A Study in Scandal

DeHart's light historical romance is a sweet if unsatisfying morsel, featuring familiar characters caught up in a bloodless whodunit. Enthralled by the fictional Sherlock Holmes, Victorian aristocrat Lady Amelia Watersfield has recruited three reluctant friends to form the Ladies' Amateur Sleuth Society, meeting weekly to "unravel mysteries by ferreting out secrets at all costs." The society gets its first case when Amelia's widowed father, the kindly but feebleminded Lord Robert, discovers a beloved antique bust missing. When her father calls in private investigator Colin Brindley, Amelia is determined, despite Colin's protests, to become Watson to his Holmes. The premise is promising, but sadly falls flat; for lack of real stakes, the mystery drags, and for all the Sherlock references, Colin's sleuthing ability rivals Scooby Doo's. Fortunately, far more of the book (the first in a series) is devoted to the duo's love affair, at turns competitive, comical and sexy. If one can believe a 19th century English lord would allow his daughter to weekend unchaperoned with a young bachelor, the ensuing sex scenes are steamy enough to satisfy while awaiting the next clue. (Mar.)