4.25 (a bit math and engineering-heavy, but I have to give a partial point for the extensive research.)

Classic Wrexford and Sloane.

First, I want to qualify that this is the first book in the series that I have read. The others have all been audiobooks. I’ll get back to that later.

The official summary indicates that the book launches with the starch wedding of Kit and Cordelia and there is always a death, so I won’t be charged with spoiling anything thus far. There is a wedding and a couple of personal growth elements in the story, but otherwise it is all about the mystery, though that does center around Cordelia’s childhood friend and her cousin. Otherwise, the whole cast of characters is there and there are plenty of ginger biscuits.

I am wondering if this story, which is based on mathematics, rather than a physical invention per se, is why my eyes were glazed over and muddling through certain bits, even though the purpose of the calculations was hypothetical bridges (Who new calculus wasn’t a thing for most students yet!). Or, maybe just cruising through with the audiobook is a better way of keeping me engaged through some of the heavier science and technical jargon. If math is your thing, there is a long author’s note about the history of mathematics, which I cut and ran from when I noticed there were several pages still to read. The first part that describes the factual elements throughout the book was, as usual, very interesting.

I read lots of historical fiction, but most are from the late Victorian era through the 1920s, so it’s interesting to try to get my head around all of the major inventions that just don’t exist during the book’s time. The railroad is on horizon, but there was a long way to go before the Flying Scotsman ushered the population to Scotland and back. To think of it taking a couple of days to get to Bristol instead of the couple of hours I used to spend on a very different type of coach. As I read, I tried to figure out what kind of materials, tools, and techniques would actually be available and part of the construction and infrastructure back then.

Thank you to Andrea Penrose, NetGalley, and Kensington Publishing for providing me with a free advanced copy of this book in exchange for my unbiased review.

This is one of my favorite historical cozy mysteries and this was a great addition to the series. The characters are endearing and this series always has a great mystery.

I read one title from the series a few years ago, but never got around to reading others, so I was happy to get this eARC from the publisher through NetGalley.

I thoroughly enjoyed this historical mystery. There have obviously been adventures since the previous series entry I'd read but Penrose expertly wove in enough details that I didn't feel lost without bogging down the current story. I did figure out a bit before the final reveal one of the two villains but was caught by surprise by the second although reflecting back, I should have been suspicious. That to me is a mark of a good mystery, that I could have figured it out but didn't. What drew me in was the unconventional family of Wrexford and Sloane and especially the irascible Weasels. I also enjoyed the scientific history. I'd never thought about how easy transport of people and good did revolutionize our modern world. I take much of this infrastructure for granted; I'm thankful Penrose decided to use it as a frame for this mystery. Recommended to historical mystery fans, especially those who like Regency settings.