Stevie‘s review of The Masterful Mr. Montague : A Casebook of Barnaby Adair Novel (Casebook of Barnaby Adair, Book 2) by Stephanie Laurens
Historical Mystery Romance published by Avon 29 Apr 14
Normally I can’t resist a historical mystery with a bit of romance thrown in, and because of that I was prepared to overlook the fact that this is the second novel in a series that has been spun off from another series. I’m also rather partial to books set either side of the Regency period proper and detective stories that look at class differences and how they affect the solving of mysteries. So this book should have ticked almost all the right boxes, but unfortunately it just didn’t work for me.
Violet is a paid companion to a wealthy widow, and while she is devoted to her employer, the next two generations of that lady’s family leave a lot to be desired. When Lady Halstead notices an irregularity in her financial records – in the form of unaccounted-for deposits into her bank account – there’s no shortage of suspects. Any one of her four children, along with the spouses of two of them, and the associated grandchildren could be using the account to hide their ill-gotten gains from some nefarious scheme or other. Not having the greatest confidence in her man of business, mainly due to his youth, Lady Halstead calls in a second advisor to help him.
Mr Montague has the reputation of being the foremost financial wizard in London and, although he is very busy, takes on the case because it piques his curiosity. Then Lady Halstead is found dead under mysterious circumstances and none of her relatives can produce a satisfactory alibi for the assumed time of her murder. Fortunately for Montague and Violet, Scotland Yard detective Basil Stokes and his friend – the aristocratic amateur sleuth Barnaby Adair – get themselves involved in the case, although they too are unable to keep the body count from mounting up.
I got frustrated at the way none of the characters had spotted the clue I really wanted them to investigate (which did indeed turn out to be important) and equally frustrated by the way one part of the case hinged on something we never actually saw happen or that even was alluded to by any of the main characters. I also dislike the trope of being let into the villain’s thoughts without being told who that villain is.
On top of all that, far more page-time is devoted to the relationships between Stokes and Adair and their respective wives and children – which readers of previous books in the series might appreciate – than to the developing relationship between Montague and Violet, which I don’t find at all convincing beyond the fact they were both facing rather lonely existences unless they found someone to marry.
All in all, not one of my favourite books of late. Not even average, to be honest. Probably one that’s better suited to fans of the author’s previous books, rather than to new readers just starting with her series.
Grade: D
Summary:
#1 New York Times bestselling author Stephanie Laurens pulls back the curtain on a world that has been hidden from us . . . until now.
Montague has devoted his life to managing the wealth of London’s elite, but at a huge cost: a family of his own. Then the enticing Miss Violet Matcham seeks his help, and in the puzzle she presents him, he finds an intriguing new challenge professionally . . . and personally.
Violet, devoted lady-companion to the aging Lady Halstead, turns to Montague to reassure her ladyship that her affairs are in order. But the famous Montague is not at all what she’d expected—this man is compelling, decisive, supportive, and strong—everything Violet needs in a champion, a position to which Montague rapidly lays claim.
But then Lady Halstead is murdered and Violet and Montague, aided by Barnaby Adair, Inspector Stokes, Penelope, and Griselda, race to expose a cunning and cold-blooded killer who stalks closer and closer. Will Montague and Violet learn the shocking truth too late to seize their chance at enduring love?
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