The Mystery of the Sorrowful Maiden by Kate Saunders

The Mystery of the Sorrowful Maiden
by Kate Saunders

ISBN-13: 9781408866924
Hardcover: 336 pages
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Released: December 7th 2021

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description from Goodreads:
In the spring of 1853, private detective Laetitia Rodd receives a delicate request from a retired actor, whose days on the stage were ended by a theater fire ten years before. His great friend, and the man he rescued from the fire, Thomas Transome, has decided to leave his wife, who now needs assistance in securing a worthy settlement. Though Mrs. Rodd is reluctant to get involved with the scandalous world of the theater, she cannot turn away the woman in need. She agrees to take the case.

But what starts out as a simple matter of negotiation becomes complicated when a body is discovered in the burnt husk of the old theater. Soon Mrs. Rodd finds herself embroiled in family politics, rivalries that put the Capulets and Montagues to shame, and betrayals on a Shakespearean scale. Mrs. Rodd will need all her investigatory powers, not to mention her famous discretion, to solve the case before tragedy strikes once more.


My Review:
The Mystery of the Sorrowful Maiden is a mystery set in 1853 in England. This is the third book in the series, but it works as a stand alone. Laetitia was well-meaning and had some progressive views, but she generally reflected the current (1850s England) culture. The characters were interesting and reacted realistically to events. Historical details were woven into the story, creating a distinct sense of time and place without slowing the pacing. I appreciate that the author did enough research to get those historical details accurate. Laetitia and the detective on the case were friends and worked well together to uncover clues and gather information. Some pieces of the mystery were more obvious than others, and the critical clue pointing to whodunit didn't come until nearly the end. At that point, Laetitia understood who but still had to find a way to prove it. There were no sex scenes, though there were a lot of people meeting lovers and having babies. There were only a few uses of bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this interesting historical mystery. I received an ebook review copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.


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.


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