A Deadly Legacy by Malia Zaidi
Synopsis: A few months after the Carlisle Detective Agency opened its doors, Lady Evelyn and her partner, Hugh, are twiddling their thumbs. The cases are slow to trickle in, leaving the detectives feeling uninspired. So, when Evelyn's Aunt Louise asks her to join the local chapter of the Women's Institute, she has no excuse to decline the invitation. Yet what she expects to be a tedious gathering, turns out to be anything but. She meets former suffragettes and outspoken women, eager for change, forcing Evelyn to reexamine her own prejudices. A decidedly less welcome surprise is the body she comes across only a few days later. Evelyn need hardly be a professional detective to recognize a murder when she sees one. Amid planning her wedding and navigating family affairs, she sets out to solve the case. The investigation takes Evelyn and Hugh into the past, examining the war years, which left the present far from untarnished. Is the victim's history connected to her death? Could her involvement in the war have given someone a motive for murder? The questions pile up, and Evelyn and Hugh must race against the clock to discover the truth, before more lives are lost, not least, their own…
My Review: Lady Evelyn stumbles upon the death of Juliet Nelson, a mysterious and quiet woman that likes to keep to herself. As she investigates to find Juliet’s killer, she learns that the victim had links to WWI. What was Juliet’s involvement in the war? Is this the reason why Juliet was quiet and liked to keep to herself? Lady Evelyn continues to investigate to discover Juliet’s past.
Lady Evelyn is an intriguing protagonist. She seems to have a thriving detective agency. She is about to get married to her longtime boyfriend and is ready to begin a new chapter in her life. She seems to be very confident and self-reliant. I like how she and her work partner, Hugh, conduct their investigation. I thought their undercover scenes were the most fun parts in this novel. They also seem to have formed an excellent partnership with the police. Thus, Lady Evelyn seems to be the most relatable character in the novel because she seems more carefree.
I do like Lady Evelyn’s partner, Hugh. He seems mysterious but is suffering from war trauma. It feels that he is trying to get his life together by becoming a private detective. Investigation seems to be his healing process from the war. Therefore, Hugh is also a very compelling protagonist. He also seems to be very adept with his job. I found Hugh to complement Lady Evelyn well, especially in solving crimes. Both of them have different personalities and circumstances. However, they both have a common goal, which is to pursue justice.
Overall, this novel is about secrets, war trauma, and recovery. I found all the characters to be very real and likable. The novel started out slow, but the mystery was well-crafted. I liked learning about Juliet and her past. This was the first book I have read in the Lady Evelyn series, and I am interested in reading the previous books in this series! I also hope that there will be more installments in the future! A Deadly Legacy is a must-read for mystery fans! I recommend A Deadly Legacy for fans of Maisie Dobbs, Death in Soho, and Murder at the Dolphin Hotel!
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
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Blog Tour Schedule
Thursday, May 19Review at Passages to the Past
Monday, May 23
Excerpt at Heidi Reads
Friday, May 27
Excerpt at The Caffeinated Bibliophile
Monday, May 30
Guest Post at The Cozy Book Blog
Tuesday, May 31
Review at Gwendalyn's Books
Thursday, June 2
Guest Post & Excerpt at Older & Smarter
Saturday, June 4
Review at History from a Woman’s Perspective
Monday, June 6
Excerpt at bookworlder
Thursday, June 9
Excerpt at Coffee and Ink
Giveaway
Enter to win all 6 books in the Lady Evelyn Mystery series!The giveaway is open to the US only and ends on June 9th. You must be 18 or older to enter.
A Deadly Legacy
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