TEST
Adelaide (Addie) Compton is back, and so is her dead husband, Rupert, who is still her guardian angel, searching for the right deed that will get him through the Pearly Gates and into the good graces of The Fellow Upstairs. They continue to struggle with this as Adelaide struggles to enjoy a good time without something untoward happening. While this book is a couple of notches below Nobody’s Sweetheart Now, the first in the series, it’s nonetheless an entertaining romp.
Who’s Sorry Now? sees Detective Inspector Dev Hunter of Scotland Yard investigating a string of murders of upper-class young people in London – and when Lady Adelaide’s sister Cee is poisoned during a party at the Savoy, Dev sees a connection between the two deaths he’s been investigating and someone’s attempt at knocking off Cee. All the crimes have taken place at clubs, all the murders involved bright, young, devil-may-care types, and all have involved slipped mickeys laced with cyanide. Addie offers her services to Dev, and soon the two of them are on the case.
They’re immediately inundated with suspects. There’s Prince Andrei, a Russian ex-pat with two-timing tendencies who doesn’t hesitate to flirt with Cee in front of her intended. Might it be connected to the Forty Dollies Gang, a group of female thieves who’ve been driving Dev’s department to distraction? And then there’s Freddy Rinaldi, owner of the Thieves’ Den, to whom all of the victims are connected. Whoever did the deed seems to be closing in on Dev and Addie as the bodies mount up.
Who’s Sorry Now is a fine slice of romantic suspense gifted with the power of humor and grace. It’s fun to go back to the twenties with Addie and her family and friends, and while this trip isn’t perfect and it’s not a better time than the first book in the series, it still holds together pretty well.
Addie, Dev, Cee and Rupert remain a funny, charming group of folks, though there’s not a ton of extra development here. Because a third book will wrap up the series, Rupert is still no closer to heaven than he was before, for instance.
As always, the possibility of romance between Dev and Addie continues to loom, in spite of their class and racial differences. And then there’s Lucas Waring, Addie’s childhood friend, who continues to be a romantic possibility as she continues to consider his proposal of the previous summer. While they care for one another more openly here, progress remains rather slow, and I swear this book ends with the same vow that Addie made to make Dev notice her!
As for the mystery itself – I felt as if it leaned too close to red herring territory, but that might just be me. In general, it’s a clever idea for a plot, and the criminal in question isn’t who you imagine them to be.
Who’s Sorry Now? Might not be the capital top of the heap when it comes to the Lady Adelaide series – but it’s still a good way to pass an afternoon.
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Grade: B-
Book Type: Historical Mystery
Sensuality: Kisses
Review Date: 19/10/19
Publication Date: 06/2019
Recent Comments …
Yep
This sounds delightful! I’m grabbing it, thanks
excellent book: interesting, funny dialogs, deep understanding of each character, interesting secondary characters, and also sexy.
I don’t think anyone expects you to post UK prices – it’s just a shame that such a great sale…
I’m sorry about that. We don’t have any way to post British prices as an American based site.
I have several of her books on my TBR and after reading this am moving them up the pile.
Lisa Fernandes is a writer, reviewer and recapper who lives somewhere on the East Coast. Formerly employed by Firefox.org and Next Projection, she also currently contributes to Women Write About Comics. Read her blog at http://thatbouviergirl.blogspot.com/, follow her on Twitter at http://twitter.com/thatbouviergirl or contribute to her Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/MissyvsEvilDead or her Ko-Fi at ko-fi.com/missmelbouvier
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I agree with this review. I’m thoroughly enjoying the romantic potential of Addie and Dev, and I find that their class and racial differences add to their relationship and the overall series. I did not though find the mystery in this story compelling, and it also seemed as if Addie’s insertion into Dev’s investigative work was quite a stretch, especially compared to the organic setting of the first book. I’m looking forward to the wrap up to the series though in 2020.
Oh, same; I love Addie and Dev and I’m rooting for them!
Yeah, it came off almost as ‘well, now my sister is involved, I should say something’ when no, Addie, you do not have to do anything, especially not legally.
Same!