The Devil in Beauty by Heidi Ashworth

The Devil in Beauty by Heidi Ashworth ISBN-13: 9780996104463 Paperback: 294 pages Publisher: Dunhaven Place Publishing Released: June 21, 2017

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from NetGalley:
Julian "Trev" Silvester, the Marquis of Trevelin, once had everything a gentleman could want--fortune, good looks, and enough charm to seduce the beautiful young ladies of the ton. But his involvement in a duel with a jealous duke leaves him disfigured, and Trev is ostracized by those who once celebrated him. Though his life is irrevocably changed, Trev is still loyal to his friends. When Willy Gilbert is accused of murder and Lady Vawdrey's diamond necklace is stolen, he jumps at the chance to help them.

Trev finds an unlikely ally, a man also interested in Miss Desdemona Woodmansey--a woman who isn't put off by Trev's scar or the scandal of the duel. Trev has already lived through the disgrace of a scandal, but can he survive a murderer who will do anything to protect a sinister secret?


My Review:
The Devil in Beauty is a mystery set in 1811 in London. Lord Trevelin is disfigured and in social disgrace. When a friend is taken to Newgate Prison more because he's disabled than because he's likely to have murdered his brother, Trev investigates to find the true murderer. A man visiting from Barcelona helps him despite their rivalry over Miss Woodmansey, a short woman who likes them both and thinks it'd be exciting to help solve a mystery. Her role was more to cause tension than to help, though.

The mystery was complex enough that confession was required to confirm exactly what happened, though you could guess at parts. Trev had a temper and cruel tongue at times, but the main characters were generally interesting and engaging. The story was not a happy one. Quite a few people died from various causes, including suicide. Nice historical details about Newgate, social manners, and such were woven into the story.

There was no bad language or sex. Overall, I'd recommend this interesting novel, though it was different from what I expected from the book description.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.