Murder at the Opera: An Atlas Catesby Mystery

At the outset of Quincy’s superior third Regency mystery (after 2018’s Murder in Bloomsbury), Atlas Catesby is helping Lady Roslyn Lilliana Warwick into a carriage after a Covent Garden opera performance when they hear screams amid the crowd. Rushing to help, Atlas finds a woman dead from a pistol shot. The victim is Wendela Pike, the longtime mistress of Atlas’s former brother-in-law, the Marquess of Vessey. Long suspecting Vessey of causing his sister Phoebe’s fatal fall down a staircase 20 years earlier, Atlas sees the marquess as the likely culprit. But Vessey has an alibi, and other suspects abound. With Lilliana’s help, Atlas investigates the turbulent lives of Wendela’s illegitimate son, clergyman Samuel Brown, and her jealous rival at Covent Garden, Juliet Jennings. Meanwhile, Atlas’s love for Lilliana deepens, though her status as the daughter of a duke makes him afraid to declare his feelings. With its well-plotted mystery, nuanced depiction of London society, and appealing characters, this entry is the series’ strongest to date. Regency fans will be rewarded. Agent: Kevan Lyon, Marsal Lyon Literary. (Dec.)