Murder in Masquerade by Mary Winters

 

I have anxiously awaited reading Murder in Masquerade by Mary Winters since I finished the first book in A Lady of Letters Mystery series. Lady Amelia has the secret hobby of answering letters in a London Penny paper when she is not solving mysteries. Simon Bainbridge needs Lady Amelia’s help with his sister, Marielle. Helping him to discourage Marielle's choice of a suitor, to keep Marielle from hating him, and what to do when her suitor ends up murdered. The two of them embark on a journey to solve who has murdered Marielle's recent beau before anyone else gets hurt.

I was so thrilled to be back following Lady Amelia around Victorian London while she solves mysteries, continues to find her place in society, and becomes more acquainted with Simon. This novel has a wonderful mix of mystery, humor, and lovely banter. I found myself turning pages and guessing up to the end of the story.

I enjoyed how each chapter begins with Lady Amelia’s response to one of the letters she has received. I was laughing aloud at her pointed responses and looked forward to each new chapter.

This was a delightful read and I felt like I became better friends with all the characters. I am a big fan of Lady Amelia and am holding out hope that we may meet again. I highly recommend Murder in Masquerade by Mary Winters.


I was given a copy by the publisher and not required to write a positive review.

Although I have degrees in Literature and Creative Writing, my love affair with Victorian fiction didn’t start in the classroom but with a monthly book club. I was a young eighteen years old, working a job I didn’t particularly enjoy, when I made the fortuitous decision to join a subscription service. From the moment I received my first chunky paperbacks and pink wine glass, I was hooked. I loved coming home and delving into my historical romances. They were the gateway to other historical fiction, including mysteries, like the Amelia Peabody series.

When I enrolled in college, I had already written my first novel, not surprisingly a historical romance. My professors frowned upon the genre, but I saw the heroines as nonconformists, constantly challenging the conventions of the time. Their fortitude inspired my own writing a great deal.

By the time I entered graduate school, I put away my romance novel and wrote a literary novel for my thesis. Then, when I graduated, I put away my literary novel and started a mystery series with an amateur sleuth professor (see my cozy series at MaryAngelaBooks.com).

But always my love for Victorian literature remained, and in 2019, when my family and I took a trip to England, it was reignited. Seeing Regent’s Park, Piccadilly, Grosvenor Square—all those places I had first read about so many years ago—I knew I wanted to write another book, a mystery, set in the time period. That book became Murder in Postscript. I’m thrilled to see this first dream come true.