Deadly Engagement

Alec Halsey Mystery #1

by Lucinda Brant

Spring 1763. Career diplomat Alec Halsey returns to London to the shocking news his estranged brother, the Earl of Delvin, has not only killed his friend in a duel but is engaged to the woman Alec hoped to marry. The dead man’s mother wants Alec to investigate, so he reluctantly attends a weekend house party celebrating the engagement. Houseguests get more than they bargained for when a lady’s maid is murdered, the bride-to-be is attacked, and a guest is shot dead. Uncovering a connection between these sinister acts and his brother's duel, Alec confronts a cruel twist of fate and why his brother will go to any lengths to ruin him in Polite Society.

The Alec Halsey mysteries explore the darker side of Lucinda Brant’s deliciously romantic 18th century world. Along with her trademark wit and high drama there are deeper subplots and even quirkier characters that will have you shuddering and laughing in equal measure!

Awards for this Book

Romance Writers of Australia Romantic Book of the Year Finalist

Book Details

Series: Book 1 in the Alec Halsey Mystery series
Classification: Parental Guidance Recommended (mild sensuality, mild violence)
Length: Full-length novel (102,000 words, about 400 std. print pages)
Edition: Revised, re-edited, and re-covered in 2015
Style: Character-driven amateur sleuth

Genres: Mystery, Historical Fiction, Historical, Historical Mystery, Historical Romance, Romance, Audiobook

326 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 2003

About the author

Hello! I'm a history geek who loves the 18th Century!
I write about families, creating worlds that are full of history, heart, and Happily Ever Afters. When I'm not in my writing cave in the 1700s I live in the middle of a koala reserve, so the neighbors are cute and cuddly and sleep all day!
I write because I must, and I write from the heart, and only what I love to read.
My books have been on the New York Times, USA Today, Amazon, and Audible bestseller lists, and have won numerous awards. All are available as audiobooks narrated by British actors Alex Wyndham, Mary Jane Wells and Matthew Lloyd Davies, and voice talent Marian Hussey. My books are also available in translation— French, German, Italian, and Japanese languages. I love to hear from my readers.

Reviews

[Ingie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Written October 11, 2015

5 Stars - A stunning good historical m/f "crimance"
Full point from me for a fabulous audiobook

A tempting blurb and some very promising and good reviews (see Mei's excellent 5 stars review a week ago) and another one based on the audiobook edition (Caz 4.5 stars).

« ‘The Alec Halsey mysteries explore the darker side of Lucinda Brant’s deliciously romantic 18th century world. Along with her trademark wit and high drama there are deeper subplots and even quirkier characters that will have you shuddering and laughing in equal measure!’ »

Deadly Engagement is a whodunnit 'crimance', here narrated by Alex Wyndham (10 hrs). — A narrator voice who I really truly liked when listening to another novel by Lucinda Brant, that time a more traditional historical romance, Midnight Marriage (4 stars).

This one had it all — Happydancing over here

*********************************************

Book #1 (new cases serial)

England spring 1763...

The career diplomat Alec Halsey returns to England and the news his older brother, the Earl of Delvin is engaged to the young Miss Emily Alec himself had some hopes for. There is also a rumor his brother the Earl is involved in the death of a friend to them both and the dead man’s mother wants Alec to investigate. Add the arrival of an old dear love, Lady Selina Jamison-Lewis now six years later a newly widow, but still the most beautiful lady to watch.

There are many unresolved questions, and pretty soon it starts to happen even more nasty things. Who is to trust and who is safe? This soon turnes out to an old good styled "whodunit" mystery when all our characters are at a weekend house party at St. Neots House to celebrate the engagement between young Emily and the Earl of Devil.

The Deadly Engagement novel start with full speed and I was fully mesmerized at once. (This narrator is simply amazing good.)

Love, disagreements, lust and need, nasty abusers, gossip. You get it all. — There are big social issues but also rough intense heat and voluptuous alabaster bosoms. The London world at the 1760s wasn't a life on soft roses every day. You can feel both the glittering glamorous life of the upper class and the sweat, dirt and often poor unfairness for others.

‘...Selina, her mass of tight apricot curls framing a flawless complexion, the blue-black of her velvet gown with its many layered petticoats of silver tissue and gauze tippet of the same shimmering fabric, looked every bit the majestic self-assured widow of the world to Emily’s sweet naiveté. And both women belonged to his brother…’

A criminal romance about a genuine manly hero with a wounded heart that still aches for the lady he didn't get years ago. Perhaps there is a second chance? Such a added highly romantic background plot to a crime-mystery is exactly what makes my heart start to pound. Add amusing fun (very British) second characters and you get wonderful entertainment.

Also a big plus for a mystery that didn't give too many clues too early. I had many (clever) guesses but wasn't sure until the very end.

*********************************************

Audiobook edition and narrator
Two audiobooks narrated by Alex Wyndham and I dare to say he is a genius. The very highest class. I've no doubt he wold make whatever story grandly good to listening to. In this case we get a gret story narrated amazingly good. Applauses!!

*********************************************

I'm sure this "crimance" would make a great historical drama-crime series produced by the excellent BBC. Exactly what I want to watch on TV.

Looking forward to continue Alec Halsey's sleuth adventures. ...And his yummy romantic lovelife.

I LIKE - well written "whodunnits" - enormously


*****
Three Alec Halsey Mystery book so far. All set the year 1763. (All with lovely covers. Right?)

[Alexis Hall]

This was, I’m sure, fine but I opted out because of the dead queer / queer brothel of perverts (thanks for that) subplot. Also the villain refers to one of the female characters as G*psy – which, uh, I know is meant be insulting in this context. But, firstly, I don’t know why he calls this because she has apricot blonde curls? Which sorta suggests Megan Ryan in the 80s. Not someone of Romani heritage. And, secondly, it just feels really cheap to have your villain tossing racial slurs around and even cheaper when there is absolutely no justification for it except “he’s evil” and “it’s the past.” And, yes, yes, historical authenticity blah blah blah but I’d really prefer we didn’t treat history as an all you can eat bigotry buffet.

[Merry · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the mystery written in 2003 and look forward to reading the rest of the series. The book has multiple side plots that include adultery, male prostitution, sexual orientation, attempted rape, spousal abuse....well you get the idea. The book takes place during the Georgian period and woman are a husbands' property. There is honor among some and deviousness amongst others. Light on romance but the mystery was good. No open sex scenes. I rate it 4.5* and round down as some of the ends are not quite tied up. Since it was written 20 years ago some descriptions maybe outdated.

[Lady Wesley · Rating 5 out of 5]

February 4, 2016
The ebook version of this wonderful mystery/romance is now 99¢ at Amazon, B&N, Kobo, and iBooks. Try it and you'll be hooked like me.

January 1, 2016
One of my five 2015 favorites on Romantic Historical Reviews. Please follow the link to see favorites from Caz, Wendy, Claudia, Natalie, Sara, and moi.

Last year, I recommended Grace Burrowes’ entire Captive Hearts trilogy, as I could not pick a favorite from among them, and this year I find myself in a similar quandary. Lucinda Brant, whose books are set in Georgian England, has published three series, but I think the very best is the Alec Halsey Mystery series. The first two volumes – Deadly Engagement: A Georgian Historical Mystery and Deadly Affair: A Georgian Historical Mystery – came out in audio format in 2015. The third, Deadly Peril: A Georgian Historical Mystery, was published in print last month, and the audio version will be issued very soon. Alec Halsey is a career diplomat who was rather chagrined to find himself elevated to a marquessate for services to the crown. He is handsome, intelligent, somewhat enigmatic, intensely honorable, and decidedly his own man, and he gets involved with intrigues and mysteries, while trying to revive his relationship with his first love, a lady who is now a widow.

With impressive research and first-class writing, Lucinda Brant vividly recreates 18th century England and deftly combines mystery and romance into one big delightful package that will please fans of both genres. She has found the perfect narrator in British actor Alex Wyndham, whose beautiful baritone perfectly captures the swoon-worthy Halsey, and who is equally adept at voicing females of all ages. Wyndham does not just narrate Brant’s stories, he virtually inhabits Brant’s characters. Listening to him is a joy beyond joy.

[Mei · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was at the same time disguasted and fascinated by the life in the period Ms. Brant describes here!

The story is very interesting and the mystery very mysterious! :)

But what I appreciated most was the intrigue and stark lack of honour on one part and complete convinction of rightness on the other!

What I mean that the aristocracy was convinced taht everything they did, however wrong morally or otherwise, was right, but at the same time convicted common people for the same without any pang of conscience!! Such duplicity was really fascinated and really well explained here!

Even the most positive characters here are like that! WOW!!!

I appreciated that Ms. Brant didn't sugarcoated the truth!

[Kathleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Narrator Alex Wyndham (is he also known as Richard Armitage?) brings an extra star. His performance is Pitch Perfect. I could listen to him all day.

The best part of the story is the young red-headed valet, Tam, an apprentice-apothecary. But to steal a horse from the home of a duchess? Nah. He would have hung in 1763, Georgian England.

I also enjoyed trying to guess what happened when Alec was born, and why his mother felt the need to write letters of confession before she died.

But to me, this "crimance" felt melodramatic, gothic, and over the top. The dialogue is fine, but I chuckled only once. Everything felt like overkill. This author needs to develop a sense of nuance, as seen in the Georgian and Regency mysteries penned by Georgette Heyer, such as Duplicate Death.

Not a duplicate death here, not even a triplicate. A sextet. Six deaths. Murders. Six, within a month, all revolving around a small social group. I got the feeling the author substituted one solid mystery plot with the bloody kitchen-sink of butchery. Heads bashed, brains blown, whippings, beatings... Men, women, commoners, nobles, murder, suicide, rape, sodomy, blackmail...

So much seedy sex and blatant homophobia (and editors should have struck the term homosexuality, not yet coined for another century, anachronistic for the Georgian time period).

One-dimensional villains, completely vile with no noticeable shades of gray, and so many of them in this small group (the Earl of Delvin, the Lady Charlotte, Justice Gervaise, his wife Cynthia).

My friends loved this book, but the plot and trope-riddled writing style just didn't work for me. Sorry! I wish Brant had included only one or two murders, and more thoroughly developed a few solid characters.

[Jaya · Rating 4 out of 5]

That's me while I was reading this book...



Deadly Engagement had all the elements of drama, murder(s), intrigue, scandal, second-chance romance, plot twists, violence and action, which helped me to get out my reading slump. Thank you, book. Few extra points you deserve for that
Am still not sure whether I got the revelations that came one after the other O.O
And the ending seemed a bit abrupt and rushed to me. Still....my verdict
3.65-pleasantly-surprising-mind-boggling-am-definitely-interested-to-read-more-of Alec -Hasley-stars

[Caz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review from 2015

A- for narration / B+ for content; 4.5 stars rounded up.

It took me no more than five minutes of listening to this to know that in Alex Wyndham, Lucinda Brant had found the perfect narrator for her story. I saw a recent entry on her Facebook page that said she was very excited at having engaged him to narrate this, the first of her Alec Halsey series of mysteries set in Georgian England – and having heard him, I can now understand why.

Mr Wyndham is a well-known face on television, having appeared in such series as the BBC’s recent adaptation of Little Dorrit, and HBO’s Rome. He has a number of audiobooks to his credit already, but Deadly Engagement appears to be his first foray into the world of historical fiction and romance, and on the strength of it, I can only hope that he’ll be narrating more in the genre. (I understand from the author that he’s already working on the second book in this series).

Alec Halsey is a career diplomat and brother to the Earl of Delvin. There is no love lost between the brothers, partly due to the persistent rumours surrounding the circumstances of Alec’s birth which indicate that he could actually be the rightful holder of the title. But Alec has no interest in being an earl, and is content with the life he is making for himself.

Returning to England after an absence of eight months, he is shocked to discover that his brother has just become engaged to Emily, the granddaughter of the Duchess of Romney-St. Neots – the young woman he had hoped to wed himself. Hard on the heels of this disappointment, Alec learns of the death of an old friend of his in a duel – a duel fought with the Earl of Delvin, supposedly in rivalry for the affections of Delvin’s new fiancée.

But this doesn’t add up. Alec knows Jack had no interest in Emily – that he wasn’t, in fact, interested in women at all, so when Jack’s mother – accompanied by his old flame, Selina Jamison-Lewis -approaches Alec and requests he tries to find out the truth, he can’t help but be intrigued, no matter that the women are effectively accusing his brother of murder.

The plot thickens further when, at a house party hosted by the duchess, Emily is attacked, her maid is murdered and one of the other guests is found shot dead in the garden. With help from his friend, Cosmo, and his former love, Alec begins to piece together an unpleasant picture of blackmail, extortion and murder, and to uncover the connections between these events and the death of his friend.

As this is a mystery, I’m not going to say more about the plot, save that it’s very well thought-out and executed, with plenty of twists, turns and red herrings along the way. Ms Brant kept me guessing as to the identity and motives of the villain right up until the last possible moment. The romance between Alec and Selina is fairly low-key, as that’s not the focus of the story, but it bubbles along in tandem with the mystery in a satisfying manner. It’s a minor niggle that things are left unresolved between the couple at the end, but then I suppose there had to be something left for the next book in the series!

Lucinda Brant has created a memorable hero in Alec Halsey, and all the other characters in the story are equally well realised. Alec’s former love, Selina, has endured a six-year marriage to an abusive man, and while the last thing she wants is another husband, she can’t help hoping that perhaps Alec still has feelings for her. Then there’s Tam, former apothecary’s apprentice and footman at St. Neot’s House, who becomes Alec’s valet; Alec’s eccentric uncle Plantagenet who is a very vocal advocate of reform; his friend Cosmo who means well but doesn’t always make the best decisions; and a number of other secondary characters who all have their parts to play.

Alec Halsey is a terrific hero – handsome, urbane, intelligent and deeply honourable, a man whose birth is shrouded in mystery but who is secure in the knowledge that he is his own man: “I at least can sleep easy at night knowing all that I have, all that I am, is rightfully mine.” Alex Wyndham’s portrayal of him is nigh on perfect; his own mellifluous baritone used to very good effect as he expertly captures all the nuances of Halsey’s speech, whether he’s pretending to ennui or taking decisive action. His interpretation of Alec’s unpleasant brother, the Earl of Delvin, is equally good. The brothers sound similar enough to be related, yet he gives Delvin an unpleasant, slightly nasal drawl and voices him without any of the depth and warmth that’s to be found in his performance of Alec so there is never any confusion as to who is speaking when the brothers appear in scenes together. The narrative is well-paced and clearly enunciated, and I’m pleased to report that the female characters are performed just as confidently and effectively as the men. Mr Wyndham softens his tone and raises his pitch just slightly, but never resorts to falsetto or screeching, unless it’s called for in the text (as happens at one point near the end). Every character is voiced appropriately and clearly identifiable throughout, although there were two characters – older gentlemen – whose gruff, gravelly tones were sometimes a little too similar. That said, there was never any difficulty in working out who was speaking as there are sufficient textual indicators to avoid confusion.

I’m giving Deadly Engagement a big thumbs up. The story might not be the most original of mysteries, but it’s very entertaining and I really enjoyed it. The author has clearly researched the period thoroughly and her attention to the historical detail really brings the story to life; this isn’t just a “wallpaper” historical, or a modern mystery featuring people in frock-coats and powdered wigs. She confronts some of the seedier sides of life in her stories, but does it in a manner that feels believable and isn’t at all salacious or sensationalist.

Ms Brant has obviously done her homework when it comes to narrators, too, because she’s found a real gem in Alex Wyndham. I’ve listened to many self-published audiobooks which have been let down by the poor choice of narrator, but fortunately, she seems to have taken a leaf out of Laura Kinsale’s book and spent a lot of time listening carefully before making her final choice.

[♥Sharon♥ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well this one fell in the middle of the road for me. I didn't love it but I didn't hate it either.

And it certainly was no hardship listening to Alex Wyndham. ❤

[Betty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Deadly Engagement is primarily a murder mystery which also features a gently moving romance that does not detract from the devious and sinister goings on.

Alec Halsey has returned from an overseas assignment with the Foreign Department after an eight month absence. A highly intelligent man left to make his way in the world, he is the second son of an earl who nevertheless revels in being allowed to be his own man. I found this description of him early in the story set the scene and firmly embedded him in my mind:

But there was no insolence in the kind, friendly blue eyes that crinkled at the corners; no fancy airs and affected voice like so many visitors to St. Neot’s house. Even the clothes this gentleman wore were not out of the ordinary – no silver lacings, no frothy lace at his wrists, no diamond buckles in the tongue of his leather shoes – just good dark cloth, a plain linen cravat, and shoes without high heels.

Alec and his brother Edward, the Earl of Delvin are at complete odds with each other. Widely believed to have been the result of an affair on the part of his mother, Alex was disowned by his father and brought up by his eccentric uncle, Plantaganet Halsey. Rumours, however, persist that Alex is in fact the elder son, but although Alec has no interest whatsoever in the earldom, his brother doubts this and always sarcastically refers to Alec as “Second”.

Thwarted in love six years previously when the woman he loved was forced to renounce him and compelled to marry against her will, Alec still believes that if she had truly loved him she would have eloped with him when given the chance. Now Selena Jamieson-Lewis is newly widowed, having suffered for her decision with six horrifying years of brutality at the hands of her late husband. Alec nevertheless believes himself ready to move on, but returns to find the object of his flimsy affection, Emily, granddaughter of his godmother Olivia, Duchess of St-Neot’s, just affianced to his despised brother.

Alec has also returned to a mystery. Jack Belsay, an old school friend and Selena’s cousin has died following a duel with Delvin that was fought under rather suspicious circumstances. Alec is asked to investigate by Jack’s grieving mother and although there is no love lost between them, he is not happy to believe his brother guilty of murder. He reluctantly attends the house party arranged to celebrate the engagement of Devlin and Emily – but the proceedings are interrupted by murder, attempted rape, attempted blackmail and some pretty promiscuous behaviour. All the while Delvin, with the aid of Justice Lord Gervais is intent on pointing the finger of suspicion at Alec.

While all this is going on, Alec and Selena begin to rekindle their lost love, although as I said previously this in no way overshadows the mystery – it just adds a spark.

Narrator Alex Wyndham’s perfect pitch and range of voices is quite remarkable. Alec Halsey comes over as honourable and intelligently sexy, always recognisable even when in conversation with others of a similar age, such as his friend Cosmo, who is depicted as bouncy and ‘hale-fellow-well-met’. There is one conversation which sticks in my mind between the Duchess of St-Neot’s – elderly and plummy voiced – and the outrageous and belligerent Plantagenet Halsey which is hilarious, the Duchess’ voice getting higher and higher and the gravely undertones of Uncle Plan trying to pacify her. It’s a long conversation and Mr Wyndham carries it off with skill and humour. The description in the book of Justice Lord Gervais is “fleshy florid face and a morose disposition” and Mr Wyndham nails him, the grumpy, cocky know-it-all judge, is immediately recognisable whenever he speaks, showing his dislike and distaste for Plantagenet Halsey who winds him up and then walks away on numerous occasions – one can almost hear the steam erupting from his ears! The book boasts a magnificent cast of characters, all of whom are perfectly captured by Alex Wyndham, whose evident enjoyment of the telling of the story is obvious.

Lucinda Brant’s research into the fashions, furnishings and customs of the period are stunning and descriptive. I was sorry the story ended on a bit of a cliff hanger as far as Alec and Selena are concerned but there are more books in the series which I hope will rectify that! The plot, with its twists and turns, kept me riveted and the outcome is very clever.

Overall, Deadly Engagement is a fabulous story, made all the more so by the addition of the fantastic Alex Wyndham. I’m eagerly looking forward to the next in the the series.

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

While the general storyline is interesting and the writing clear and entertaining, this beginning to a new historical mystery series just didn't quite hit the mark. The story seemed disjointed and suffered from too much melodrama. The characters - even Alec, the main character - seemed to be made up of their individual ideals and motivations rather than actual human feeling and whimsy. The ingredients for a really good book were there, but something went wrong when Brant threw them all in together.

The character of Ned is one of my biggest issues. He is a vile, amoral, brutal philanderer who will sink as low as necessary to ruin Alec's life and happiness. He is capable of deceiving a too-sweet, air-headed innocent into believing he loves her, thus railroading his brother's hopes of marrying her himself, and then blackmailing said innocent when she listens to reason and tries to put distance between them. He takes a whip to his brother and attempts to have a wrongful charge of murder leveled against him. Add to all this his lust for darling Selina (again, a woman whom Alec loves) and his apparent incapability of keeping his breeches closed whenever he's in private. His hatred of his brother is his one defining quality and there is little else. He's not human! And there are plenty of others like him in this book. Even the good guys are extremely one-dimensional. Plantagenet Halsey showed promise in becoming the most interesting character, but even he doesn't quite manage to be much more than the principles Brant has assigned to him. Characterization is very important to me, and it was one of this story's greatest weaknesses.

In terms of historical detail, the accuracy wobbled here and there throughout the book. On the whole, though, it is clear that Brant has a passion for the Georgian era, and her descriptions set the stage very dramatically. It was refreshing to read a story that doesn't take place during the Regency or Victorian eras.

I cannot say Deadly Engagement was a great book, but don't want to give the impression it isn't worth reading. Its write-up suggested it as perfect for fans of C.S. Harris' Sebastian St. Cyr historical thrillers, and though I don't personally feel that this quite compares, it is a decent read.

[Lady Wesley · Rating 5 out of 5]

4 February 2016

If you have been thinking of trying this book narrated by the delectable Alex Wyndham, it is just $4.95 at Audible.com right now, or $1.99 if you already own the Kindle book. A great bargain for a great audiobook!

You can read Wendy's five-star review at Romantic Historical Reviews.

[Piper · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nine months. It was not such a long time to wait. Nine months. Apart it would seem an eternity. But then she would come back to him and they would be married. Yes, the time would pass soon enough.

To be continued.........

[Carol Cork *Young at Heart Oldie* · Rating 5 out of 5]

I teamed up with fellow blogger, Eileen Dandashi of Booktalk With Eileen to share our thoughts on Deadly Engagement.

Carol: Deadly Engagement was a real departure for me because it is essentially a historical mystery with romantic elements rather than a historical romance. Having read/listened to several books in Lucinda Brant’s Roxton Family Saga series, which I absolutely loved, it didn’t take much for my friends to persuade me that I should read this series. What were your initial thoughts, Eileen?

Eileen: Initially? I, once again, marveled at the suave, polished and refine voice Alex Wyndham uses to narrate. The use of his voice in its various nuances clues the listener into the internal conflicts of each of the characters. He propels the mysterious and suspenseful storyline forward with such vigor, a listener cannot stop listening.

Alec has quite a mix of emotions rolling inside himself. He thinks he loves Emily. He thinks he’s gotten over Selina. He thinks he can handle the duplicity of his elder brother, Edward. He thinks he can unravel who killed his friend Jack, for he is sure he was set up. He is confused, mystified and ultimately scared to death! I totally get into a mystery, Carol. It must come from all the Nancy Drew books I read as a young girl!

Carol: I totally agree with you about Alex Wyndham’s brilliant narration. I felt as if I was listening to a radio play performed by several actors instead of just one person and he gives each character a distinctive and easily identifiable voice. He seems to live and breathe every character and perfectly captures the personalities of each one. Listening to his superb performance definitely enhanced my enjoyment of the book.

Alec is a wonderful hero – handsome, intelligent and honourable. He had an unconventional upbringing with his rabble-rousing Uncle Plantagenet and, therefore has a very different outlook on life to his peers. What I really like about him is that he is his own man. He likes his life as it is and has no desire to be the Earl of Delvin. Whatever he achieves it is on his own merit.

I enjoyed the romantic elements simmering in the background and poor Alec certainly goes through the emotional wringer. I was happy to see him rekindling his feelings for Selina but was somewhat disappointed that matters between them remained unresolved. I’m hopeful of a happy ending later in the series.

Eileen: I’ve got to say it, pure and simple. I so disliked Edward Delvin. He is quite the devil, although dressed in proper attire as Earl. The man is extremely astute—additionally, he’s a conniving creep! Talk about a man who will do anything to gain more prestige and status. Ugh! I particularly didn’t like his little trick of using people against each other and going out of his way to take as much happiness from Alec as possible. He plays Lady Charlotte, getting her to do part of his dirty work. Frankly, her idea of appearing so terribly proper is offensive. Carol, do I make myself clear??!!

I’ve got to know what you think of Simon Tremarton and Lady Gervais. What about Plantagenet Halsey? This man was a balm to my nerves! He supported women and truth.

Carol: We both agree about Edward Delvin. I thoroughly detested that self-serving man. I hated how he called Alec “second” in that sneering way and how he manipulated the scene in Selina’s bedroom knowing just what Alec would believe (I loved Selina’s method of revenge!). Oh yes, Lady Charlotte. A real viper with an acid tongue!

I think Alec’s friend Sir Cosmo described Simon Tremarton perfectly – an opportunistic weasel and the polite word for the voluptuous Lady Gervais is promiscuous. What about that scene where Lady Gervais and her husband argue and then have anger-fueled sex?

Eileen: Nodding with complete agreement.

Carol: I love Plantagenet Halsey…such an outrageous character who is not afraid to voice exactly what he thinks. He obviously cares very much for his nephew and do I detect a potential romance between the old curmudgeon and The Duchess of Romney St. Neots?

Eileen: Yes, Plantagenet had simply a hard outer surface, but sweet and sincere to his core. I’m eager to see if The Duchess will find the honey within the lemon!

There were lots of characters in this story. Usually, I have difficulty keeping them apart, but the author did a fabulous job giving them each their own distinctive personality. In doing so, it also gives more depth to the mystery. More characters, more possibilities of who is culpable.

Was there any one point you told yourself, you had figured out what was going on? On my part, I kept hitting surprise after surprise in the many twists this story takes. Just when I think I have a pulse on the mystery another layer of intrigue is exposed.

Carol: I agree, despite there being a large number of characters, they were all so well-drawn, each with distinctive traits. They all added depth to the story and, as you say, provided a wide choice of potential suspects. I thought the mystery was so well-plotted and the twists and turns certainly kept me guessing as to the identity of the culprit and the motive. I also like how Ms Brant explored the darker side of Georgian society within the context of the story.

Eileen: I enjoyed the part of Tam, the young self-appointed valet to Alec. For a young man, he has seen much cruelty of the world, yet has a compassion to help the weak. He experiences the wickedness of those who connive and realizes noblemen who do wrong, very often go unpunished.

Sir Cosmo, a very good friend of Alec, is a very earnest and sincere young man. A most likeable character. He’s speaks what we are all think. I love when he speaks of the physique of a male. “Who wouldn’t prefer a stallion to an ass!”,

Carol: I thought Tam was an interesting character with his apothecary skills. He’s honest and it infuriated me to see him suspected of a murder he didn’t commit simply because of who he is. Unfortunately, that’s how most of society treated their servants. So I enjoyed the scene where the reform-minded Plantagenet Halsey lambastes Lord Gervais who objects to seeing Tam drinking coffee in the same room. When we discover the identity of Tam’s father, it was quite a shock.

I very much liked the rather corpulent Sir Cosmo. As you say, he is a man who speaks plainly and provides some delightful humour with the things he says. At the same time, he is a good and decent man and a true friend to Alec even when it means telling Alec some hard truths where Selina is concerned.

Eileen: So all in all, we both agree. This story was superb. I’m ready to listen to book 2 of the series. I can’t possibly leave the threads hanging nor leave what Ms. Brant has in store for the characters. She really knows how to gather her listeners and engage them.

Carol: Yes, this is an excellently written, superbly narrated story and I’m eagerly looking forward to listening to the other books in this series. I agree, Ms Brant certainly knows how to keep you coming back for more!


https://eileendandashi.wordpress.com/...

[Lorraine · Rating 4 out of 5]

As the front flap of the cover of this book states, this is a 'crimance' , "crime with lashings of romance". Alec Halsey, who is in the diplomatic corps of Georgian England, is the "second" son of the Duke of Delvin. He has just arrived home with marriage on his mind after eight months on the continent. He visits his godmother, a duchess, but Alec is concerned only with seeing her granddaughter. As the conversation goes forth, Alec discovers that the girl he wished to be his fiancée is betrothed to his older, estranged brother, the present Duke of Delvin, who besides being estranged from Alec, is not a very nice person. To put it bluntly, the duke is a nasty piece of work as well as an enemy of Alec's. Upon hearing the unbelieveable, Alec hurries from the room, leaving the granddaughter behind, and he tears down the stairs and literally runs into his first love who is wearing 'widow's weeds'. As all this happens at the beginning of the story, each of these characters are to play an important role in this book. The author places the reader in the setting of the story with the characters who are major components of this mystery. Needless to say, this definitely grabbed my attention. I felt as though I parachuted into the stadium before the Army-Navy football game! Quite exciting! I enjoyed this book, but my sleep did suffer because of a few very late nights. Well done and to the author - I wish you had been one of my teachers in boarding school. I am sure that I would have paid better attention!

[Sue · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5, voicing and story were both excellent. A great mystery, murder and intrigue. Loved it. So far a trilogy but I believe the author plans to continue the series.

Alec Halsey, birth order and his place in nobility is a great story unto itself. But it's not the main driver of this novel. No, murder broken hearts and an excellent mystery. Alec is a diplomat by profession but his lineage is definitely a draw and a mystery. He has a keen intellect and a way of sorting through a quagmire of details to get at the truth. His mind and curiosity are his tools.

He is not concerned with birth order but you can clearly understand he has a desire for family. When things fall into chaos, Alec seems to be able to sort it out to get to the truth. An excellent start to a mystery series, with a bit of romance thrown in for fun.

[Keri · Rating 4 out of 5]

For those of you that really enjoy C.S. Harris's Sebastian St. Cyr mystery series or the Captain Lacey series, you might enjoy Alec's books as well. The mystery was well plotted, I thought and much grittier with the way people could be cruel to one another in this timeframe. I did figure out who did it, but I enjoyed the ride along the way. Although Selena and Alec got on my nerves and why I only gave them a romantic thread. Strange thing was, is that peripheral scenes of smexy times was a bit more descriptive then the love scenes between Selena and Alec. I do look forward to picking up the next one and I hope we get Alec's patronage on his father's side, feel that might be explosive.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first time I have read a book that said it was a Crimance........but I can't wait for another one. Deadly Engagement was true to its word. There was Romance mixed in with Crime......both of these together..had me wondering on both counts.......who would get together..and who was the bad guy. I could not put the book down. Looking forward to the next Alec Halsey book..........Deadly Affair that will be out later this year. Lucinda Brant has a way with words.........and I can't seem to get enough of her writing!! AWESOME BOOK!!

[Fiatgal · Rating 5 out of 5]

So far I've loved everything Lucinda Brant has written and Alex Wyndham read. Great team.

[Lisazj1 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this, though I thought I was getting historical romance and what I actually got was a historical crime thriller with a little romance mixed in. It was quite a good surprise.

The characterizations were well done, whether good or bad and the pacing kept the plot moving the whole book. The mystery was well developed and had a couple of surprise twists I wasn't expecting.

And not the least of all *and honestly the reason I looked at this*, the gorgeous sound of Alex Wyndham reading and his stellar voice performance helped lend life and personality to the characters and their world, and made this a treat to listen to! I look forward to the rest of he series.

[Doreen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lucinda Brant has been a real find, and it proves the efficacy of giving away a book on Kindle because I have gone out and bought others by her.

This book is a little different from the usual historical romance - she has called the genre "crimance". Think of the Richard and Rose books. I was drawn in by the whodunnit side of the book: was there more than one criminal running round? how were the crimes connected? I was uncertain till near the end, when the suspects were reduced to one. I liked the hero too. He's not the macho alpha male hero of some writers (though I can enjoy them too) but as suits a man who is investigating crimes, he's more thoughtful, though a little confused at the beginning as to who his heroine should be. Yes, the romance is there, but the whodunnit side is at least as important, and the two sides are in any case entwined. I've gone straight on to the next one in the series and then drat! only one more unread and then I shall have to wait for another to be published.

[Tiziana · Rating 1 out of 5]

Halfway through the book I gave up
Disappointing from all points of view:
_ the mystery part is not engaging and there is no investigation
_ I haven't read anything romantic
_ the novel is defined as historical ... we are in 1763 and the only things testifying this fact are the wigs worn by men, the silver buckles on shoes, the plunging necklines in women's dresses.
Well, I think a "historical" novel should give something more, this way I too am capable of writing a historical novel.

I still wanted to know if the villain would be punished properly and I read some pieces in the second half of the book: awful, definitely not my cup of tee !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

For some it is a 5 stars masterpiece, but to me it's only a very cheap romance.

[ShanDizzy · Rating 1 out of 5]

"I am so glad THAT'S over!" was my 1st thought after reading the last sentence of this story. This story started with a slap in the face and the pummeling continued until the last few pages. It was like a soap opera on caffeine. The angst was amped up too high for my taste with one of the most disagreeable, unlikeable antagonist's I've read in a long time. I'm quite sure that I will not continue reading the rest of the series as it's not "cozy" enough for me.

[Cyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

The audio book of this with Alex Wyndham is Amazing. Lucinda's storytelling with his voice is perfect. Lucinda's books have it all. Adventure, beautiful clothes, interesting ppl and plots and some great steamy or sordid scenes. I have listened to pretty much everything by her. Almost all of it narrated by Alex, who is among my favourite male narrators along with Simon Vance, Richard Amritage and Hugh Fraser. Can't recommend Lucinda enough.

[Trish R. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kinda' Meh..

So, 27 reviewers mentioned this was a romance. At 33% I was wondering where the romance was to be found. Alec Halsey has been with Emily, the lady he hoped to propose to, and Selina the lady he DID propose to six years ago, and there wasn’t one thought of desire for either of them. Nothing that would make me believe this was a romance. Not to mention this book is boring as hell up to 33%.

Yeah, and Lady Gervais was really, really slutty! Yuck! I didn’t like her at all. She just goes from one bed to another and her husband doesn’t even care. Great marriage for her.

And speaking of Lady Gervais, I just hate when there’s soooo many people to keep track of: Alec, Emily, Selina, Delvin, Lady Margaret, Lord Gervais, Lady Charlotte, Lord Marcara, Lady Sybilla, Simon, Sir Cosmo, The Duchess (Olivia), Uncle Plantagenet, Tam, etc.

One reviewer said Alec was “wooden” and I would agree with that. He had no personality whatsoever. Or maybe that’s just the narrator making him sound lifeless and boring.

And THERE WAS NO SEX IN THIS BOOK. Another reviewer said she didn’t like “spelled out sex scenes” and I found that laughable. Other people did have sex with others but all it was was mentioned, even the scene between Alec and Selina, it was fade-to-black so fast it made me dizzy.

If you’re looking for romantic this book is NOT for you. If you’re looking for an OK mystery then you might be interested in this. Personally, this is my first and last book by this author.

As to the narrator: I have no idea why Alex Wyndham got so many 5 star reviews. His female voices are terrible. He just reads the book. He barely laughs or whispers or anything the book calls for. How does that rate 5 stars? I will admit he has a nice reading voice but reading is not all there is to narration.

[Elis Madison · Rating 3 out of 5]

This gained a half star owing to some nice historical detail. It's a decent story; at least I kept reading, despite the fact that the writing was uneven. There are some awesome descriptions of people and settings, but way too much meandering dialogue and narrative. I skimmed a lot, so I probably missed a lot of clues, but still had the whodunit figured out early on.

There were also some misused words (she couldn't BREATH), lots of pronoun antecedent issues (it was often hard to know which "he" was doing something with more than one male character in the room), and other technical issues. My favorite was where the reader is told that "it was noted by many a swelling matronly bosom" that the hero had danced more than once with a married lady. Who knew that bosoms, swelling or not, noticed much of anything?

This author has a great imagination and clearly loves history enough to do some research (I did question a number of things, one of which was why the initial murder wasn't immediate cause for the hero's brother to run like a scalded cat for the Continent, but details like clothing and such were pretty much spot-on.). This had the makings of an excellent read, but would have benefitted from a strong editorial hand, and maybe an excellent critique group.

[Cindy · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I opened this ebook, it was billed as a 'crimance.' Call me a word snob, but if I had seen that in the description, I never would have bothered reading it. What the heck is a crimance? But I can't really hold that against the author because I don't know who chose that word. It could have been her, but it could have been the editor, some PR person, or a random publishing exec. In any case, it's such a horrible word!

But let's put that aside and talk about the story. Alec arrives back in England after being posted in Paris. He goes to visit the woman he loves only to find that she is recently betrothed to his brother. And his former lover is there to witness his humiliation. Trying to forget his love, Alec learns that friend is dead from a duel, again with Alec's brother, Edward. That guy is bad news. And he hates Alec.

Intrigue and romance all around, followed by a murder and attempted rape. I enjoyed the story and the setting, but the love angle wasn't as convincing as it should have been. Still, I would read more by this author.

[Barb · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've been looking for a series similar to the Captain Lacey mysteries by Ashley Gardner for a while now. I thought this sounded promising. The story is very romantic and there's a fair bit of sexy to it but it also had characters that were engaging and a mystery that kept me interested. It's not what I typically read and I wasn't sure I was going to like it for a fair part of it but by the end I really did find it entertaining. I'm not sure that I will continue on with the series but I'd love to listen to more audio read by Alex Wyndham, he brought the characters to life with his wonderful voice.

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked this mystery a lot, especially on audio, narrated by the yummy Alex Wyndham! Set in Georgian England, Alec Halsey returns to London - and the woman he intends to marry only to find out she's betrothed to his nasty brother, the Earl. Over the course of the book, we learn why Alec, who is actually the elder brother is not the Earl, why he never married the real woman he loved, and why he and his brother hate each others guts. We also meet lots of other people, friends, enemies, loads of intrigue, red herrings and delectably awful people! I loved it! Can't wait to read more by this author and the further adventures of the handsome, blue-eyed, Alec Halsey!

4.5/5

[kathie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed listening to this audio narrated by the wonderful Alex Wyndham. As others have said, it was almost like listening to a play being performed. His voices, even for the women, were excellent. But best of all was the sexy Alec Halsey....my oh my!! More mystery than romance but certainly had elements of romance in the story. Kind of a cliff hanger ending which means I'll have to purchase Deadly Affair if I want to see if Alec and Selina may actually get together.