Death Comes to Bath

Set in 1822, Lloyd’s well-crafted sixth Kurland St. Mary mystery (after 2017’s Death Comes to the School) takes Sir Robert Kurland and his wife, Lucy, to Bath, where he can take the waters for an old war injury suffered at Waterloo. There they grow friendly with Sir William Benson, an elderly Yorkshireman whose businesses have earned him wealth and a peerage. Benson controls his squabbling family, whose failings he publicly derides, with threats of disinheritance; when he’s found stabbed in the Roman baths, all have motives. His beautiful second wife is greedy and deceptive, his three sons all have money troubles, and his two stepsons make no secret of their contempt for the victim. As the Kurlands investigate Benson’s murder, they contend with his missing will, a second death, and coded letters that may help illuminate the family’s many secrets. Lucy’s desire to bear children despite a string of miscarriages adds appealing personal drama. The couple’s complementary investigative skills shine in a plot that balances colorful characters and lively action. Agent: Deirdre Knight, Knight Agency. (Jan.)