A Gentleman in Pursuit of Truth

The Lord Julian Mysteries #4

by Grace Burrowes

A dogged investigation... Lord Julian Caldicott is summoned to the country home of a family friend to search for a prize foxhound who’s gone missing. The purloined canine turns out to be only the tail of a series of puzzles involving family secrets, slander, blackmail, and fraud. Matters grow more baffling when Julian is told to drop the investigation, though suspects abound, motives are multiplying, and a large sum of money has come into play.Hounded by lies...Julian survives an attempt on his life, and endures slights to his honor rather than give up on his objective. Before the truth is revealed–and the hound brought safely home–he will have to choose between protecting his only surviving brother from ruin, or allowing a scoundrel to get away with the next thing to murder.

Genres: Mystery, Historical Fiction, Historical, Romance, Fiction, Regency, Historical Mystery

240 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 27, 2024

About the author

Grace Burrowes started writing as an antidote to empty nest and soon found it an antidote to life in general. She is the sixth out of seven children, raised in the rural surrounds of central Pennsylvania. Early in life she spent a lot of time reading romance novels and practicing the piano. Her first career was as a technical writer and editor in the Washington, DC, area, a busy job that nonetheless left enough time to read a lot of romance novels.

It also left enough time to grab a law degree through an evening program, produce Beloved Offspring (only one, but she is a lion), and eventually move to the lovely Maryland countryside.

While reading yet still more romance novels, Grace opened her own law practice, acquired a master's degree in Conflict Transformation (she had a teenage daughter by then) and started thinking about writing.... romance novels. This aim was realized when Beloved Offspring struck out into the Big World a few years ago. ("Mom, why doesn't anybody tell you being a grown-up is hard?")

Grace eventually got up the courage to start pitching her manuscripts to agents and editors. The query letter that resulted in "the call" started out: "I am the buffoon in the bar at the RWA retreat who could not keep her heroines straight, could not look you in the eye, and could not stop blushing--and if that doesn't narrow down the possibilities, your job is even harder than I thought." (The dear lady bought the book anyway.)

To contact Grace, email her at graceburrowes@yahoo.com.

Reviews

[Merry · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book really is about a dognapping. I found I did not like or care about any of the characters. I agree the British laws regarding being gay during the Regency period were awful. I get it! The unfairness of the law. Perhaps repeating it 5 more times will help me to remember the unfairness of the law.
Was Zax a truly despicable human being (that one gets my vote) or just someone who got off on the wrong path but could be a loving family man when he wasn't intimidating and blackmailing the neighborhood. I thought the plot weak, and I didn't like the book. 2.75* On the positive side I read the whole thing, so the writing was good.

[Izzie (on pause) McFussy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Stick a fork in me. This book is the last stop on my Burrowes journey of diminishing returns. Her books no longer work for me.

This story was a bait and switch. Come for a mystery about a dog, get a messy narrative about a bully.

So, here are the two things that sucked all my joy:
🪠I love dogs. Most every thought dealing with the missing dog, Thales, could be described at best as melon-collie (sue me).
🪠Books are my safe haven after getting my fill of the daily news. Here is one description of the bully among endless iterations:

I mentally amended my list: cheating husband, liar, fraud, bully, arrogant papa, extortionist, and lousy horseman.

Who does that sound like? Huh? Huh?

And, bonus suck:
🪠The solution to the missing hound was obvious

[eyes.2c · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lord Julian is called on to find a missing hound. A valuable hunter. The hound that’s disappeared is part of Banter’s brother-in-laws pack. (Banter is the love of Julian’s brother Arthur the Duke.) Said brother-in-law is a nasty conniving bully. Lord Julian finds much that puzzles him, although the truth of the matter comes to light late in the book.
I am so enjoying Lord Julian.

[Grisette · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.8 stars

This series has the unique feature of having a lovely main character that I thoroughly enjoy reading about and championing but having story plots that are bland in comparison. Really, if it was not for Lord Julian Caldicott, I would abandon this series. I am also glad I read this book right after Book 3 because similar themes were echoed in Book 4.

The first 60% of this book was tedious to go through, mainly because of the too slow pacing. The artful language (though appreciably witty in a trademark complicated way) did not help in livening the pace. What also did not help was the cast of characters that kept being vexatingly cowards and contrary (yes, I am looking at you Osgood!).

As the real nefarious villainy was unveiled in the last part, the book got better. GB successfully drew her dastardly villain and I was one with Lord Julian in wanting him to fall from his bully pedestal. I was relieved when Julian and co succeeded in driving the villain away and I do hope that Arthur will do his best with the German princes he knows 😅!

And even if the story remains a cozy mystery (and I'm guessing further books will be of the same variety), Lord Julian continues to prove to be a fine sleuth with his wits and brain so sharp and smart, and a most honourable gentleman. Hats off, my Lord! Rounding up the stars just because of this!


P.S. And the award for the most exalted HR name I have encountered so far goes to... Anaximander

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one was so clever. I’m impressed. I must admit on reading the blurb for this story I was less than enthralled. Searching for a missing dog didn’t seem much of a mystery- however the case quickly becomes far more complicated and involved a large cast of people. A great read.

[Anne-Mammy · Rating 5 out of 5]

As I've read all the Lord Julian mysteries to date, I knew what to expect and I was not disappointed. Julian is gradually coming to terms with his new circumstances now that he is back in Britain and each book enables us to see some progress not only in his physical state but also in his relationship with Hyperia. There are some allusions to events in previous books and that is always welcome, but you need not have read the other volumes to enjoy this one. As usual, the plot is quite convoluted but never obvious, so we or at least I am kept guessing at the way the mystery will unfold. The baddies are clearly bad and there is no mystery there, but it is the way their dastardly deeds are committed which is interesting.
As usual, Ms Burrowes style in this series is very different from her other books and I have come to appreciate her allusive, learned vocabulary and syntax.
I am looking forward to reading her next novel in this series and wonder whether Julian and Hyperia will finally have their HEA. Of course it all depends on the return of Julian's manly humours!!. There are hopeful signs!!

[HR-ML · Rating 4 out of 5]

Regency mystery-romance. 4 stars.

Osgood Banter, Arthur's beloved, requested Julian
use his tracking ability at Bloomfield. Jules remained
a puzzle solver but he's slowly become more comfort
able as himself.

This started out slow, but was deeper than just
about dog-napping. Several people in the country-
side worried about their futures IE steward O'Keefe,
dog master Mac, former magistrate Sir Rupert, and
Mrs. Joyce innkeeper/ postmistress.

Nax married Os Banter's cousin Lizzie 15 years prior (?)
Nax acted like the squire/ landowner when he 'managed'
Bloomfield land for Banter. Nax tried to intimidate others
and use their vulnerabilities against them.

Nax rode his horse in a crazy, unsafe manner and expected
Julian to do likewise. Julian and Hyperia finally revealed
their mutual love!

My fav scene- several people confronted Nax on his
lies and illegal schemes. They showed him the serious-
ness of the consequences. They out-smarted him.

Why must people accuse noble Julian of being a coward
or traitor in wartime? Neither true. This is wearing thin.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

First of all - if you haven’t binged through everything Grace Burrowes has written - why not???

Her writing is spectacular.

I want to thank the writer for an ARC copy of the book. The story sounds outrageous but it is fantastic.

This is a great addition to the series and I love all the characters.

If you expect instant gratification in a quick romance - this is not your story. But Lord Julian and Perry are fabulous together.

I’m already ready for the next in the series.

[Jo Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the latest Lord Julian Mystery, as I have enjoyed the previous three, because they are fun, well written, clever and it is interesting to see his growth. I eagerly wait to see where he goes from here!

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

Finished this one while sitting on a plane in Columbus for multiple hours, and maybe that explains my lack of enthusiasm for this particular storyline. A dog has gone missing, and Julian must find it or… many bad things will happen through a domino effect that I didn’t keep track of that well?

In this one at least I think we’ve finally gotten away from the constant rehashing of what happened in France, so that’s good news.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Foiled! Good!!

[Mum · Rating 3 out of 5]

I learned more about fox hunting and hounds than I ever wanted to. I also enjoyed the closed or possibly closed minded community and their inability/unwillingness to share. Julian is becoming less endearing to me than he was in the first few stories. He’s beginning to sound more dithering. (Not a plus to me!)

[MichelleH H · Rating 5 out of 5]

‘Rolled my eyes’ in sheer joy when I finished this.

Oh my goodness, do I love this series. The mysteries are so seemingly mundane and then things turn on their heads and a jillion suspects pop up and the guest investigator’s life is threatened in the first couple of chapters. Wow. Everybody is suffering the hubris of a bullying wannabe lord of the shire, whether it’s blackmail, unwanted sexual overtures, criminal neglect or threats of power over the people who live under his supposed protection. I really wanted this guy to die. Painfully. A large cast of characters that you end up caring about in the end.

When everything seems impossible and do mean impossible, the solution is so clever. And as usual Our Dear Author’s knowledge of the law comes into play in the process. The scoundrel gets off too easily, but we’re picking up hints of possible dire (?) outcomes in the future.

Start with book one. Please.

Oh, and the Hero. Sigh. The heroine steps in the picture again, the ongoing story arc is bringing them together more and more. It’s beautifully slow romance. Completely unique from typical Regency Romance. Yes, in line with many a crime drama investigation series, but this is delicious. I’m telling ya.

I highly recommend this series. I reread more of her stories than almost any other author I read, and I say almost because I must own sixty some books by her, not exactly a single book to reread, but an entire series. She writes of real life problems that beset individuals outside of balls and The Season, issues we can relate to. I love it.

[Quenby · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars. The villain was remarkably similar to Trump, a sometimes charming bully, or perhaps a psychopath. Is there a difference? I’m removing half a star because his comeuppance wasn’t nearly enough. But as usual the story is beautifully crafted. I was unable to guess the final resolution and we get to spend time with Lord Julian, his sidekick Atticus, his brother the Duke. Might I just take a moment to admire the names! Anaximander - you just don’t run across that very often! Osgood Banter! Lady Ophelia Oliphant. The dog Thales… just to name a few. I still want to know what happened to Lord Julian’s brother Lord Harry who was lost and presumed dead in the war. A very enjoyable mystery.

[Jan · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bit boring, hoping the series doesn’t become a snooze fest with overt politeness.

[Becky Almon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another satisfying tale

I devoured this new tale of Lord Julian's adventures as soon as it hit my Kindle, another all night read !
The story moves along without any dead stretches. The dialogue never sounds stilted or unnecessary. Although it is book 4 in the series, one doesn't have to have read the other books to know the basics (although it would be a pity to not do so) of Julian's background. The author does a good job of giving just enough information without repeating whole sections from the previous books as some writers do, to the point of annoying anyone who has read all the books in a series. I also like how she inserts characters from her other series in a way that makes it fun to try to remember which other books are referred to or to make one look into her other books if one doesn't recognize an interesting minor character., sort of like seeing an actor in a role and trying to
tie him to another show.
I have never been disappointed in one of Ms. Burrowes' books. I have gone back to reread many after a reference or appearance of a character in a new book to remind me of the
original story.
If you are new to her books, I cannot but urge you to introduce yourself to her interconnected Regency world.

[Pamela Shropshire · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this one, Julian is summoned by Banter to find a missing dog. The dog, a foxhound named Thales, belongs to Banter’s cousin-by-marriage, Anaximander Silforth, and a nasty character he is indeed.

Silforth is married to Banter’s cousin, Lizzie. They have 10 children (!) and Lizzie’s unmarried sister, Eleanor, is a sort of unpaid nursemaid for the children. Silforth is dog- and horse-mad and loves to hunt. He also has a habit of blackmailing, conniving and coercing people to do what he wants. However, Julian (and the entire village) make sure that for once, Slimy Silforth, receives justice and he ends up being banished to the Continent for the foreseeable future to prevent being prosecuted for insurance fraud, which was a hanging offense then in Merry Olde England. Everyone else lives happily ever after, and Julian is off to solve his next puzzle.

Lots of fun and a lovely villain to hate (hiss, boo)!

[Olga Godim · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this novel. This time, Lord Julian's investigation starts with a missing foxhound and then evolved into thwarting the nefarious financial schemes of a bully and a blackmailer. As always, Julian is determined to uncover the truth despite the complex and convoluted plot concocted by his adversary. In his quest for that truth, Julian disregards his health issues and even the dangers to his life and reputation, but he invariably remains the staunchest advocate of the weak and the defenseless. I really love this hero. And I love the author's original approach to this series: none of the mysteries deals with murder. I want more of Lord Julian.

[Nadine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lord Julian is looking for a dog and finds all sorts of things going wrong on Mr Banter's estate and in his family life. In between, I wasn't sure how the author would ever manage to disentangle the complex situation with blackmail, family obligations and fear featuring prominently. But she did beautifully, and somewhat surprising, too. Might want to reread.

[Lindsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Still enjoying the developing character of Julian and his family. As a hound lover, this was a fun romp with dog behavior and those who train and love these (slightly too clever) animals. It was also a great look at the subtleties of family ties, blackmail, and the complications of being a responsible adult.

Definitely excited for book 5 in May!

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

GB continues in the same lighthearted, uncertainty in this mystery. It is fun to follow the characters and the hint of romance is just right.

[Kim Power · Rating 4 out of 5]

Twisty mystery and a charming narrator

One of the advantages of a series is that characters have space to develop, heal and change as life brings new challenges. Lord Julian is a slightly ambiguous character. Shadows from his past, some loss of memory , questions about his patriotism hang over his return home. By this, Book 4, Julian is showing some evidence of rehabilitation, which is threatened when what seems to be a simple case of dog napping is revealed to be just the tip of the iceberg. As always, beautifully written, with characters to love, despise or empathise with.

[Dorothy R. Till · Rating 5 out of 5]

Of course 5 stars for another Grace Burrowes book!

I love the Lord Julian novels. I love mysteries, though I can never solve them, and a Grace Burrowes book is always a delightful read. I may not be a great solver of mysteries but I am a great judge of books and this one was excellent.

[Olya · Rating 1 out of 5]

By far the weakest of the lot. Some contradictions are starting to creep into the author's narrative - especially around what women did and did not know at that time period. Oh and carrier pigeons acting like telegrams? With the same accuracy and speed? Oh-kay.
The part that really annoyed me was the "boys always take after their biological father, girls take after their mother - nurture has no chance". What bull.

[Susan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh

I have really enjoyed the Lord Julian mysteries, but this one could have been a short story. I sped read or skipped many pages and had zero confusion at the end.

[DENISE I. · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF - it just didn’t hold my interest. I tried to read it several times but 🤷🏾‍♀️….

[Barbara Rogers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Barbara’s rating: 5 out of 5 Stars
Series: The Lord Julian Mysteries #4
Publication Date: 2/27/24
Period: Regency
Number of Pages: 243

I absolutely love this series. It has a unique premise in that the protagonist has come home from the Napoleonic wars as a very broken man – mentally and physically. He holed himself up in a darkened house for almost a year after his return. He was taken prisoner and tortured by the French and somehow managed to escape but wandered injured and helpless through the Pyrenees until he reached friendly territory. His hair has turned pure white, his eyesight is poor and cannot tolerate bright light, he is emaciated, and . . . worst of all . . . his fellow citizens have branded him a traitor and accused him of leaving his older brother to die in the prison camp. He is not a traitor – but the rumors persist nevertheless. I believe that you should read the whole series, in order, so you get and follow the entire background of the characters and their relationships.

Lord Julian, who has solved several mysteries lately, has been summoned to the estate of Osgood Banter to solve the disappearance of a large, prized, foxhound named Thales. Yes, we have the case of the Purloined Puppy. However, when he arrives at the estate and meets all the players, Lord Julian realizes there is much more to solve than a missing canine. Tensions are high – both on the estate and in the surrounding village. It seems the dog’s owner is not greatly esteemed by any of the residents – at home or in the village. So, if Thales's owner – Anaximander (Nax) Silforth (I know, it is a mouthful, right?) is so disliked by everyone, why is Osgood Banter leaving Nax in total charge of his vast, wealthy estate while he travels the continent? Hmmmm – you will just need to read the story to see, but it is a doozie!

In this book, we have a bit less page time with Arthur, the Duke of Waltham (Julian’s brother), Hyperia (Perry) West (Julian’s love interest), Lady Ophelia (Julian’s Godmother), and Atticus, Julian’s pint-sized outspoken Tiger. They were there but just didn’t have a lot of page time. I really love it when Julian and Perry are bouncing thoughts and ideas off each other.

Trigger warnings – the Duke of Waltham and Osgood Banter are male lovers. I love their relationship as it is longstanding, true, mature, and thoughtful – and that is what is focused on. I also love that the author depicts what a same-gender couple had to deal with during that time rather than writing like it was all buttercups, unicorns, and roses with everyone accepting and celebrating the relationship. Being in a same-gender relationship during that time often got you hanged, but if it didn’t, you were socially ostracized by all levels of society. This author shows that without being preachy about it.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and all of the others in the series. I am already anxiously awaiting the next book, A Gentleman In Search of A Wife . Happy Reading!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Cody · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enjoyable read, but relatively shallow and a let down from the heights of the last book. 3.5/5 stars rounded up (thanks Goodreads).

I'm behind on reviews as I was on vacation in Ireland, so apologies if I miss anything! I ended up having a good time with this one, and jumped right in after finishing the last book. In retrospect that was probably a mistake. The last book was very good, and this book unfortunately just never reached the same heights. The mystery itself was kind of shallow and made out of nothing, and the contradictory character actions really took me out of the book. With that being said, I like Julian and the writing was good, so I still had fun.

To expand on the mystery here, we have a dognapping. At the start I really didn't think this could possibly last over 200 pages, but it did. The plot dragged a bit, as it felt like the dog fed information (pun intended) was done deliberately to draw it out. The resolution wasn't as unexpected as I think the author maybe thought. It felt quite obvious once we got more detail where the plot was going.

The characters were mixed. I enjoyed getting to know more about Banter, and more of Julian's childhood. But there are definitely some problems here. Mainly the repetition of what it was like to be gay in this time period, and the contradictory character motivations. While I could understand the tough spot some of the characters were in, I grew really frustrated with how they acted later on. Asking Julian to do all of this stuff, then telling him to let sleeping dogs lie (yes, another pun), but asking him to sacrifice all these people's emotions who he knows will be effected. The scales just never truly felt balanced to me, which made me scratch my head.

The writing here is as good as usual. It's well described without being overly lyrical, and the time period is well realized. I appreciate the historical detail added, and how it plays a role in the characters stories. It feels like a good exploration of the time.

So, a mixed bag again unfortunately. I seem to flip/flop on this series. In the end, it's still enjoyable, and I'd recommend for fans of less complex mysteries on the cozy side.

Quick hits:
+ An enjoyable book.
+ Well written and full of historical exploration.
+/- Repetition of some content, which belabors the point.
- A shallow mystery, that goes on for too long considering how simplistic it is.
- Contradictory character motivations that lead to too much head scratching.

[Jill E. · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really good read

I continue to enjoy the books in this series.

Once more of the author has come up with a mystery that could only present itself to a mind that has done its share of research. As with the other books about Lord Julian, the plot takes wonderful, twists and turns.

In this the fourth book of the series, I found Lord Julian to have stepped a little closer to recovery from the horrible experiences he endured during the Napoleonic wars. (I find it interesting and impressive that the author is able to impress that degree of recovery through subtext, Julian’s self-reflection and subtle details.) And although we do not see that much of Hyperia in this installment, still the relationship moves steadily, though slowly, forward. And many of Hyperia’s concerns are reflected in Lizzie‘s story.

Of course, I believe most people like to see a bully put in his place. And certainly I was rooting for Lord Julian. It seemed for a while that he might not be successful, but amazingly there are others in and around Bloomfield, who have either suffered at the hands of the bully, or face a future of desperation and want because of the man’s unethical, callous and egotistical behaviors.

There were several new characters who were well developed as is usual with this author.

I very much enjoyed the book and look forward to the next in the series.

[Barbara Moore · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very American

I have read all four of the Lord Julian books published thus far. If the word “gotten” had been used but once I would have turfed the lot…it was not, although many other American English examples not of the period were come upon.
The author tends to overplay the loose morals of the time and also the disgrace surrounding Lord Julian’s capture and torture. I would have thought that application to St Clair could have cleared his name.
The stories are well plotted, with interesting themes, but the author leans rather heavily on emphasising one side of any situation to suit her characters’ actions…for instance a bully gets away with appalling behaviour while not being called to book for his own actions - or society damns Lord Julian for being tortured and surviving being abandoned in the mountains while giving no credit for heroic behaviour, mentions in despatches and obvious approval of Wellington himself.
The “my lording” and “your gracing” is overdone. Christian names were and are more readily used between family members and friends. Perhaps done to emphasise the stuffiness of the aristocracy?
Nevertheless, the scene of post-war Regency England and the use of tracking and survivalist skills is interesting.