We first encountered the duo of Lord Wrexford and Charlotte Sloane in their first adventure, where they teamed up in order to clear Lord Wrexford’s name of a murder he didn’t commit. Wrexford knows that Charlotte is the person behind the infamous A.J. Quill political cartoons, her most valuable secret. Between Wrexford’s scientific knowledge and titled name, and Charlotte’s robust network and artistic hand, they make a surprisingly capable crime-fighting pair.
The two parted on good terms at the end of their first book, and have been thinking about each other quite a bit since then. Because an inventor is murdered and his widow asks Wrexford to investigate, they get a chance to work together once again. This new mystery is a way for them to pursue justice and to explore why they’ve been on each other’s minds so much.
“‘Footpads strike for pragmatic reasons’” mused the earl, as much to himself as to his friend.”
Pragmatism
The word “pragmatic” and its various forms thereof are used far too often in this book. I’m not sure if anyone used the word “practical” in the regency era, but man – pragmatic is repetitive. That’s the only flaw I have with this book.
It’s somewhat excusable as Charlotte is a pragmatic woman. She does things because they make good sense, and definitely bucks the narrative of victorian women being hysterical, flighty, fragile creatures. Her friendship with Wrexford started on a pragmatic note – she needed money and he needed a problem solved. She never (and will never) be intimidated by his title or his money, and treats him as if he were a person or equal social status to herself. I really like this about her, but, then again, she holds power of her own by being A.J. Quill. She could make or break a reputation.
“Not that the Earl of Wrexford’s exploits were any of her concern…”
Voice & Romance
I like that this book is told between the two perspectives of both Wrexford and Sloane. They do their investigating separately, so it makes sense for the story, but it’s also nice to see two perspectives on the same problem. In fact, I don’t think that Charlotte’s and Wrexford’s thought processes are too far from one another, despite Charlotte’s artistic brain and Wrexford’s scientific one.
Because of this dual view, we get to see the romantic aspect of the story through both party’s eyes as well. Charlotte’s and Wrexford’s feelings progress at roughly the same rate, and before the end of the book they are telling each other they’re in love. The process and tentativeness of the falling-in-love is really well done, and Penrose definitely doesn’t overdo it with these two. It’s very pleasing.
“Raven was fiercely independent and the ties that bound them were of trust, not blood.”
Secondary Characters
This book would be nothing without the secondary characters of Charlotte’s sort-of-adopted children, Hawk and Raven. The boys are street urchins that gather information for A.J. Quill’s drawings, and live with Charlotte the rest of the time. They’re fiercely protective of her, and she of them. The boys are bold, snarky, not afraid to get in a fight, and fast. They’ve proved useful on multiple occasions, and endear the reader to their grimy hands, big hearts, and hungry stomachs.
Conclusion
If you’re in the market for a good read, start with the first book and then read this one. Most of the time it’s a suggestion, but I think it’s necessary with this series. There’s a lot to learn about Wrexford and Sloane’s relationship through the first book. Enjoy! The plots are intricate, the characters well-written, and the investigation thorough.