedding of their close friends
Sheffield and Lady Cordelia. Unfortunately, the festivities don't go as planned, and they are contacted by the local authorities who have found a body at a nearby bridge. They are unsure of who the victim is, but in his
possession is an invitation to the nuptials. That is where our mystery begins.

This murder mystery was clever and filled with plenty of twists. I loved the interesting discussions about transportation
throughout Britain. The author weaves historical facts and fun nuggets of information into the stories seamlessly. I often feel as if I've learned something of value when reading these books.

If you enjoy historical mysteries with
a touch of romance, found family
and great characters, then this is the series for you. While each book contains its own mystery, there are running storylines throughout and continuing relationships. I always look forward to a new book in this series.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Murder at King’s Crossing by Andrea Penrose (Wrexford and Sloane Mystery #8) 5 stars

The books opens up with a murder in the countryside and a missing wedding guest. The Earl of Wrexford and his Countess, Charlotte are hosting the wedding of their friends, Christopher Sheffield and Cordelia Mansfield. Unfortunately the festivities are interrupted by the local coroner with bad news. Cordelia’s friend, Jasper Milton has been found dead of foul play. The investigation of this crime will touch on technological advances and national secrets. In this case, following the money will prove to be a fruitful endeavor.

This mystery moved at a steady pace, with most the action occurring near the end. The story touched on scientific research, intellectual property, industrial espionage, and national security. This could almost be a modern day thriller if it wasn’t set in the Regency. The cast and crew were all there to aid in the investigation. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and look forward to the next book, Murder at Somerset House (Oct 2025).

Thank you Netgalley and Kensington Books for this ARC.

I love this series and the latest installment doesn't miss.
The weasels are the best. I love Wrexford and his love for the boys. I love the random inputs from the past.
I honestly love and enjoy it all

This was SO worth th 4+ month wait for the audiobook!!

I had forgotten how much I enjoyed being in this world the author has created and how much I love these characters, especially the weasels [we do find out why Wrexford identifies so easily with the weasels and their shenanigans, and that was really interesting] and all they get up to in each book - it was a perfect time as well [my life is chaotic and other people's chaos makes mine seem less...chaotic. LOL] to have a visit with my "friends".

I will admit that this one was a harder read for me; there is a lot of math and science and I did get lost several times, but overall, this was an excellent read, [with a very interesting, detailed note from the author at the end], with a fantastic reveal [one I should have figured out, but it was elusive until Charlotte figured it out and then I just rolled my eyes and smacked my forehead. *eyeroll*] and overall mystery. Several former characters make a reappearance which was fun, and I have found that I absolutely need Mac to come and make me some ginger biscuits [because mine would never, ever, taste as good as hers! LOL]. I also learned a lot which was a cool cherry on top.

I am really looking forward to book 9 [because that ending!!] and all that may [or may not be -you never know] revealed!!

I highly recommend this excellent series!!

Thank you to NetGalley, Andrea Penrose, and Kensington Publishing/Kensington for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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.

4.5 hearts

I always love the Wrexford & Sloane series, with its found family, rugged individuals, social commentary and early scientific developments. It's a delight and I highly recommend them.

The murder happens because various groups want to control a scientific advancement. The science is about building bridges to span longer distances. It is developed using mathematics more than physics or chemistry. The creator is idealistic and wants to benefit the working man, not just make the developers rich.

On the family side, we have the long awaited marriage of Kit and Cordelia. This brings together many family members and friends. They were sorry to have missed Falcon over the holidays but he gets expelled by Eaton which brings about some changes in his education and life.

The investigation is frustrating and dangerous. It involves those from multiple groups and has some of those they care about as suspects. The Weasels help considerably with their abilities to follow suspects inconspicuously and overhear them as well.

There are some things, which are only begun in the series, to continue in future stories. One is Wrex's father as Wrex learns more and sees some things in a different light. Another is Herr von Munch who keeps turning up like a bad penny. He never tells them the truth, or at least not the complete truth, but he does seem to always be on their side.

Murder at King's Crossing is such a fun blend of developing technology, murder mystery and beloved characters who develop. I can't wait for more; I highly recommend this series from the beginning.

Note: Thank you to NetGalley, Kensington Publishing, and author Andrea Penrose for the advanced reader copy of this book. What follows is my unbiased review of the book.

Murder at King's Crossing is the eighth book in author Andrea Penrose's Wrexford and Sloane series. Set in Regency England, it provides quite a different look at society than the romances often set during this time. Instead of focusing on romance and "making a good match," this series focuses more on the scientific discoveries of the time among some of the most wealthy and intelligent in society.

With it being the eighth book, I think it might be a little harder to pick up the series here. I began reading the series with the sixth book, then went back and read what I'd missed. I understood what was going on, but I appreciated the story and the characters much more knowing the background presented in previous novels.

Lord Wrexford and Charlotte are hosting the nuptials of their closest friends, Kit Sheffield and Cordelia Mansfield, at the Lord's country estate. The day before the wedding, a terrible storm blows through. The wedding still goes off as planned, although there are some people who couldn't make it. However, while they are celebrating, the authorities arrive to question Kit and Cordelia. It seems a man was found murdered at the King's Crossing Bridge with the only clue to his identity being an invitation to the wedding.

At first, they believe it might be Cordelia's cousin, Oliver, who was invited to the wedding but never made it. Later, the body is identified as Jasper Milton, who was also a friend of Cordelia's. The two men were involved in the Revolutions-Per-Minute Society, which was focused on improving transportation throughout England. This could open up the world for those at the bottom of Society, as there would be a greater ability to travel further for work. Jasper apparently had some revolutionary bridge design that many people would like to get their hands on, and Oliver is still missing. Cordelia decides to postpone their honeymoon until her cousin can be found and the mystery is solved.

One of the things I enjoyed so much about this book was that it pointed out how something we take for granted nowadays was such an obstacle to overcome in the past. That would be the ability to travel for work. At a time before trains were widespread, people had to work near where they lived, which limited what was available to them. Even here, trains are starting to have promise, but there is a struggle to be able to build bridges to accommodate them. We take it for granted to be able to commute to a job, but at this time it was not an option for many people.

The characters in the world Penrose has created have expanded, and it can be hard to understand where they fit in if you're picking up the series here. "Peregrine" first appeared in the sixth book in the series, and here finds himself failing to fit in at Eton and returns to the care of Charlotte and Wrexford. He has some different insights that help them along with the mystery at hand. Penrose does give a brief background to this character, so it might not be quite that difficult, but at this point in the series, there are many characters who have varying stories that are worth knowing.

The science here is calculus and engineering. Cordelia and Charlotte use the fact that women are so easily dismissed in this era to enable them to gain the information needed to figure out what is going on. Cordelia knows many of the members of the Revolutions-Per-Minute Society from her own secret forays into higher education. Yet, even then, they don't see her as a real threat.

I did not figure out the mystery until the end. Actually, I had zero idea who it was. There were a few times I thought I might have a handle on who the murderer was and where the missing designs might be, but in the end, I was wrong on all accounts. I don't know that there was enough information ahead of time to figure it out, but I did enjoy following the story until all was revealed.

Charlotte is having a bit of a crisis, as well. Until she and Wrexford were married, she relied on her alter-ego, satirical artist A.J. Quill, to make ends meet. Now, she continues to do it as a way of bringing issues impacting those who don't have a voice in society into the limelight. She frets that she has become too soft now as Lady Wrexford to have the same impact she used to, even though her husband does not limit her exploits. Their two wards, orphans who Charlotte took under her wing and who were absorbed into the family when they married, have a bit more to do here than in the previous book. It's nice to see the boys growing older, as well as the impact education can have on the populace. There's some great growth all around here among the ongoing characters.

I felt Murder at King's Crossing was a strong entry in this series. Penrose gives a lot of information in her afterword about the historical context and how much is real versus what she invented for the story. It's really fascinating to see the scientific advances being made and the consequences they would have. I never really thought about transportation being intrinsic to the creation of the middle class before, but it's presented here in an easy-to-understand way, if the math went over my head (I could never grasp calculus no matter how hard I tried.) The characters continue to grow with no real surprises. If you like historical fiction but want something more than just romance, I think you'll really enjoy this series and this book.

Andrea Penrose immerses the reader in an intriguing Regency mystery while Napoleon was on Elba and intrigue swirled around his return to France. Activity centers in London where a scientific formula to improve bridge design brings murder and mayhem to Murder at King's Crossing. The Earl of Wrexford and Charlotte his wife are at the marriage of their friends. Lady Cordelia's childhood friend and an engineer is murdered and his bridge plans are missing. Her cousin is a suspect. Complicating things are the antics of Wrexford's wards, the Weasels, as they try to help find the guilty parties. Excellent historical mystery.

This is the eighth book in the Wrexford & Sloane series, which follows an aristocratic scientist and satirical artist as they solve murders in Regency England. While the mystery in each story is stand alone, I do recommend that you start with the earlier books in the series to follow the relationship arcs that have developed over the course of the series from romance and family to friends and enemies.

In this story, we join Wrexford and Charlotte as they celebrate the nuptials of their good friends Sheffield and Lady Cordelia. Unfortunately, the festivities culminate with an interruption from the local authorities who have found a body at a nearby bridge in possession of an invitation to the wedding. There is much speculation as to the identity of this person and comparisons to any missing wedding guests leading to some parties taking their leave to identify the body. This leads to the mystery of why this character was murdered and a conspiracy regarding scientific and technological improvements to transportation throughout England with some rather disturbing collusion with Napolean supporters.

I really enjoyed the technological and political intrigues in this story. There’s a great subplot with the Weasels and a new development with Peregrine. The family story had me crying by the end. And I was happy to have more illustrations by AJ Quill and back-alley adventures with Magpie. This historical mystery series is filled with good mysteries, intelligent characters and exciting adventures. I can’t wait for the next one.

Thank you to Netgalley and Kensington Books for a copy provided for an honest review.

Penrose has once again managed to marry a fascinating mystery with fantastic character development. The changes and growth of the main characters, their family, and friends continue to delight and entertain. I'm very glad that I can look forward to more books in this series.

Returning to the historical Regency Era world of science, mathematics, and murder, the latest installment has Charlotte and Wrexford tracking down the evidence that will hopefully exonerate a dear friend’s relation. Andrea Penrose has written a fine blend of historical backdrop that draws in the inventiveness and thinking of the times with a satisfying mystery and connection to heartwarming characters.



Murder at King’s Crossing is the eighth in a series that reads best in order for the character background and relationships’ history, but each book does present a standalone murder mystery.



In the latest, Regency era engineer, transportation innovations, and brilliant Calc is at the core of our detecting teams’ latest case. Cornelia and Kit’s wedding opens the book, but things soon turn to murder when Cornelia’s cousin is implicated and her dear childhood friend is the victim. Many would kill- and someone obviously has- to get their hands on his brilliant bridge design idea.



Like with many series, several books in, one can have quite the expansive cast of characters and side trails as a result. Murder at King’s Crossing is no exception- hence my advice to read in order. Peregrine is struggling off at Eton and finds a way to resolve his difficulties that stir up everyone, Charlotte is wondering as the wife of an earl if she’s going soft since she rarely gets out into the darker, poorer streets that she once roamed, and Wrexford is still coming to terms with where he left things with his deceased father and brother especially after coming across something he never knew about his father.



The mystery has them all racing to and fro and yes, there are some breathtaking moments of high danger as well as a few good twists. I did have my finger on a large bit of the solution, but that in no way took away from the pleasure of reading this one.



Another solid entry in a series that every historical mystery fan should try.

Andrea Penrose's books are always delicious -- the perfect blend of storytelling and characterization that move along not just the individual book's story line but also the overarching characters in the series.

This felt like coming back to an old friend. It wasn't my favorite of the series, but the characters are always comforting and interesting. Wrex and Sloane are growing together and as a family. I love how the author adds a little surprise in the beginning! The Weasels are still my favorite out of all the characters. They make me smile and go aww every time! The story keeps you guessing and makes you unsure as to who did the deed because, of course, everyone had an alibi. So all, and all a good book. I'm looking forward to the next awesome story!

The Wrexford family has assembled for the wedding of Lady Cordelia and Kit Sheffield, but when two guests are missing and one ends up dead, Charlotte, Wrex, and the weasels get to work. Set against the backdrop of Napoleon's exile and the nascence of the Industrial Revolution, the mystery is interesting, though the twist/solution is something of a letdown. The interplay among the family and friends at the heart of this series is well depicted, but the prose is often ponderous and over-wordy to the point of near absurdity. How many times do characters need to remark that things are "havey-cavey" and that "skullduggery" is afoot?
Recommended for fans of the series.

Murder at King's Crossing is the most recent release in the Wrexford & Sloane Regency mystery series. A well-written series with an engaging cast of characters, Murder at Kings's Crossing is no exception. Twists and turns and red herrings before we finally learn who killed the engineer at the washed out bridge. A quick, fun read.

“Murder at King’s Crossing” is the eighth book in the Wrexford and Sloane series. Andrea Penrose’s series is a unique blend of engaging historical mystery and history of technology. In this story, characters are embroiled in the early 19th century competition for innovations in bridge design.

When dear friend and newlywed Cordelia’s cousin fails to show up for her wedding and a dead man is in possession of the cousin’s invitation, Wrex, Charlotte, and Sheffield, Cordelia’s husband, vow to get to the bottom of the mystery. There are numerous twists and turns that keep the reader on the edge of their seat as the group looks to solve the mystery.

This is one of my favorite historical mystery series because of the engaging characters as well as the historical research. The author’s afterword is always informative. If you haven’t started reading this series, you really should get started today.

This book is great for readers who enjoy well-researched historical mysteries and vivid characters.

I received an advance review copy for free from NetGalley and Kensington Publishing, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Murder at King's Crossing is the 8th book in Andrea Penrose's Regency historical mystery series Wrexford & Sloane. I've only read book 4, and I really enjoyed it. I have discovered that each mystery stands alone. However, I recommend reading them in order, as I feel I have missed quite a bit of character development. I have been collecting those I haven't yet read so I can enjoy the progression of the characters and their relationships.

Wrexford and Charlotte are at their country estate hosting the wedding of their dearest friends, Christopher Sheffield and Lady Cordelia Mansfield. The celebration is brought to a screeching halt when local authorities arrive with news that a murdered man has been discovered at the bridge over King’s Crossing, and the only clue to his identity is an invitation to the wedding. Cordelia is horrified when the victim is identified as Jasper Milton, her childhood friend; he was a brilliant engineer who is rumored to have discovered a revolutionary technological innovation in bridge design. He had the invitation meant for her cousin Oliver, who never showed up for the wedding. Both Jasper and Oliver were involved in the Revolutions-Per-Minute Society, a scientific group dedicated to making radical improvements in the speed and cost of transportation throughout Britain. Did someone want to steal Milton's design, and did Oliver have anything to do with his murder? Cordelia is determined to find out the truth, so Wrex and Charlotte, along with their wards the "Weasels", join in to solve the mystery. And what they discover shocks them...

This was a complicated, interesting mystery. I kept on changing my mind as to the identity of the murderer. There were red herrings galore, and the cast of suspects, and murder victims, kept on growing. I was greatly entertained. As with book 4, this one kept me on the edge of my seat, but it's the characters who make the story. Wrex, the Earl of Wrexford, is an analytical man who is also an experimental scientist who works with metals. He is married to Charlotte, formerly Lady Charlotte Sloane. Charlotte is the creator of satirical cartoons which she publishes under the pseudonym A.J. Quill. She often goes looking for stories disguised as a boy. The marriage of such different people would seem odd, but it works for them. Wrex has a reputation of being grumpy, but he's certainly not that way with his family. It's obvious he has a deep and abiding love for his wife and the Weasels. Two of the Weasels, Raven and Hawk, were formerly street urchins but are now Wrex's wards. The newest official Weasel is Falcon, who was not a street urchin; he was a friend of the boys, and when he was kicked out of Eton for a spectacular stink bomb prank, his guardian came to Wrex and Charlotte for help, and now Falcon, too, is their ward. Cordelia, a brilliant mathematician, just married Kit (Christopher), Wrex's best friend. They are great characters, but my favorites are Alison (Charlotte's great-aunt, the dowager Countess of Peake) and McClellan (called Mac, who was Charlotte's lady maid but kept the entire household running properly while making the best ginger biscuits ever). They both helped with investigations, along with Wrex's valet Tyler. Now here's a part of the story I had a bit of a problem with, causing me to put down the book for a while. Science and mathematics play a big role in this story; let's just say they are not my forte. My eyes roll to the back of my head at the discussion of math; I am a words person. The science was interesting. And bridges were prominently featured in the mystery; I learned a lot about bridges that I didn't know...and didn't WANT to know! I don't care about them. (I'm sure I'd care if I was on one with many defects, but still...). It is apparent that the author did her homework, and she provided an important history lesson. Though the math and technical issues weren't my thing, it's the character-driven story that I love, and the mystery was engaging. I'm eager to find out what mystery the Wrexford household gets sucked into next!

I received an ARC of this book courtesy of the publisher and NetGalley. I received no compensation for my review, and all thoughts and opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Another fun mystery featuring the growing Wrexford/Sloan brood.
The wedding of Sheffield and Cordelia is interrupted by the discovery of the body of someone who was carrying an invitation to the wedding. Of course the crew must investigate, which leads them to the revolutions-per-minute society, a group dedicated to improving travel in England. The investigation centers around them and whether one of them got greedy and planned on selling some revolutionary idea to France.
The whole gang is involved in tracking down clues and solving the murder. Another satisfying book in this series.

This is one series where I wait eagerly for more books. The dynamic between the characters is lovely, supportive, friendly, loving. Each person has a definitive role. This book focuses on bridges, strengthening of them, to improve transportation. Except a key member is murdered and the 5eam is out to unravel the mystery. Plenty of thrilling moments, intellectual dialogue, science, clues, red herringbone and a grand conclusion.

Never disappointed, from an ardent fan.

#netgalley #MurderAtKingsCrossing

1814 When Jasper Milton, member of Revolutions-Per-Minute Society is murdered by 'Axe' the Wexfords are notified of the death. But his important papers for a revolutionary idea for bridge building have gone missing with number of groups searching for them. But who is the killer of more than Milton. Wexford and his extended family investigate.
An entertaining and well-written histoical mystery with its interesting and likeable cast of characters. Another good addition to this enjoyable series.
An ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.