"Masquerade at Middlecrest Abbey" by Abigail Wilson

 


The highwayman caused her carriage to crash—and completely changed the course of Elizabeth's life. As an unmarried mother in Regency England, her life was complicated enough. Now a spy for the crown is insisting that she must marry him to maintain his cover, and when he promises to take care of her son, Elizabeth agrees.

Adrian's information about a message with sensitive information passing into France led him to the wrong carriage. Or did it? Elizabeth's quick wit and determination could be assets to his cause. How will his two nearly-grown daughters react to the sudden and most unexpected—to him as much as anyone!—news that he has married again?

The pressure mounts at Middlecrest Abbey when a guest is murdered, rooms are ransacked, and threatening notes begin turning up to taunt them. Did Adrian make a mistake to bring Elizabeth and her young son into his home? 

Elizabeth might not be skilled at playing the part of a woman in love with her new husband, but she won't let Adrian fend for himself in tracking down the murderer and uncovering the traitor in their midst. 

I enjoyed this fast-paced Regency suspense novel. The beginning felt a little contrived, and occasionally I felt lost following all the clues and relationships, but overall there was a nice blend of story and chilling revelations. I had suspected who one of the culprits would be, but even then I was surprised at how it played out. This is the first book I've read by this author, and I look forward to catching up on her previous releases.

I received my copy of the book from the publisher. All thoughts in this review are my own.