I will fully admit- I am fascinated with Queen Victoria in her formative years (ie. when she was Princess Victoria), but I am far less interested in her as Queen. I think her time as queen is still largely romanticised (and that is fairly problematic) but her youth and teen years are ignored for her reign. So, if you tell me that you have an historical mystery novel that features a young Princess Victoria as our sleuth, I will be first in line to read it! And The Heir by Darcie Wilde certainly did not disappoint.
Thank you to Kensington and NetGalley for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
The Heir, Darcie Wilde
Destined for a life beyond her wildest dreams, born fifth in succession to the throne, and determined to get to the bottom of a most foul puzzle. The future queen becomes a rebellious sleuth when she vows to solve the mystery of a dead man scandalously discovered on the grounds of Kensington Palace—by her.
The young Victoria remembers nothing but Kensington Palace. Arriving as a baby, she has been brought up inside its musty, mold-ridden walls. Others may see the value of Kensington’s priceless artifacts and objets d’art, but the palace is a jail cell for young Victoria. Raised with an incredibly strict regimen to follow, watched at all times by her mother, the controlling, German-born Victoire, and Victoire’s prized advisor, the power-hungry Sir John Conroy, the bright 15-year-old is allowed no freedom at any time—except that which she steals or wheedles for, always in the company of Conroy’s resentful daughter, Jane.
But one fateful afternoon, Victoria slips away from her mother to ride out on her beloved gelding, Prince. With reluctant Jane in tow, the princess gallops out from the palace green. But what would normally be an uneventful trot around very familiar terrain presents the mutinous princess with a most bewildering sight—a dead man, and on the grounds of the palace, no less.
Determined to get to the bottom of the inscrutable puzzle, young Victoria is met with shocking disrespect and any number of obstacles. Sir John lies to her, her uncles and aunts join with her mother to stonewall her questions and curtail her movements. But Victoria will not be deterred. With Jane Conroy as a tentative and untrustworthy ally, Victoria’s first “case” is underway . . .
Why You Should Read This…
I have to be upfront, Sir John Conroy is one of those historical figures that manages to enrage me anywhere and everywhere he appears. (Both in fiction and non-fiction.) I spent much of this book being more than irritated about him but that meant I couldn’t put it down, I had to see how Victoria would handle him, let alone what would happen with the murder. (Anger is a powerful motivator, what can I say…)
This book follows multiple people- we’ve got Princess Victoria, we’ve got Conroy’s daughter, we’ve got a bit of Baroness Lehzen (Victoria’s governess). Normally I’m neither here nor there on multiple POVs but I think that it added a lot to the novel, as each character is able to enter different social spaces and discover different pieces of information. Each of these women are engaging and entertaining, and I want to get to know each of them more.
While my hatred of Conroy is pretty strong, I will admit that his addition makes for a more compelling storyline. He is a constant, ever-evolving obstacle for Victoria and Jane (in different ways) and it made for a very interesting storyline. I’m hoping that as this series continues, we will get more members of the extended court, as King William IV’s reign and Victoria’s early reign have some fascinating characters that would be perfect for a mystery.
Also, I appreciate that Wilde did her due diligence with the Kensington system- though it seems that it is far too “out there” for it to be real, the young Victoria was indeed subjected to it.
Is The Heir by Darcie Wilde on your to-read list?
Cheers,
The Historian
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