A Beautiful Disguise by Roseanna M. White

A Beautiful Disguise
by Roseanna M. White

ISBN-13: 9780764240928
Paperback: 384 pages
Publisher: Bethany House
Released: August 1, 2023

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Left with an estate on the brink of bankruptcy after their father's death, Lady Marigold Fairfax and her brother open a private investigation firm marketed to the elite . . . to spy on the elite. Dubbed The Imposters, Ltd., their anonymous group soon becomes the go-to for the crème of society when they want answers delivered surreptitiously. But the many secrets Marigold learns about her peers pale in comparison to her shock when she and her brother are hired to investigate her best friend's father as a potential traitor.

Sir Merritt Livingstone has spent a decade serving the monarch in the most elite guard, but when pneumonia lands him behind a desk in the War Office Intelligence Division just as they're creating a new secret intelligence branch, he's intent on showing his worth. He suspects a man of leaking information to Germany as tensions mount between the two countries, but needs someone to help him prove it, so he turns to The Imposters, Ltd. No one knows who they are, but their results are beyond compare.

Lady Marigold is determined to discover the truth, and she's more determined still to keep her heart from getting involved with this enigmatic new client who can't possibly be as noble as he seems.


My Review:
A Beautiful Disguise is a Christian romance with a mystery, set in 1909 in England. This story is a little more fanciful than previous books by this author: titled siblings with acrobatic training and a circus menagerie at their home in the country have to act as undercover private investigators to earn enough money to support themselves. Marigold has become jaded by all of the secrets they learn while on the job and feels like even the seemingly honorable Merritt must have some secrets he's hiding. (Besides being a government spy, he's happily just what he appears to be.) Merritt's involved with starting MI5, but he thinks his boss might be disloyal to England and investigates to discover the truth. He ended up needing to hire the help of The Imposters without knowing his interesting, new acquaintance--Marigold--is one of them.

The main characters were engaging, well-developed, and generally acted realistically. Marigold and Merritt got along well and built each other up. Marigold specializes in distracting people with her fashions so is disconcerted when Merritt actually sees and admires her. The suspense came from physical danger while spying and Marigold's need to keep secrets despite her growing relationship with Merritt. Historical details were woven into the story to create a distinct sense of time and place. While enjoyable, the ending reveal of whodunit and why got confusing. I'd guessed much of whodunit a good bit back, but the briefly stated motive didn't really make sense to me.

There was no sex or bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this enjoyable book.


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.