Murder in Masquerade by Mary Winters

Murder in Masquerade
by Mary Winters

ISBN-13: 9780593548783
Paperback: 336 pages
Publisher: Berkley
Released: February 20, 2024

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Victorian Countess Amelia Amesbury’s secret hobby, writing an advice column for a London penny paper, has gotten her into hot water before. But now, handsome marquis Simon Bainbridge desperately requires her assistance. His beloved younger sister, Marielle, has written Amelia's Lady Agony column seeking advice on her plans to elope with a man her family does not approve of. Determined to save his sister from a scoundrel and the family from scandal, Simon asks Amelia to dissuade Marielle from the ill-advised gambit.

But when the scoundrel makes an untimely exit after a performance of Verdi’s Rigoletto, Amelia realizes there’s much more at stake than saving a young woman’s reputation from ruin. It’s going to take more than her letter-writing skills to help the dashing marquis mend the familial bond and find the murderer.


My Review:
Murder in Masquerade is a mystery set in 1860 in England. Amelia's role as a advice column writer played very little role in this story beyond showing her progressive, feminist attitudes toward social norms. Her boyfriend's sister was going to run away with a man who's in debt and managed to anger a number of people on the racetrack. When they stumbled across his murdered body, Amelia and Simon felt like they had to discover whodunit. The police were pretty much missing from this scenario.

The main characters were likable. Amelia and Simon asked questions to discover who had a motive and was present when the murder happened. Amelia bickered a lot with Simon about who should question whom or go where. He hid something, so she snooped in his bedroom. When about to be found together in his room, rather than handling things an easier way, they climbed down a tree while she's wearing a crinoline dress. Frankly, it would have been even harder than described, but the author wanted a funny scene and so forced it.

I guessed whodunit jokingly and was surprised to be right as the motive was really weak. Amelia did finally figure it out based on one clue after several wrong guesses based on all the other clues. There was no sex. There were only a few uses of bad language. Overall, I didn't enjoy the characters as much as in the first story and wasn't impressed with the mystery.


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.