A Beguiling Ruse

Lords & Ladies of Mayfair #2

by Laura Beers

He needed to marry her for her dowry but falling in love with her foiled his plans.

Miss Rosamond Hendre has had the most remarkable change of fortune for a daughter of a seaman. She went from living a simple life in the countryside to being introduced to high Society as the ward of a marquess. She is excited to embrace her newfound life, and she wants nothing more than to find a love match this Season.

Malcom, the Viscount of Brentwood, needs to marry an heiress and Miss Hendre fits the bill. His family is on the brink of ruination and he doesn’t have time for games. The problem is that Miss Hendre seems immune to his charms and constantly rebuffs his advances. But he isn’t one to give up so easily, especially when so much is at stake.

Malcolm wants nothing to do with love, but he knows he must play the part of a devoted suitor or else he will lose Rosamond. But the more he plays the part, the more the line begins to blur between what is real and what is not. As his feelings deepen for Rosamond, Malcolm wonders if this battle of wills-and hearts-will end in happily ever after, or devastation?

As the second novel in the series by author Laura Beers, A Beguiling Ruse continues the Lords & Ladies of Mayfair series. This is a light-hearted, clean and wholesome romance set in the Regency era. All books in this series have their own Happily-Ever-After and are best enjoyed in proper order.

The series

Book 1- Secrets of a Lady
Book 2- A Beguiling Ruse
And more to come...

Other series by Laura Beers include The Beckett Files , Regency A Promise of Love , Proper Regency Matchmakers , Regency Spies & Secrets and Gentlemen of London .

Genres: Historical Fiction, Romance, Historical Romance, Regency, Fiction, Historical, Clean Romance

328 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 6, 2023

About the author

Laura Beers is an award-winning author. She attended Brigham Young University, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Construction Management. She can't sing, doesn't dance and loves naps.

Laura lives in Utah with her husband, three kids, and her dysfunctional dog. When not writing regency romance, she loves waterskiing, hiking, and drinking Dr Pepper.

You can connect with Laura on Facebook, Instagram, or on her site at www.authorlaurabeers.com.

Reviews

[Nan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Goodreads closes frequently in the middle of my diatribes. I will keep it short. Stilted awkward dialogue that makes it hard to connect with or like characters. Too many plots going on in both this, and to a degree the first. Here is an example of dialogue issues, “Tristan smiled lovingly at his wife. “Yes, Dear,” he said, offering his arm. “Let us depart now so I can return at a reasonable hour to finish my tasks at hand.”” Tristan is a bit like this, we learn from volume 1, but this type of dialogue is throughout. If a writer is writing in this era and wishes to be verbose, they must also be witty. Most of the attempt aren’t here is falling short. Characters sound petulant and whiney instead of arch and clever. Also, there are lines like this “He spoke to her with such care and consideration that she knew she had found her match.” This is basically after he mocked her for looking for a love match, questioned her sanity regarding concerns about her loss of autonomy if she married, tried to get her to engage in malicious gossip about her friend, acted like a total snob about classes, ridiculed her care for others, and lamented that he hadn’t convinced her to marry him within two weeks. Such care and consideration….right.

Also…don’t get me started on Lady Anne who the sisters keep insisting g means well but she is really just an old harpy.

[Mara · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is another delightful romance from Laura Beers. We briefly met Rosamond Hendre towards the end of Secrets of a Lady and I'm so excited that she gets her own story!! Thanks to a generous dowry by the marquess, Rosamond can marry for love and that's what she intends to do. Malcom, the Viscount of Brentwood, needs to marry an heiress to save the family's estate and to him, one heiress is as good as another. So Malcom sets out to "beguile" Rosamond into marrying him, but his plan does not go as he intended.

I loved Rosamond from the very beginning. She's the daughter of a seaman and she's still getting used to being in Society, so she still has a lot of down-to-earth qualities, she's not full of herself, and she still has a tendency to make her opinions known. This really threw Malcom for a loop as he expected her to be like all the other young ladies in Society.

On the other hand, I didn't care for Malcom at all for at least half of the book. I loved how he changed as he spent time with Rosamond. He even started to be irritated by his friends' behavior, which is previously the same way he behaved.

I loved Rosamond's wit and her exchanges with Malcom where she puts him in his place are THE BEST!! Rosamond made me laugh out loud a couple of times. A couple of my favorite remarks of hers are: "Forgive me, but I'm afraid I must go lie down. I find that I have an adverse reaction to stupidity." and "I apologize. But since I am a member of the weaker sex, I tend to speak before I think." I really liked Malcom's redemption arc as we get to see the man he was supposed to be. The man that deserved someone like Rosamond. I liked the unexpected appearance of Malcom's sister and the suspense that brought to the story. I love a good villain vs hero showdown.

I can't wait for the next book in this series. I received a complimentary copy. All thoughts expressed in this review are my own.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another amazing story by Laura! She knows how to tug at your heartstings. The heart wants what it wants. Beautiful romance. ❤️ I really enjoyed this book! 5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Pamela · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a fair romantic read by Laura. It was not my favorite. She comes out of no where to face the Ton, and races a carriage through the middle of the other ones on the busy street. She needed more training if she was truly looking for a husband. Plus the gentleman says they will have only ten thousand with his money, but she is also getting another ten from her guardian. I did like the part about his sister Enid, and her daughter Marigold . Sadly many modern wives are still being abused in their homes still today. The fact that the law is on the side of a husband, and she looses everything including her daughter is so outrageous. Then when told the father is cold as ice. It was just ok. Plus the gentleman who loves her changes his mind a lot, after she had been hurt enough, after he called off the engagement, he wanted. She would have to be a ninny to think money did not matter to gentlemen during that period, especially he being an heir. It got long through all the back and forth. They both wanted each other to open up to each other, but the slightest slip about different levels of society put them both in an argument. I gave it a three. It needed shortened, and some of the confusing talks that went no where removed.

[Dharini · Rating 3 out of 5]

A slight improvement on the first installment. At least the leads talked about something before moving on to their grand proclamations of love.

The side plot had genuine potential. Women in marriages truly were powerless at the time, and both the law and society were equally unforgiving. However, its resolution was farcical, and I don’t think the author did the best job of unpacking such a complex situation.

2.5 stars.

[Lavins · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars rounded up

This is my least favourite book thus far in this series. Particularly because I really didn't like the main character Miss Rosamond Hendre who, until five minutes ago was living in the country side, as a country girl, is super young, but now that her situation has drastically changed for the better she is acting as the most entitled person ever, questioning the morals of those around her and voicing her opinions as if she is the standard for morality and conduit.

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

He thought she was just a brainless heiress that he could sway with his usual flirting, to accept his offer of marriage. She had been through enough in her life to see through his arrogant attempts and she wanted nothing to do with him.

When Malcom, the Viscount of Brentwood was informed by his father that they were on the brink of financial ruin, he had no choice but to get the richest heiress of the season to accept his proposal of marriage. Expecting that she would fall for his charms and his title, he was taken aback when she even refused him a dance. Going to her guardian to ask him to arrange a marriage didn't work, so now he has to figure out how to woo the headstrong girl and get her to accept his proposal. She wanted to find a spouse that loved her and he had no plans on falling in love with anyone.

Miss Rosamond Hendre is the daughter of a seaman and because she saved the life of her twin sister that had been adopted by members of the Ton, she now had a guardian and a large inheritance. As she enters into the Season, she has been promised that she can choose her spouse based on a love match. She is not really impressed with the many men who wish to court her for her large inheritance. The Viscount of Brentwood irks her the most as he tries to use his charms to win her. His arrogance and entitlement turn her off but as he sets up opportunities for them to meet, she begins to see something more in him. She is impressed by his care for a sister that is in hiding from an abusive husband.

As Malcom spends time with Miss Rosamonde he begins to see the special woman she is and nothing like the other debutantes of the Ton. As his heart begins to change towards her, he begins to carry the guilt of marrying her for her fortune. Will he continue to woo her and offer her a proposal or will his guilt cause him to end their relationship?

I am enjoying this series and looking forward to the next story which was already foreshadowed in this book. The books really need to be read in order as the stories and characters carry over from book to book.

I received a copy of this book from the author and this is my honest unbiased review.

[Leann Arave · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another wonderful read from Laura Beers. This is the second book in the Lords and Ladies of Mayfair series. It is the story is about Rosamond, we met her in book one, Secrets of a Lady, and now she gets her own story. She has proven to be strong, selfless, and she will not be swayed by a good looking titled man. Malcolm has been informed by his father that they are on the brink of ruination, and he must marry for a fortune. His father has pinpointed Miss Hendre, and her twenty thousand pounds dowry. And he never wanted to fall in love so he would convince her to marry him, and then send her to the country. But Rosamond was determined to marry for love, and nothing else. The story that unfolds of their disagreements and dislike for one another it’s quite entertaining. There is plenty of mystery and some adventure to be had. I enjoyed the characters and the intrigue of the storyline. Looking forward to the next book in the series.

[Carissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I very much enjoyed this book! We first meet Rosamond toward the end of the first book in the series and I’m so glad we got her story next! I absolutely loved her character. Strong, kind, knowing her own mind, learning from past mistakes. She was a force to be reckoned with.

Cue Malcolm Brentwood, a man after a fortune to save his family from ruin. The transformation of Malcolm throughout the story was one of my favorite things! Initially we get a spoiled, arrogant man who is used to getting his way until he meets his match in Rosamond who refuses to put up with his nonsense. Their arguments and spats were so great! I loved how she put him in his place time and again and in doing so drew out the man he truly was beneath the surface. I enjoyed the progression of their love story so much!

And as usual we had some villains to deal with, abductions, and dastardly plans. Heroes emerging and characters proving themselves time and again. A nice mix to add to the sweet romance.

I can’t wait for the next book! I’m completely invested in this cast of characters!

I received an advanced copy of this book from the author. I was not required to leave a positive review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Shauna Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

He was going to beguile her. It didn’t quite work.
Marrying an heiress to save your estate was not uncommon and Malcolm had been informed by his father that he was to do that very thing. It was simple Malcolm would enchant Rosamond the way he did other women, marry her, get her dowry to save his family and send her to a country estate to live. Unfortunately, she was far from beguiled. In fact, she challenged things he said without hesitation. He had never experienced that. In fact, he found himself intrigued but she remained uninterested in him. Rosamond wanted to marry for love and nothing less but as Malcolm began to accept her opinions and show that he valued her she could not help but become mildly interested. Then when Malcolm’s sister suddenly reappears on the scene, everything is thrown into turmoil. A violent spouse, kidnapping, a debutante who was more skilled than others suspected, and a sweet baby combine to make this a very enjoyable read.

[Melissa (christianbooksandcoffee) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rosamond Hendre has recently discovered her long lost sister and has become the ward of her sister’s grandfather.(see book 1 for how that works) She has been given a dowry of 40,000 pounds. She has to keep her upbringing a secret. She would love to have a love match but is afraid she will just get fortune hunters.
Malcom, Viscount of Brentwood, is a fortune hunter, or rather His father has told him to marry Rosamond and get her dowry to save their estate. Malcom goes forth to do so, he knows what women want. However, after he meets Rosamond he finds he actually likes her, but she doesn’t want anything to do with him. He has to convince her otherwise and when his sister comes back with her own desperate situation he has to aide his sister as well.

Loved this story! Very good! I loved Malcom, he seems so arrogant at first and he is but he also has a very caring side to him. Rosamond is a heat strong character and knows how to take care of herself. I liked how they had to open up and reveal their true selves with each other. Overall great story and I definitely recommend!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Rachel · Rating 2 out of 5]

There are much better books out there than this series

The writing is in the details and there are just too many errors in the details for me to take the book seriously. Also the dialogue in this book just sounds trite and stilted. It’s also extremely predictable and had a very similar plot to the first book in the series. Also, as in the first book the two main characters have an intense first meeting that results in dislike for each other and then almost every conversation after that is just boring. I feel like it’s just being written quickly to get books out there. If time was taken to really polish these books they could be decent.

[Lori · Rating 4 out of 5]

Life changes quickly for Malcom, Viscount of Brentwood when his father tells him that he must marry an heiress due to the family loss of money. Malcom does not want to marry but finds himself with no choice but to pursue a new heiress, Miss Rosamond Hendre, ward to a Marquess. Malcom is a man who can charm the ladies and thinks this will be an easy feat until he meets Miss Hendre. What he discovers is she is not going to be as easy to win over as he thought. She challenges him in a way he never thought possible. Given certain aristocratic assumptions, privileges, and heritage does not impress Miss Hendre, but rather infuriates her.

Rosamond Hendre can choose any man she wants to marry thanks to the thoughtful dowry that the Marquess gives her. She chooses to marry for love and nothing else. She finds the Viscount of Brentwood cold and unfeeling at first. He wants to marry her, but she does not like him. Forced by her aunt to go on outings with him gives her a glimpse into another side of Malcom that she oddly likes. He still infuriates her when he tries to push aristocratic ways too hard.

Malcom and Rosamond are quite the opposite when it comes to how they were raised and what they were taught to believe. Those opposite views clash often in this novel. I love that Rosamond stands up to Malcom's views and that she fights for what she believes in. Malcom had a little too much aristocratic pride in the beginning, but he begins to soften as he learns more of who he can become with Rosamond's help. The romance is a slow build, but it evolves nicely once their walls are down and they see and know each others secrets. I will admit Malcom was hard to love in the beginning, but he grew on me as he slowly changed for the better.

This is a sweet, clean romance. I enjoyed the story. I received an arc, but the opinion expressed in this review is mine alone.

[Maria Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

For a hero, Malcom was pretty awful in the beginning of this book and it was hard to like him at all until Rosamond began to have an influence on him. In the end I did like him but it took a good while to get there. I liked Rosamond from the start though.

I haven't read the first book yet and I can see how it might have been beneficial to have done so prior to reading this one. It wasn't totally essential but there was some backstory that I didn't really follow having not read the first one. Who Rosamond is seemed to be built from that earlier book. Still I got enough to be okay with reading #2 first.

There may have been some phrases used that I'm not sure were time-appropriate that kind of took me out of the story a little bit. One example was when Malcom behaved unexpectedly his friend said, "Who are you and what have you done with my friend?" Just not sure that would have been said in that era. But I could pop back into the story pretty quickly.

The story took some unexpected twists that surprised me. In the beginning I expected the story to follow a simple plot line but things veered off that path before too long. I'd be reading along and suddenly - Plot-twist! Then I had no idea where we were headed. Like I said, unexpected.

Overall it was an enjoyable read.

Potential triggers: physical & emotional abuse
Sex: some innuendo
Language: no
Violence: yes

[Stephanie - Books Less Travelled · Rating 4 out of 5]

After reading the first book in this series a year (or slightly more) ago, I was excited to read this one! I did put it off a bit, if only because the author is LDS, and I personally tend to read certain books and try to be careful about reading things from authors with different religious beliefs, because as the Bible warns, we are to be set spart. I'm only mentioning it since I know I'd want to know that sort of thing when choosing a book as well. The story really doesn't mention much about religion, well nothing directly, but I'm sure some values and beliefs are bound to slip through into the writing, as with all art it's bound to happen at times.

I enjoyed this book from early on, but if memory serves I did enjoy A Lady's Secret a bit more. I just don't think I connected with Miss Hendre and Lord Brentwood as much as I did Lizette and Tristan. Which is bound to happen, and I did enjoy the story overall. I especially liked the parts where Lord Roswell and Mr. Campden continued to interfere, in the lives of the main characters. I love the humor and antics that are sure to arise with these two around! That was one thing I loved in the first book as well.

Malcom and Rosamond both had their good points, and I found myself really enjoying them on their own, but the romance in this one was a bit more stilted, and the story overall didn't keep me up reading late into the night as the first book did. I would be interested in reading more of this series, and hopefully there won't be as long a wait before I get around to picking up the next book... haha, oops!

There were also some loose threads in the first book that are addressed and wrapped up in this one, as well as some that were touched on to be concluded in later books. I'm intrigued by the hints and potential pairings we've seen so far, and I know there's a few that I'm excited to read about soon!

[Victoria · Rating 2 out of 5]

I will preface this review by disclosing that I listened to this work as an audiobook, narrated by Jennifer Smith.

In my opinion the narrator did the (already questionable) writing an injustice. I did not enjoy her narrating style, found her interpretation of the dialogue trite and it’s delivery forced/inauthentic and quite frankly, annoying.

I will also disclose that this is the only (and likely last) book I read in this series. That was my mistake as I spent most of the book trying to figure out the characters’ motivation and who is related and how. There are a lot of references to happenings in the previous book.

As for the text itself, like many others I found the dialogue stilted, unnatural and in many cases annoyingly anachronistic. It was like the author wanted to sound “old-timey” (eg verbose) but then threw in modern words, idioms, and ideas. The prose wasn’t much better.

The characters’ personalities were inconsistent and
overall I just found the story boring. I think if the author chose to explore the subplot of domestic violence in more depth (and just scrapped the unbelievable romance altogether) it would have made for a more engaging story.

But hey, that’s just my opinion.

[Krystal · Rating 4 out of 5]

"For what it is worth, it's never too late, or too early, to be whoever you want to be."
Rosamond has discovered a new family, and a new opportunity, to find love. She is given security and a chance to decide for herself who she wants to marry. When Malcolm meets Rosamond, he decides she is exactly the heiress he needs as a wife. He is determined not to fall in love, and yet he needs her funds, so he sets out to convince her that he is best option for her future. On his path to convince Rosamond, he realizes that she may be more than he counted on, and possibly the love he wasn't looking for.
I always look forward to reading a Laura Beers book, and I loved so much about this story! Laura always puts things so beautifully, and I find myself moved by her writing. I enjoyed Rosamond's journey to figure out who she was and what she wanted from life. I also was so excited to have more about Tristan and Lizette! Malcolm's determination to decide what was best, and find himself consistently befuddled also made me smile. I can't wait to read more from this author!
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

[Melody Tregear · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable read

This is book 2 of the series and while it can be read as a standalone,the part at the end where Rosamond opens up may not make as much sense as it would if you've read book 1. The author has written it as someone who knows the backstory, but to someone who does not, they may not even be aware of who Lord and Lady Crewe are. The section is not as detailed as a true standalone would be.
Overall this was a clean, interesting story with a nice ending. I was amused by at least two quotes in this book that were taken from old movies. To be fair, the author changed the wording but it was still clear where the references came from. One was from the movie Ever After, one of my favorites, and the other from Notting Hill. If you're familiar with the movies perhaps you'll recognise it. 🙂. Enjoy!

[Jeanie's Kindle · Rating 4 out of 5]

As the twin of the Earl of Ashford, Rosamond had no nobility in her bloodline. Her sister had been given to the Earl's son and his wife when their daughter was stillborn. Rosamonds mother was provided a stipend for her comfort since her husband a modest seaman was going to have to put one of his babies into a founding home. His income couldn't support two babies.
Rosamond became the ward of the Earl when she helped rescue Lizette from a kidnapper. After Lizette was married, Rosamond was to be presented as a cousin with a sizable dowry. Fortune hunters and rogues were sure to seek her hand.Malcolm Brentwood was informed by his father that he needed to marry a heiress and quickly before they lost everything. He targeted Rosamond.

[Cathy L. Shackelford · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the story in this book as well as the previous book in the series. I will probably read the other books in the series. I liked the characters in both books, the strong women and the caring men. There was humor and mystery in both books, which was entertaining. The reason I did not give this book a 5 star rating is the apparent complete lack of editing. The one grammar mistake that was so obvious was using the word "that" after a person instead of "who". A good editor would have noticed those errors immediately. There were several others. I also found that some of the phrases used were not ones that would be normally used in the Regency period. In my opinion, if these grammatical errors had been corrected, these two books would be 5 star books.

[Kristi W - Book Love By Kristi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Secrets, danger, and romance. I enjoyed Rosamond’s story! As the ward of a marquess she has been given the chance to marry for love. She often feels out of place but she is still confident enough to speak her mind. She was witty and had the best snarky comments. I loved that Malcom didn’t know what to do with Rosamond since she was so different from other Society ladies.

I honestly didn’t know if I liked Malcom at first. He was so determined to only see Rosamond as the heiress to save his family. But seeing the way he took care of his sister was the turning point for me. Along with his struggle with his feelings and his acceptance of them. Oh the conversations between Malcom and his friends were so entertaining. I especially liked Mr Moore, Lord Roswell, and Mr Campden.

[amanda carroll taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

LOVE

so I have enjoyed the first 2 books of this series and I will continue to read it. The author is a very good story teller without having too much background noise. Sometimes books just have too much useless information and thoughts but these books deliver perfectly. The only thing I could wish for is a wedding night I love how clean the books are and I much prefer a clean book over too much grunge, but I feel like having one small passage with a wedding night would check all boxed for me. With that being said I would whole heartedly recommend this series to anyone that likes romance with a little mystery-suspense.. not super predictability.. I really like how this author tells her stories.

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mixed

Parts of this are quite charming, parts are just woeful. It is an odd mix. This popular author has, I feel, let her readers down by a lack of care with developing plot points; sadly things just seem to happen without rhyme or reason (eg the *spoiler* abduction. Seriously? Read it and weep). Perhaps the fact that I hadn't read the previous story didn't help. I had no idea of any of the backstory of the characters, and very little explanation was given here. Disappointing.

[Mili Fay · Rating 3 out of 5]

Writing: 4 Stars; Repetitive.
Characters: 5 Stars;
Plot: 3 Stars;
Entertaining: 3 Stars;
Read Again? No.
Narration: 3 Stars; Set the audiobook reader speed to 1.15.
Cover Art: 4 Stars;

Total: 3 Stars;

This is a pleasant book with an interesting story. However, half way through it feels as if the author creates a conflict that makes little sense. The end of this book is a bit of a mess and I also do not like the repetitiveness of characters’ reasonings.

I do love that the book is clean. It is a nice change from usual romance novels.

A one-time read for sure.

[Amanda Croshaw · Rating 4 out of 5]

Malcom was a super fun character to read. IF you had recently read the Book 1 of the series I was a little lost with some characters and missing information at the beginning. I figured it would come out and it did, but I wish I had read this book immediately afterwards. I love this untraditional family who looks at people and not social class.
I liked the story line and how Malcom became a better man and all was well. The kidnapping and guns like book 1 is always a twist that I could have done out. It was still a great read

[Teresa Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorites!
We met Rosamund in the book before this one, and I really liked her spunk and strong spirit. In this book we see her as the ward of her sister’s “Grandfather,” a powerful Marquess.
This is her love story.
I do have to admit that I loved the growth shown throughout the story of Lord Brentwood. He was not the most likable person at the beginning, but grew to very admirable and lovable by the end!

[Kristy Q · Rating 5 out of 5]

This had all the mystery, adventure and romance I could ever want in a regency romance! Fun new characters, and I loved how much the characters from the previous book were in it. Rosamund is getting a chance at a life she never thought possible and Malcolm needs a wife to save his family. They do not see eye to eye and can’t stand each other at first. Once they start to get to know one another better, all their plans change. Really cute love story and ending!

[Lynn Hyman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This Story Is Hard to Put Down

I love Laura Beers' writing. I love her stories, the characters, the strong women, the dialogs, the family and friends dynamics, the surprises along the way, and the happy endings. Rosamond has secrets in her past, and Malcolm has them in his present. He needs her dowry to save his family, and she needs a love match. It was enjoyable to see how it all works out.

[Luci Jamison · Rating 4 out of 5]

clean romance

Great plot and characters that move along at a nice pace.

I enjoyed the humbling of the hero from his pride that changes him for the better and the heroine who is humble but finds pride in herself.

Good series, each can be read as a stand alone but read better in sequence as it gives background for other characters.

Possible triggers touched upon, abuse and death

[Lacey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Malcolm was arrogant and it took him a long time to stop thinking of Rosamond as just a stupidly grateful woman to fall in with his plans and act like he hung the moon. However, once he did, he was more likable. And the plot was not original, but it was enjoyable. I like the way this author weaves together her characters and builds relationships that come back throughout each book. So far, my favorite is still the Beckett Files series, but this one is alright