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Susan Snodgrass
, February 09, 2018
(view all comments by Susan Snodgrass)
"The first time I laid eyes on Langstone Manor I could not blame my husband for staying away for over fifteen years."
So begins Anna Lee Huber's 6th Lady Darby Mystery. I discovered her Lady Darby series a little over a year ago with the very first, The Anatomist's Wife, and was captivated by the beauty of her writing. I was able to read the first few one right after the other. There is also a novella.
Sebastian Gage reluctantly goes back to his childhood home in Dartmoor at the urgent request of his very ill grandfather, the Viscount Tavistock. It seems his cousin Albert is missing and his help as an inquiry agent is needed, as is his wife's, Lady Kiera Darby, Mrs. Gage. Returning to this place is extremely unsettling to Gage as it holds many unhappy memories and also the place of his dear mother's death. He must battle all these ghosts of his past if he hopes to have a happy future. Kiera suspects there is much that Gage has not told her and hopes that he can achieve some sort of peace from this visit.
Strange things are afoot in Langstone Manor. Nothing, it would seem, is as it appears at first. Gage and Kiera must watch out constantly for danger as they inquire into Albert's disappearance, who wandered out on the moors and completely disappeared. The moors are a terrible place to be, warns nearly everyone they come in contact with, yet here they must search if they are to have a hope of finding Albert. The Viscount is certain that something other than a natural hazard is to blame for Albert's disappearance. Then Albert's brother, Rory, also goes missing. Gage and Kiera must battle local superstition, which runs rampant, to expose the reason behind these disappearances before someone else goes missing and the moors take yet another victim.
I love Anna Lee Huber's writing. She is extremely skillful at drawing her readers in from the very first sentence. Seriously. Told in the first person from Kiera, Lady Darby's viewpoint, they are completely mesmerizing. Huber goes into great detail in every scene, letting readers actually see inside Lady Darby's mind. The reader misses nothing in the books, always looking out into the world of the time from her eyes. As Huber describes the moors, I felt as if I were there, riding along with the characters on horseback, trying to solve the mysteries. And she does a mystery very well indeed, I might add. So well that the reader feels sure they have guessed the culprit, then finding themselves completely surprised at the ending. I love these mysteries of hers and the moment I finish one, I am anticipating the very next one. Especially since Huber includes a very delightful surprise at the end. No spoilers. You'll have to read it for yourself. I enjoyed every moment.
*My thanks to the publisher for a complimentary copy of this book via Net Galley. The opinions stated here are entirely my own and honest.
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