This is a high level 3. A worthwhile time-passer. Love the concept and elements involved: intrigue, murder, forensic investigation, deception, Georgian Era England, the American Revolution rumbling over the pond in the backdrop, and a load of messy entwined relationships. Details outline the real helplessness of women in this society, and in our century we want those female voices to stand up more for themselves, but we know that just wasn’t their reality. So, it’s well represented. And truly, the injustices against women are what drive this story.

Of course, the American is the true honest hero in the story. Hold on, I can’t see to type, my eyes are on the ceiling…

There were certainly some things involved in the plot that produced bursting guffaws of incredulity, but for the most part it was well-researched and presented in a highly readable style. The plot offered plenty of seemingly predictable twists that turned out not to be what you might have thought after all. Maybe.

I wanted more from the characters. Surprisingly, Franklin the pet rat inspires more appeal than the budding romance (though we don’t quite know or see how this happens).

Despite those few little bits that leave you with one eyebrow raised, the overall novel was paced in a way that kept you reading and was full of enough complex content to maintain piqued interest.

If you’ve got a few hours and want an easy, fast read, with relatively smart and interesting elements, set out as a kinda early forensic-based mystery of the Georgian Era—this will entertain.