Sophia Rose Reviews: Murder At The Serpentine Bridge by Andrea Penrose

Today Sophia Rose is here with her review of Murder at the Serpentine Bridge, #6 in Andrea Penrose's Wrexford and Sloane Historical Mystery series. Read on to see why she loves this series.
Enjoy!

Murder at the Serpentine Bridge by Andrea Penrose

#6 Wrexford and Sloane

Historical Mystery

Publisher:  Kensington

Published:  9.27.22

Pages: 370

Rating: 5 stars

Format: ebook

Source: purchased

Sellers: Amazon

ADD TO: GoodReads

GoodReads Blurb:

For fans of Bridgerton looking for a mysterious twist on the glittering ballrooms of the Regency—a masterfully plotted story from a USA Today bestselling author that combines engaging protagonists with rich historical detail and international intrigue, plus a touch of romance that readers of Amanda Quick and Deanna Raybourn will savor.

Charlotte, now the Countess of Wrexford, would like nothing more than a summer of peace and quiet with her new husband and their unconventional family and friends. Still, some social obligations must be honored, especially with the grand Peace Celebrations unfolding throughout London to honor victory over Napoleon.

But when Wrexford and their two young wards, Raven and Hawk, discover a body floating in Hyde Park’s famous lake, that newfound peace looks to be at risk. The late Jeremiah Willis was the engineering genius behind a new design for a top-secret weapon, and the prototype is missing from the Royal Armory’s laboratory. Wrexford is tasked with retrieving it before it falls into the wrong hands. But there are unsettling complications to the case—including a family connection.

Soon, old secrets are tangling with new betrayals, and as Charlotte and Wrexford spin through a web of international intrigue and sumptuous parties, they must race against time to save their loved ones from harm—and keep the weapon from igniting a new war . . .

 

Sophia Rose's Review:

The war is over and the victorious coalition of countries are come to London to celebrate.  Then a brilliant inventor is murdered and the race is on to get their hands on his innovative weapon plans.  Newlyweds, Wrexford and Charlotte get dragged into the intrigue and danger when England’s top spy pleas upon their sense of justice for the dead man.

 

Murder at the Serpentine Bridge is sixth in a closely connected series of historical mysteries set in Regency England.

 

Adjusting to marriage and sharing a household, Charlotte is still finding her place back in aristocratic society even while she determines to stay true to herself with her persona as AJ Quill and mothering their two wards who are learning to be gentlemen after growing up in London’s poorest streets.  Wrex is fitting in well with her and the boys and his support and respect give her stability during this time.

 

Meeting her brother’s family brings their young, lonely and grieving ward, Peregrine into close friendship with the weasels.  My heart went out to Peregrine.  His guardians can’t get past the color of his skin and treat him with coldness and resentment because he inherited his father’s title and wealth.  I loved seeing Raven and Hawk include him in their escapades and he learned acceptance and care from his time with Wrexford and Charlotte.

 

The latest murder case has doubled down on the danger.  Several governments including the English want those weapon plans and someone is ruthlessly killing to get them.  Meanwhile, thieves have the plans up for a secret auction.  Wrexford races against the clock to get answers before those plans end up in enemy hands.  No one can be trusted it seems and he is chilled to think the English spymaster is aware of Charlotte’s alter ego as a satirist and plans to pressure them with the secret.  Everyone must help on this one even though they all busily try to hold back and protect each other.

 

The action and suspense was stellar and I ripped through this one so quickly.  Just when I think this series can’t get any better, Andrea Penrose takes it up another notch.  Fab historical mystery series that are must-reads.

 

Author Bio:

Andrea Penrose is the USA Today bestselling author of Regency-era historical fiction, including the acclaimed Wrexford & Sloane mystery series, as well as Regency romances written under the names Cara Elliott and Andrea Pickens. Published internationally in ten languages, she is a three-time RITA Award finalist and the recipient of numerous writing awards, including two Daphne Du Maurier Awards for Historical Mystery and two Gold Leaf Awards.

A graduate of Yale University with a B.A. in Art and an M.F.A. in Graphic Design, Andrea fell in love with Regency England after reading Pride and Prejudice and has maintained a fascination with the era’s swirling silks and radical new ideas throughout her writing career. She lives in Connecticut and blogs with a community of historical fiction authors at WordWenches.com. She also can be found at AndreaPenrose.com and on Instagram @AndreaPenroseBooks.

Sophia’s Bio:

Sophia is a quiet though curious gal who dabbles in cooking, book reviewing, piano-playing, and gardening. Road trips and campouts, museums and monuments, restaurants and theaters are her jam. Encouraged and supported by an incredible man and loving family. A Northern Californian transplant to the Great Lakes Region of the US. Lover of Jane Austen, Baseball, Cats, Scooby Doo, and Chocolate.

As a lifelong reader, it was inevitable that Sophia would discover book blogs and the joy of blog reviewing. Sophia is a prolific reader and audiobook listener which allows her to experience so many wonderful books, authors, and narrators. Few genres are outside her reading tastes, but her true love is fiction particularly history, mystery, sci-fi, and romance. Though, sorry, no horror or she will run like Shaggy and Scooby.

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GoodReads:  https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13418187.Sophia_Rose