I’ve always loved historical mysteries. While we all love a good small-town cosy mystery set in the present, I have a big soft spot for historical cosies. And unfortunately for me, I have had a run of them that I ended up DNFing. However, I have finally been rescued! This is an exciting and entertaining mystery that kept me guessing and kept me very invested in everyone (both good and bad). For this week’s Book Bite we have The Mayfield Dagger by Ava January!
Thank you to NetGalley for providing an Advanced Listening Copy in exchange for an honest review.
The Mayfield Dagger, Ava January
London, 1894. Albertine Honeycombe never wanted a husband and certainly not the one with fifteen children that her cousin, Aubrey, is trying to marry her off to. She reinvents herself as Countess Von Dagga, a private detective aiding the upper echelons of women in society. As the Countess, she is a married woman, with a conveniently absent husband who doesn’t exist, which allows her far more freedom than being single.
When Lord Grendel, from whom she has recovered blackmail letters, is murdered, Albertine is suspect number one—having been the last person to see him. And when the Duke of Erleigh comes looking for her utterly fictitious husband, she realizes she has landed herself in hot water, without a tea bag. When Albertine also becomes the prime suspect in her fictional husband’s death, things are looking grim.
Unless Albertine can prove who murdered Lord Grendel and clear her name, her choices are stepmothering enough small children to start a school or hanging from the end of Her Majesty’s rope.
Why You Should Read This…
The Mayfield Dagger is possibly one of the most interesting mysteries I’ve read in months. Because we are following two protagonists, we get to see more of the story developing and it made for a nice change.
Albertine does take centre stage for me- she is intelligent and gutsy, and she takes the chances that many of us wish we could. Is her story entirely historically accurate? That I don’t know, but when it comes to mysteries, I do not need perfect accuracy. I don’t care if women were running around London solving murders, give me these stories! It really gave me Miss Scarlet and The Duke vibes, and it is welcome. (Joan, Albertine’s lady’s maid/helper, really seals this for me.)
There is a romance subplot, but I would say it plays second to the mystery. If you prefer historical romances primarily, this may not be the best choice for you.
This book had dual narrators, one for Albertine and one for the Duke! Both were fantastic, and I often find dual narrators to be distracting but not so in the case- they absolutely added to my enjoyment.
Is The Mayfield Dagger on your to-read list?
Cheers,
The Historian
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