Death Comes to London

Set in 1817, Lloyd’s engaging follow-up to 2013’s Death Comes to the Village takes Lucy Harrington and her younger sister, Anna, from their home in tiny Kurland St. Mary to London. There they hope to find a suitable husband for Anna through the patronage of their uncle, the Earl of Clavelly. Meanwhile, their irascible neighbor, Maj. Robert Kurland, receives a letter from the Prince Regent, who wishes to make him a baronet for his heroism at the Battle of Waterloo. Robert dislikes the prospect of such official recognition, but in the end he follows the Harrington sisters to London, where he soon runs into an old army colleague, Lieutenant Broughton. When Broughton’s sharp-tongued grandmother and wastrel brother die under suspicious circumstances after the grandmother is accused of jewel theft, Robert and Lucy investigate. Regency fans will find plenty to like, though some readers may be disappointed by a paltry array of suspects. Agent: Deidre Knight, Knight Agency. (Dec.)