The Sign of Death: 01/24/22

The Sign of Death by Callie Hutton and Nano Nagle (Narrator) is the second book in the Victorian Book Club mystery series. Lord William Wellington's man of business, Mr. James Harding is found drowned in the River Avon. The police believe he was pushed in after getting drunk. Except William knows he wasn't a drinker.

Meanwhile Lady Amy Lovell has two problems: her father and brother are visiting and her publisher is demanding she go to a local book fair to meet her fans. Unfortunately her father has forbade her and has enough control over her life for there to be consequences if she disobeys even though she's an adult.

The mystery part is nicely complex but not so much so to make it hard to follow. Numerous people have reasons for wanting Harding dead. Evidence is also mounting that makes Wellington appear guilty even though Amy knows he can't be.

Also a better balance has been reached between making the characters sound Victorian and letting them act like people. Amy and William — either because they know each other better — or because the author has grown as a writer — no longer go overboard in their use of titles and honorifics. When they do there's a context to it and the entire narrative flows better for it.

The third book is The Mystery of Albert E. Finch and released on January 11, 2022.

Five stars

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