Marriage and Murder

#1 NYT-bestselling author Stephanie Laurens returns with a puzzling case in which her favorite sleuths must untangle a slew of secrets to expose a coldblooded murderer.

When a middle-aged spinster is found strangled in her country cottage and scurrilous gossip implicates Henry, Lord Glossup, he appeals to Barnaby and Penelope Adair along with Inspector Stokes to unravel the mystery of who killed Viola Huntingdon.

Henry, Lord Glossup, arrives on Barnaby and Penelope Adairs’ doorstep and begs their aid—and that of Stokes—in identifying the murderer of Viola Huntingdon, a middle-aged spinster who lived a largely blameless life in a country cottage in a tiny village close to Henry’s home. As Stokes has already been tapped to take the case, the investigators travel to Salisbury and thence to Ashmore village and throw themselves into the case.

While initially Henry was touted as a suspect, he is quickly eliminated, and with the help of the victim’s sister, Madeline, the investigators set out to discover all they can about the victim and who might have wished her ill. In such a small village, with a commensurately small population, the list of possible suspects is short, but the existence of Viola’s ‘secret admirer, H’ has everyone stumped. First, how could Viola, living in such a small community, have had a secret visitor, a man no one saw except at a distance? And who on earth is he, this H?

As the investigators piece together the clues of missing jewelry and sightings of H and follow the leads generated by opportunistic thieves, dodgy jewelers, and local moneylenders, a picture emerges that points to only one conclusion. But in small villages, things are rarely as they seem. Have the investigators got the right man in their sights, or have they been led astray?

A historical novel of 82,000 words weaving mystery and murder with a touch of romance.

"When a shocking murder is committed in a small village, Inspector Stokes and the Adairs are quick to investigate. But the case soon proves to be more complex and nuanced than it originally appeared. The twists and turns of this fascinating mystery will keep readers guessing until the last page." Irene S., Proofreader, Red Adept Editing

"The local spinster of Ashmore village is found strangled to death, and the intrepid sleuths that readers have come to know and love—Scotland Yard's Inspector Stokes and his aristocratic sidekicks, Barnaby and Penelope Adair—are quickly called upon to unmask the killer. Be advised, though, that this Regency-era whodunit will not be as easily solved as readers may first assume." Angela M., Copy Editor, Red Adept Editing

"When a member of London's high society is accused of strangling his neighbor, Penelope and Barnaby Adair are recruited to clear their friend's name and help Inspector Stokes find the killer. Balancing village gossip with painstaking deduction, they must unravel a tangle of misdirections to solve the case. But Penelope still finds time to engage in her second-favorite pastime: matchmaking." Kim H., Proofreader, Red Adept Editing