Murder at Half Moon Gate

by Andrea Penrose

In her Author’s Notes, Andrea Penrose likens the engineering leaps to industry in Regency England to the rapid change of technology in our own time.  She reminds us how we humans do not like change.  We always want things to stay the same.  However, if nothing ever changed, we would be bored and would soon, probably implode.  Charlotte Sloane is aware of how change can be for the good or one wrong decision made for the wrong reason could send one’s life spiraling into the abyss.  However, the windfall from recent events has forced her hand and now she finds herself moving into a better area of London and able to provide a better life for the boys she has taken under her wing.  Her current political drawings, under her pen name of A. J. Quill have been addressing the fears of the working class versus the new machines threatening to take over their jobs.  As Lord Wrexford and his friend Kit Sterling manage to get turned around in an alley after a night of gaming, they stumble upon the body of a very well-known inventor.  As Wrexford and Sloane combine their skills to bring the murderer to justice, Charlotte will have to make some hard decisions and learn to rely on the kindness of others. 

Some series start off strong and have difficulty maintaining the strength of the recurring characters or their stories.  In this second installment of the Wrexford and Sloane series, Penrose does not disappoint. It is an excellent offering.  The complex plot of Murder at Half Moon Gate is well thought out and moves at a steady pace.  Penrose’s story of greed and power mix well with her little peeks into the past stories that make up Wrexford and Sloane.  How their differences and their similarities make them the strong characters she is developing.  An added plus are the Weasels.  The two orphaned boys Sloane has taken in and who Wrexford has come to rely on.  I will enjoy reading every volume Penrose creates in this series just to see how the boys mature. This is comfort reading at its best.

I wish to thank the generosity of the publisher and NetGalley for providing an Advanced Reader’s Copy for my honest review.

PUB:  Kensington Books

PUB DATE:  March 27, 2018

ISBN:  9781496710796

GENRE:  Cozy Mystery/Historical Mystery