The Matter of the Secret Bride by Darcie Wilde

Series: A Useful Woman Mystery #8
Publication Date: 12/24/24
Period: Regency London
Number of Pages: 448

BOOK DESCRIPTION

Jane Austen meets Fleabag in Regency London, as a resourceful young woman with a talent for helping ladies of the ton with their most delicate and pressing predicaments finds herself facing a task of royal proportions. Literally.

King George IV is petitioning Parliament for a divorce from his queen on the grounds of her adultery. But rumor has it that the king secretly married Maria Fitzherbert—long before he married the queen. Now Mrs. Fitzherbert has been robbed—and she’s frantically calling on Rosalind for help.

Because what those thieves took is proof that she and King George did really marry. That single piece of paper could destroy Mrs. Fitzherbert and her family—or it could prove the king guilty of bigamy.

Rosalind races to investigate. With her is ex-Bow Street officer, Adam Harkness, with whom Rosalind shares a complex and rapidly intensifying bond. But a case of theft soon turns to murder . . .

Josiah Poole, a disreputable attorney specializing in helping debtors—and who was seen entering Mrs. Fitzherbert’s house—is found brutally murdered. Mrs. Fitzherbert has debts. Could she have staged the theft, and employed Mr. Poole to sell the marriage certificate? Or is the truth even more complicated? Mrs. Fitzherbert’s daughters have secrets of their own. And Poole himself had no shortage of enemies.

With suspicious coincidences mounting, and more danger encroaching, Rosalind and Adam must move quickly to unravel a history-making mystery that might just lead them straight to the palace itself . . .

REVIEW

From The Desk Of Gwendalyn ♡

This book was received from the Author, and Publisher, in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.

This is a non spoiler review, because you as reader need to read this book. Also, I feel sometimes I have in the past gave away to much of the plot line. This has diminished the pleasure for would be readers..

A captivating book, ingrained in real historical events surrounding King George IV secret marriage to Mrs. Fitzherbert.

The Matter of the Secret Bride by Darcie Wilde is the eight exciting instamment in the Useful Woman book series. The ton is deeply divided between the Prince of Wales regarding his suing for divorce from Princess Caroline. When the well known Mrs. Fitzherbert requests her presence at her home on Tilney Street. Mrs. Fitzherbert tasked her with the retrieval of a stolen document. A document that implicates the King George IV and his unsanctioned marriage to Mrs. Fitzherbert. Rosalind and her love interest, a former Bow Street Runner Mr. Adam Harkness, along with Alice and Amelia must race to uncover the where abouts of this notorious document.

Exciting intrique of courtly drama really kept on my toes in this Regency mystery. The side characters and budding romance greatly enriched this creative storyline. I am excited to read the next book in the fascinating series.

AUTHOR BIO

Darcie Wilde is the award-winning author of stylishly adventurous historical mysteries and romances, including the Rosalind Thorne Mysteries, a Regency-set series inspired by the novels of Jane Austen, as well as the Regency Makeover Trilogy. She has also written, under the name Sarah Zettel, Locus and Philip K. Dick Award-winning novels, including Fool’s War, a New York Times Notable Books of the Year selection. She lives in Michigan and can be found online at DarcieWildeRomance.com.