The Ties that Divide

Q&Z Regency Mysteries #1

by Sandra Preisler, Taylor Preisler

In the heart of Regency London, where the gulf between the opulent upper class and the squalid streets is as wide as the Thames, Zoe Demas, a young French woman entangled in two worlds, finds herself at the center of a chilling mystery.



When her lady's maid, Lucy, is found dead in the notorious district of Whitechapel, Zoe refuses to accept the verdict of a tragic accident. Determined to uncover the truth, she enlists the help of Quinton Huxley, a man whose expertise lies in navigating the murky waters between legality and the underworld.



Alongside a cast of characters as diverse as they are mysterious—Zoe's stepfamily, a Bow Street runner, a resurrectionist, and a gangster among them—Zoe and Quinton unravel a tale of forbidden love, jealousy, and betrayal that threatens to consume her.



Your next obsession awaits. Uncover the mystery, challenge the past, and be part of Zoe's journey. This novel is perfect for fans of historical mysteries who love a strong female protagonist and a cast of characters that feel like family. Grab your copy of "The Ties that Divide" today!

Genres: Mystery, Historical Fiction, Historical Mystery

248 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 24, 2024

Reviews

[eyes.2c · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exciting new Regency mystery series!

Zoe Demas is a usual young woman, a French aristocrat’s daughter. As a young child, she and her mother Simone escaped the Terror, fleeing to England as emigres. Simone met and married a barrister Lord Hugh Dovefield. Zoe was a precocious and intelligent child. Hugh used to take Zoe with him to court, discussing points of law with her. Now older, painting and law remain her two focuses. She is a skilled sketch artist. Now older, Zoe doesn’t ever forget her time as a child when the streets ran with blood.
Zoe’s background of violence and her questioning mind meant she did not take kindly to leading the life of a genteel lady. If anything she’s careless of herself and of others around her.
That all changes the day Zoe’s maid Lucy goes missing, to be found dead on a street in Whitechapel. It’s ruled an accidental death. Zoe is shocked, the puzzled. What was her maid, who was even scared about walking walking in Hyde Park in broad daylight, doing in that part of town at night? Not satisfied with the coroners verdict she hires an inquiry agent, Quinton Huxley to investigate. Quinton grew up hustling on the very streets, where he now plies his craft.
The sparks fly between Zoe and Quinton. Zoe is stubborn and insists on going into unsuitable places. Quinton tries to hold her back from such surroundings. No luck! She insists on joining him even when he visits a bull baiting pit. Now there’s a scene!
Sure there’s some familiar tropes. A detective who’s a step away from being a Bow Street runner investigates with lady of quality, albeit a rebel. A mysterious background surrounds said detective. Baby farms, orphans preferring the streets to other alternatives, friends on both sides of the law, multiculturalism of the time—all grist for the mill!
An exciting new Regency mystery, with a cast of interesting and strong supporting characters—some on the wrong side of the law. How they develop will be something to watch.
A great start to a new series, I’m looking forward to what follows.

A Book Whisperer ARC via NetGalley.
Many thanks to the author and publisher.

[William · Rating 5 out of 5]

Entertaining mystery listening 🎶🔰

This kindle e-book novella is from my Kindle Unlimited account book one of two

Zoe is having words with her lady 🚺 maid. Then she is found murdered! Zoe hires a man 🚹 to find the truth. It is a chase here,there, and everywhere. There is another murder. It all ends to a violent end. 👒🐕

I would recommend this series and author to 👍 readers of romantic family and friends relationships adventure mystery novels 👍🔰 2025 🌇😕

[Sharyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

The authors are a mother daughter team, and they did a great job with this debut novel that I assume will be a series as the book ends on a cliffhanger. The characters are well drawn with very different and diverse backgrounds, which really help this novel stand out.
Zoe and her mother, Simone, escaped from France and lived on the edges of society until Simone married a barrister, Hugh, who has very modern ideas. He is influenced by his friend and real-life reformer, William Garrow, the person who said innocent until proven guilty. Hugh has allowed Zoe to watch him work, and as she is very clever, she has absorbed quite a lot of law.
When her maid Lucy is found dead in Whitechapel, Zoe refuses to believe it was an accident, and finds an investigator, Quinton Huxley to help her solve the crime.
There is a large cast of characters, each more interesting than the last.
John, a biracial Bow Street runner and his sister Mary, who becomes Zoe's maid, and Charlie, another biracial character who has an English father and Indian mother. Quinton John, and Charlie grew up on the streets together, with Charlie's mother giving them love and food.
It is the characters who really bring the book to life and I look forward to meeting them all again in the next book.
The mystery slowly unfolds, and the denouement is quite surprising.
Thanks to NetGalley and the Book Whisperer for my EARC. I am giving my honest review and do recommend this book.

[Quenby]

DNF. Not bad just unpolished. A lot of very contemporary language was jarring. Good use of historical facts. The character of Zoe was not strong enough to hold my interest. Quinton is quite good but the description of attraction to Zoe was a bit cringy for me. Frankly I couldn’t really understand the attraction although it is clearly fated.

[Lauryn Zurn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved The Ties That Divide! It was easy to picture all the characters and scenes were written with such detail that I felt I was right there with them. This book passes the Bechdel test and features a diverse cast of characters, something that is often overlooked in Regency-era novels. Adequate time is spent on developing said characters and I felt invested in each of their stories. For example, I appreciated the complicated relationship between Zoe and her mother and the strong bond between Zoe and her lady’s maid. Their banter was hilarious and felt like a believable friendship. I also loved the relationship between Quinton and Zoe. It's a pet peeve of mine when two characters meet, feel neutral about one another, and then by the next chapter are suddenly madly in love. Their relationship is not like that and feels earned. I was rooting for them the whole time. The plot also kept me engaged and guessing until the very end. I look forward to reading any additional books in this series!

[Ria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher Books Whisperer for providing me with the e-arc of this book. This did not affect my review in any way.

Rating: 4/5

Background: Zoe and her mother fled from France to become refugees in England. Zoe lost her father while fleeing France and is not close with her mother but grew a close relationship with her stepfather (Hugh) and his sister (Theo). Zoe had sent her maid (Lucy) to deliver a message to her aunt (Theo) but her maid never returned, and was found dead. The story of her death does not add up; even though Zoe was not close with Lucy she felt that she should get justice for Lucy and decided to solve the mystery by herself. She hired a guy to help her with the work, but he does not abide by the laws he does it his own way. The man she hired was Quinton. This book is written in third person and has two POVs Zoe and Quinton.

Overall:
I admit I was in a reading slump while reading this book, so the beginning was a little slow for me. Once I got further into the book I started to connect with the characters and I was intrigued to keep on reading. This book had me guessing until the end and I did not guess who the murderer was. I love the relationships between each character. There were some plot twists that I loved and whenever I felt like the story skewed off course it was for a good reason. This is one of the only books that I enjoyed when the authors included some seemingly random ideas into the plot! I felt like it added to the story's depth.

Positive:
I loved Theo as a person she is the cool rich aunt that everyone loves. She treats Zoe so well even though they are not blood-related.
The relationship between Mary Fletcher and Zoe is so cute and I love how Zoe doesn't treat her as a maid but as I friend. It seems like Zoe grew as a person after Lucy died. Zoe and Mary are like missing puzzle pieces to each other, they make each other whole.
I liked that this was not a story that the main character thought she could solve on her own, that is just unrealistic.I liked that Zoe brought in help from Quinton but was still involved in solving the mystery.
The characters act like real people, not a "Mary-Sue"

Neutral:
I read this in a slump and the beginning was quite slow, so it took a while for me to actually enjoy reading the book. But it got there.
There were several repeated phrases that I feel could have had more variety.
There was a bit of a modern twist that I could not see characters doing in this time, but I feel like it made it easier to read. (This is my first historical fiction book)

This was a great book for a debut novel especially for having multiple authors! I can not wait to read the rest of the series. I would recommend this book to a friend.

[Cathy Geha · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Ties That Divide by Sandra Preisler, Taylor Preisler
A Q&Z Regency Mystery #1

Great introduction to a new series written by a mother-daughter writing team ~ Eager to read what happens next!

What I liked:
* Lady Zoe Demas: French, escaped with her mother from the French Revolution, an artist, learned about law from her stepfather, curious, somewhat spoiled, looking for purpose, stubborn, wants more than what her mother wants for her
* Quinton Huxley: works as a bit of a fixer and private investigator, spent time on the streets after his actress mother died, never knew who his father was, bright, good friend to Charlie & John, protective, intriguing
* John Smith: Bow Street Runner, Mary’s cousin, has worked with Zoe’s father on cases, good friend
* Mary Fletcher: John’s cousin who becomes maid-companion to Zoe, strong, independent, outspoken
* Charles Modi: good friend of Quinton and John, a bit of a criminal, brother of Savita, his mother is a midwife and helped John and Quinton when they had rough times
* Rory: resurrectionist, intriguing, would like to learn more about him
* Zoe’s parents – opposites, love match, parents of Phoebe and Walter who are Zoe’s half-siblings
* Theodora: wealthy widow, Zoe’s aunt and supports Zoe’s independent streak
* Gwen, Ezra & Brutus – all had parts that were important – hope to see more of them in the future
* The plot, pacing, setting, and writing
* Being able to read the first book in a new series

What I didn’t like:
* Who and what I was meant not to like
* Thinking about the killer and what would create someone like that
* The big divide between the haves and the have-nots

Did I like this book? Yes
Would I read more in this series? Yes

Thank you to NetGalley and Book Whisperer for the ARC – this is my honest review.

5 Stars

[Eleanor · Rating 4 out of 5]

How far would you go to ensure that your murdered employee received justice? In ‘The Ties That Divide’, Lady Zoe Demas, a French emigre pairs with the brutish Quinton Huxley to solve the mystery of her slain lady’s maid. It’s as much a fast-paced Regency mystery with a developing romance undercurrent as a study in what it’s like to inhabit multiple worlds. Both of our main characters don’t quite belong: Zoe and her mother fled the Reign of Terror and eventually entered the lower ranks of the ton through the latter’s remarriage. Quinton is the son of an actress and quite probably a noble by-blow, who can affect the manners of his “betters” but grew up in a slum.
They meet when Lady Zoe’s lady’s maid, Lucy, is found dead in a seedy part of town, and Quinton comes recommended as *the* person to work with to solve the case. We soon meet a very diverse and multicultural cast of characters in aristocratic drawing rooms to the theatre to London’s seedy underbelly, including a baby-farming outfit. There’s also a full complement of supporting characters, including Quinton’s family of choice to Zoe’s elevated connections, all of whom actually contribute to the plot - no dead weight here!
The story itself is fast paced, with twisty re-directs and some heavy foreshadowing, but pleasantly surprised me throughout. The villain was never obvious and I really enjoyed the friendship and growing, if not quite fully acknowledged, connection between the two main characters. It was an engaging read and I’m looking forward to reading forthcoming books in this series.

I rate this a 4/5*.

I received an ARC of this book from the authors via BookWhisperer but the opinions are all my own!

[Kathleen Riggs · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Historical Drama Full of Diverse and Interesting Characters.
The Ties That Divide authors are a mother daughter team Sandra and Taylor Preisler. For their first book they have done an excellent job on this Regency-era mystery. The book is a historical drama full of diverse and interesting characters. Zoe and her mother Simone escape from France and move to London England. Simone then meets and marries a London Barrister called Hugh. As they grow closer Hugh and Zoe spend a lot of time together. Zoe spends her time observing and studying Hugh in court. Zoe is very smart and quickly finds that she absorbs and retains the knowledge she listens to. When Zoe’s maid Lucy is found dead in Whitechapel Zoe does not believe it was an accident but murder.
Zoe uses her legal knowledge and hires a private investigator Quinton Huxley to help solve Lucy's murder. I immediately fell in love with Zoe and Mary and found Quinton Huxley to be very captivating. Quinton and Zoe make a good team, investigating their suspects among the upper-class and in some of the poorest parts of the city. Along the way Zoe learns to understand a lot about herself. The characters bring the book to life and the authors have left the ending on a mysterious note of more books on this unlikely duo who make a talented team and the dialogue between them is well-written. If you like mysteries and suspense you will enjoy this book. Thanks to NetGalley and to the publishers of this book for giving me a free advance copy of the book to preview and I am leaving this review voluntarily.



20-21st

[Deb · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can say that I totally enjoyed this first book written by a fabulous mother/daughter team. Initially I wasn't so sure about Zoe Demas; she acted quite spoiled, willful and totally self absorbed. But when her maid is killed, Zoe sets out to find what happen, because she realized that she never looked upon Lucy as a person with her own issues and concerns. That is when we see Zoe become this warrior. We learn that Zoe and her mother fled the French Terror. Her stepfather is a wonderful barrister who treats Zoe as a person with many interests even if it conflicts with her mother's view.
Along the way she hires a young man by the name of Quentin Huxley to help. Does she drive him crazy? Oh ya, but then she drives him crazy because she won't listen and respond to the social mores of that time. She is connected, he isn't. We are introduced to what becomes Zoe's tribe. A group of people all inter connected thru bonds of love rather than blood. Quentin, along with his friends; John, a mix blood bow street runner, Charlie an Indian/British criminal, Mary; John's cousin, Rory a Scottish grave robber and so many more.
There is so much going on in this book. Urchins, despair, murder, friendship that all I am going to say is read it. It is a huge world that Sandra and Taylor have created that I look forward to not only seeing what secrets will be uncovered, but the development of each of these characters. I can only hope that this isn't going to be a yearly thing but more frequent like Carla Simpson and Cara Devlin. I need more and sooner.

[Marilyn Boyle · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Ties That Divide is an engaging romp that will leave you satisfied both historically, setting you perfectly in its time, and emotionally, with well-drawn characters and tantalizing romance. The class system is well covered, and well-handled for the Regency period. There are a few comments that seemed contemporary to our time, though, but, most likely are edited out of the final product. None of it was enough, to keep me from enjoying the book thoroughly, a lighthearted mystery with complex characters.

Thanks to NetGalley and The Book Whisperer for an ARC in exchange for an honest review

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley. These are new authors and I hope this is the beginning of a series. Zoe's maid has been murdered and she realizes she knows very little about her personally. After her acquaintance, the Bow Street Runner takes her to Quinton the investigator to help find out what has happened to Lucy and was it something from her past that brought it about. Zoe learns a great deal about the city she never thought about or people she would come in contact with before. With the help of her stepfather who has taught her about the law and some who stay close to the line of the law also a unofficial coroner, they are able to solve the crime. I look forward to the next book.

[Dianne · Rating 5 out of 5]

The mystery of Lucy's murder is good. It's hinted at early on and there's quite a wrinkle in the denouement. However, in my opinion, it's secondary to setting up the main cast.
The authors did an excellent job of developing Zoe, Quinton, Hugh, Simone, etc. It's a large cast of characters, but each is introduced in a way that shows their relationship to Zoe or Quinton.
I enjoyed the chemistry and growing attraction between Zoe and Quinton. There's a twist at the very end that would allow for a courtship between Zoe and Quinton should they choose.
I'd read more books with these characters.
Highly recommend.

[Mads · Rating 3 out of 5]

Longer review on Netgalley, but I personally felt that the book had many grammatical mistakes (that were in the ARC, not sure if they have been fixed since then) and the storyline was a great start but had a little bit more to improve on. The overall enjoyment level I had while reading was definitely a bell curve, the beginning was especially hard to get into but around the middle I had a great time although the ending was pretty cliche. I think what impacted my experience the most was the introduction of too many characters and it was hard to keep track of who was who. This took away from the shock factor of the ending because I couldn't figure out who it was talking about.

[Toni Krogh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyable story

Zoe Delmas is a Lady who has not found her way in London, after she and her mother escaped to England from France. Barrister Hugh Dovefield falls in love with her mother and marries her and welcomes Zoe as his stepdaughter, eventually developing a close relationship with her, even taking her into his world of law, to her delight. At the beginning of the story, Zoe’s maid disappears and is later found in the street, possibly run over by a carriage. Zoe thinks something else is going on, and is directed to Hugh Quinton to help her with finding the truth. Very engaging story, like the characters and plot.

[Christy Jarrett · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book combines several topics that I particularly enjoy: parent child relationships that are strained and loving, mystery, social justice, a young woman finding her way after trauma, The mother/daughter authors did an excellent job with the growth of the mother/daughter and step father relationships. The budding love story is charming without taking away from solving the mystery. Many historical and mystery readers will enjoy this one and want to read the next. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to enjoy this book.

[Avril Hemingway · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good start to a new historical series from author's that are new to me. The character's are interesting and engaging and the mystery is full of twists and turns. It does end on a note that suggests there is much more to come. The only negative is that modern language has found it's way where it doesn't belong (Ms and lighten up wouldn't be used in this era) Apart from this it was an enjoyable read and I look forward to the next. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Ties That divide by Taylor & Sandra Preisler is a mystery novel set in the Regency time period. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book that I received on NetGalley and I always review every book that I read. This one will keep you turning pages and trying to figure out who committed the murder - and why. I enjoyed Zoe's unconventional methods that were so contrary to the customs of that period. I felt that the plot and characters were well developed. This book will keep you wanting more with these characters. I highly recommend this book.

[Cathy Roberts · Rating 5 out of 5]

very good

This book held my attention from start to finish. I’m thankful it ended where it can easily pick up again, hopefully soon. A young woman, Zoe, who lives a gentry’s life, sends her maid on an errand in a hateful manner. The maid is murdered. Zoe realizes she never bothered to know the maid. She hires an investigator to find out what really happened to her. How the mystery is solved is what holds your attention. You will love the strange group of characters who work together to solve this crime. Looking forward to their next adventure.

[Laura Stone · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book! Very easy to read and enjoyable. I love the characters, especially Zoe and Quinton and Ezra and Gwen and John and Brutus. The authors are very talented writers. They flawlessly developed the characters from the beginning until I was in love with all of them and anxious to find out what happened next with them. I love how we saw a romance START to develop but they didn't rush it. I can't wait for the second book !

[Pamela Barbee · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful book. I did not want it to end. And the end leaves me hoping for book 2 very soon! The characters are well developed and written so you will find at least one if not more characters to relate to. The mystery is very suspenseful, and there are a few clues hidden in the story, but you must be paying attention to catch them before the end. If you like mysteries and suspense, I think you will enjoy this story very much.

[Roslyn Stillman · Rating 5 out of 5]

After trying to read a couple of heavy historical mysteries, this one was such a delight to read. The characters were well written with a lot of character and the storyline flowed beautifully, with twists, turns and humor. I also found the budding romance something I will enjoy seeing develop over the series I am hoping will come. It was an easy read and I am now waiting to see if this will turn into a series. I received this as an ARC from Netgalley and freely give my review.

[Darlene Golbitz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Courtesy of Netgalley and The Book Whisperer, I received the ARC of The Ties That Divide, a debut novel by the mother-daughter team, Taylor and Sandra Preisler. This well written Regency era mystery was compelling, the characters engaging and interesting. Exploring the complexities of London's class system while investigating a surprising murder, Lady Zoe Demas proves a complex and strong leader! Highly recommend!

Share your review!

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you, Netgalley, for the opportunity to read and review this.

I found myself unable to give the book my complete attention. While I did plot interesting, overall, this was a decent read. However, this does appear to be part of a series, so it is too early to give an overall impression, as is the case with all serial books, where you get to know the characters better.

Despite my 'eh' feelings for this book, I am still interested to reading book 2.

[Michele · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks for giving me the chance to read this ARC edition. I love the spunk of the main character, Zoe and the attitude that he parents take with her in recognizing her talents and her needs as an independent woman. I look forward to another. I’m assuming it will be a series. It’s well written with interesting supporting characters.

[L Gwen Duarte · Rating 5 out of 5]

Delightful read

I don't usually review books. So many seem the same they blend together. However, I really enjoyed this book. Loved the characters which I thought were well developed. I loved the interaction. It seemed real. I hope there are more books by these authors about this group of people who recognize that it doesn't take blood to make a family.

[Kathi Beecher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Marvelous!

An excellent first novel. I love the eccentric and varied group of characters thrown together out of a need for the truth. Both the story and the characters were well developed and intriguing. I highly recommend this book and look forward to read many more Q&Z mysteries. Sandra and Taylor, keep them coming! I wish you both a long and happy career!

[Annarella · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good start for a new historical series: well plotted, compelling, cast of fleshed out characters.
The mystery is solid and kept me guessing.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

[Faye C Maxfield · Rating 5 out of 5]

excellent first book of a interesting partnership

Readable and moves along well but could use a few less convenient coincidences. Heroine rings true and hero has charm and character

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVE this book ! (and I can tell it is going to be a great series, as well :)
Characters are well0developed and dynamic; awesome dialogue. Just finished The Wounds that Divide (#2) and I cannot wait for the next book!