Tropes: murder mystery; MC's are partners solving a case
Steam level: 1-2
Part of a series, and best if not read as a standalone.
I had been putting off reading this just because I dreaded the end of Audrey and Hugh's cases and the wrap-up of their relationship, as much as I was glad they finally got together in book 5 and worked through serious issues, including accusations that Audrey was a murderess, in book 6. The premise here might be the darkest so far, with a plotline involving young women who become initiated into a sinister society. However, because this case isn't nearly as personal to the MC's as, say, the one in book 6, the pacing is slightly on the slow side until around the 40% mark. When it swiftly picks up at that point, the book is hard to put down, with a building sense of tension and dread.
Atmosphere aside, the mystery is actually pretty straightforward--not nearly as twisty as I was hoping for--and the violence gets pulled back a bit, so the character interactions are really the main focus. I thought the arguments and banter between Audrey and Hugh were well-written, but if you're hoping for some steam between the two, well... The good news is there's some closure regarding her husband at the end, the bad news is that their relationship remains pretty slow burn still, even though they're engaged. And the consummation after marriage is off-page, which I found rather disappointing. The highlight for me continued to be the relationship between Hugh and Sir, and Cassie and Thornton look promising as the focus of the next book (Thornton has low-key become my favorite character). So at least the series itself isn't ending.
Overall, this is a fairly satisfying wrap-up of Hugh and Audrey's relationship, and the mystery element is heart-pounding, if not as cerebral as usual. Very much looking forward to the series continuation, with the next entry featuring Thornton and Cassie.