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Wrexford & Sloane #10
Murder on Threadneedle Street
Not all that glitters in Regency London is quite what it seems, as Charlotte and Lord Wrexford discover when a counterfeiting scheme draws them into a deadly web of murder and manipulation in USA Today bestselling author Andrea Penrose’s masterfully plotted mystery for readers of Victoria Thompson, C.S. Harris, and Deanna Raybourn.
Lord Wrexford and Charlotte’s growing family ensures that life is a source of constant adventure. The addition of Wrexford’s half-sister to their household is proving an unexpected delight. But some surprises are less welcome—and trouble strikes when Hawk, one of the young boys in their care, arrives home distraught after learning that his new drawing teacher has been found murdered on Threadneedle Street.
Fletcher Campbell’s death could be dismissed as a random robbery turned violent. But as an artist herself, Charlotte suspects there’s more to the case than meets the eye. Closer examination reveals that a distinctive ring was taken from the victim’s finger. With Hawk pleading for the family to help solve the crime, Charlotte and Wrexford suddenly find themselves entangled in a fiendish mystery that harkens back to a decade-old scandal that nearly brought down the government.
It seems Campbell’s brother was the infamous leader of a counterfeiting gang that swindled the Bank of England. Most were apprehended, but forged banknotes remain a problem. Now, the Bank of England has offered £20,000 to anyone who can use the newly-invented engineering technologies to create the Inimitable Banknote—a complex design that cannot be counterfeited.
It’s a prize that could tempt anyone, and Wrexford and Sloane’s investigation turns even more fraught when one of their closest friends falls under suspicion. The deeper they probe, the more treachery comes to light. For when a lie so easily masquerades as truth, danger may be much closer than they think . . .
Lord Wrexford and Charlotte’s growing family ensures that life is a source of constant adventure. The addition of Wrexford’s half-sister to their household is proving an unexpected delight. But some surprises are less welcome—and trouble strikes when Hawk, one of the young boys in their care, arrives home distraught after learning that his new drawing teacher has been found murdered on Threadneedle Street.
Fletcher Campbell’s death could be dismissed as a random robbery turned violent. But as an artist herself, Charlotte suspects there’s more to the case than meets the eye. Closer examination reveals that a distinctive ring was taken from the victim’s finger. With Hawk pleading for the family to help solve the crime, Charlotte and Wrexford suddenly find themselves entangled in a fiendish mystery that harkens back to a decade-old scandal that nearly brought down the government.
It seems Campbell’s brother was the infamous leader of a counterfeiting gang that swindled the Bank of England. Most were apprehended, but forged banknotes remain a problem. Now, the Bank of England has offered £20,000 to anyone who can use the newly-invented engineering technologies to create the Inimitable Banknote—a complex design that cannot be counterfeited.
It’s a prize that could tempt anyone, and Wrexford and Sloane’s investigation turns even more fraught when one of their closest friends falls under suspicion. The deeper they probe, the more treachery comes to light. For when a lie so easily masquerades as truth, danger may be much closer than they think . . .
365 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 29, 2026
About the author
Andrea Penrose
24 books2,069 followersAndrea Penrose is the USA Today bestselling author of Regency-era historical fiction, including the acclaimed Wrexford & Sloane mystery series, as well as Regency romances written under the names Cara Elliott and Andrea Pickens. Published internationally in ten languages, she is a three-time RITA Award finalist and the recipient of numerous writing awards, including two Daphne Du Maurier Awards for Historical Mystery and two Gold Leaf Awards.
A graduate of Yale University with a B.A. in Art and an M.F.A. in Graphic Design, Andrea fell in love with Regency England after reading Pride and Prejudice and has maintained a fascination with the era’s swirling silks and radical new ideas throughout her writing career. She lives in Connecticut and blogs with a community of historical fiction authors at WordWenches.com. She also can be found at AndreaPenrose.com and on Instagram @AndreaPenroseBooks.
A graduate of Yale University with a B.A. in Art and an M.F.A. in Graphic Design, Andrea fell in love with Regency England after reading Pride and Prejudice and has maintained a fascination with the era’s swirling silks and radical new ideas throughout her writing career. She lives in Connecticut and blogs with a community of historical fiction authors at WordWenches.com. She also can be found at AndreaPenrose.com and on Instagram @AndreaPenroseBooks.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 103 reviews
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
When a man’s murder seems insignificant on the dark Regency London streets, the killer has no idea what was unleashed when the deceased is young Hawk’s drawing instructor and he wants justice for his friend. Wrexford, Charlotte, and all their friends are now on a murderer’s trail. Andrea Penrose captured my attention with her first Wrexford and Sloane mystery which was full of Regency era description of art, science, and cunning mystery plot, but even more so with her winning ‘found family’ characters who work together to solve crime.
Murder on Threadneedle Street is the tenth entry in the fabulous historical mystery series that really must be taken in order for the ongoing character and relationship growth.
Hawk’s art instructor who is also recently released from prison and working in the park gardens is ruthlessly murdered. Little evidence is left at the scene and it seems like just one more incident of violence on the night streets of London. The victim is an odd choice for theft or any other murder motive. Wrexford and Charlotte don’t want to disappoint young Hawk so they agree to look into it knowing full well they will likely come up with an unsolved crime. But ‘the Weasels’- Hawk, Raven, Peregrine and Wrexford’s young half-sister- have no plans to sit this one out. They head back to the streets they still remember well before being adopted by Wrexford and Charlotte. They put their street urchin friends who see everything that goes on in their ‘patch’ and nose out the first bits of evidence even while setting a group of ruthless men on their trail.
Sometimes working the gritty angle of the streets and sometimes in the glittering drawing rooms of high society, a picture forms that hints at powerful people and an old unsolved crime of counterfeiting and treason. Someone wants a missing boy genius’ work that would make them a fortune in the best counterfeit money out there while several others are trying for the big twenty-thousand pound prize the Bank of England is offering for the person or team who invents a method of printing money that can’t be counterfeited.
The Wrexfords and their family and friends are not at a loss for motives or suspects, but are forced to wonder if they are the predators or the prey when deadly attempts on them occur more than once. Time is running out as the award for the prize is making someone desperate.
Murder on Threadneedle Street like previous books in the series has a particular focus into a form of science or art and real-life historical people and events involved in the topic. In this case, it is the issue of counterfeit money and the steps the country took to come up with a counterfeit-proof paper money system involving both cutting edge methods of art and science.
There is also the ongoing personal story of the family recently welcoming in Wrexford’s recently discovered teenage half-sister. He’s still adjusting to this stunning knowledge of his father’s past and she is struggling as she feels that she is only tolerated and not really a part of the family group while the Weasels are figuring out just how a girl fits into their midst as well.
All in all, it was an abso-fabulous installment in the series that I breezed through way to fast and was left satisfied, but also now forced to wait for another murder mystery and more Wrexford and Sloane, friends and Weasels on the case. Regency Era murder mysteries I can highly recommend.
I rec'd an eARC via NetGalley to read in exchange for an honest review.
My full review will post at The Reading Frenzy 9.14.26.
Murder on Threadneedle Street is the tenth entry in the fabulous historical mystery series that really must be taken in order for the ongoing character and relationship growth.
Hawk’s art instructor who is also recently released from prison and working in the park gardens is ruthlessly murdered. Little evidence is left at the scene and it seems like just one more incident of violence on the night streets of London. The victim is an odd choice for theft or any other murder motive. Wrexford and Charlotte don’t want to disappoint young Hawk so they agree to look into it knowing full well they will likely come up with an unsolved crime. But ‘the Weasels’- Hawk, Raven, Peregrine and Wrexford’s young half-sister- have no plans to sit this one out. They head back to the streets they still remember well before being adopted by Wrexford and Charlotte. They put their street urchin friends who see everything that goes on in their ‘patch’ and nose out the first bits of evidence even while setting a group of ruthless men on their trail.
Sometimes working the gritty angle of the streets and sometimes in the glittering drawing rooms of high society, a picture forms that hints at powerful people and an old unsolved crime of counterfeiting and treason. Someone wants a missing boy genius’ work that would make them a fortune in the best counterfeit money out there while several others are trying for the big twenty-thousand pound prize the Bank of England is offering for the person or team who invents a method of printing money that can’t be counterfeited.
The Wrexfords and their family and friends are not at a loss for motives or suspects, but are forced to wonder if they are the predators or the prey when deadly attempts on them occur more than once. Time is running out as the award for the prize is making someone desperate.
Murder on Threadneedle Street like previous books in the series has a particular focus into a form of science or art and real-life historical people and events involved in the topic. In this case, it is the issue of counterfeit money and the steps the country took to come up with a counterfeit-proof paper money system involving both cutting edge methods of art and science.
There is also the ongoing personal story of the family recently welcoming in Wrexford’s recently discovered teenage half-sister. He’s still adjusting to this stunning knowledge of his father’s past and she is struggling as she feels that she is only tolerated and not really a part of the family group while the Weasels are figuring out just how a girl fits into their midst as well.
All in all, it was an abso-fabulous installment in the series that I breezed through way to fast and was left satisfied, but also now forced to wait for another murder mystery and more Wrexford and Sloane, friends and Weasels on the case. Regency Era murder mysteries I can highly recommend.
I rec'd an eARC via NetGalley to read in exchange for an honest review.
My full review will post at The Reading Frenzy 9.14.26.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Unfortunately, I did not enjoy this one. I think this is where I should abandon this series once and for all. I was bored throughout most of this. This series has become very formulaic and repetitive - both from one book to the next and within each book. It kept explaining the same bit of scientific concept over and over, using almost the exact same words each time. It's also entirely too focused on Good vs. Evil, which is an ongoing problem I've had with the later books in this series. That kind of language can work for an epic fantasy tale, but in the historical mystery genre this kind of black-and-white morality and preaching about the forces of Good and Love (and ginger biscuits) triumphing over Evil and Darkness just feels trite.
Thank you to the publisher, Kensington Publishing, for providing a review copy via NetGalley. This review reflects my honest opinion.
Thank you to the publisher, Kensington Publishing, for providing a review copy via NetGalley. This review reflects my honest opinion.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This latest addition to the Wrexford and Sloane mysteries has many similar elements to others in the series: precocious Weasels, scientific/industrial advancement, and a murder, of course. These elements admittedly have begun to feel formulaic to me and I’ve lost the enjoyment I had in the first books.
There’s a reason we enjoy series, because of a cast of characters we’ve grown to love and want to keep following, but repetitive dialogue, word choices, and plot structure has made the later books in this series blur together.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.
There’s a reason we enjoy series, because of a cast of characters we’ve grown to love and want to keep following, but repetitive dialogue, word choices, and plot structure has made the later books in this series blur together.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.
October 5, 2026
Another great mystery.
While technically each of the novels contains its own mystery, and Prose does a stellar job of recapping the character connections, I recommend reading them in order. From their romance to the relationships to the children and secondary characters, one misses out by jumping in. It’s a binge-worthy series, especially when you listen to James Cameron Stewart narrate.
When Hawk’s drawing teacher turns up murdered on Threadneedle Street, he encourages Wrex and Charlotte to investigate. In doing so, they find ties to The Lisbon Conspiracy, a decades-old scandal. Penrose weaves in historical tidbits into her stories, and this one involves counterfeit currency and the Bank of England’s exploration of banknotes. During this time, each bank made its own currency, allowing for corruption. The Bank of England is hosting a contest for the creation of an Inimitable Banknote and the winner will receive a £20,000 prize. You can imagine the cutthroat competition.
On the home front, the boys are navigating life with the newest weasel. They want to include Evie, but also need to respect the rules Wrex sets down. She has proved to be a delightful addition to this found family. I loved seeing bonds form and watching them engage in this mystery.
Of course, danger is always afoot, and both Wrex and Charlotte worry about unsavory characters realizing the Weasels are more than street urchins. Danger and investigating kept me listening, but so did moments with these characters. Some of the secondary characters who aided them added some humor and provided information that moved the investigation. Wrex gives us a scare when he investigates solo, and the weasels make some important discoveries on their own.
James Cameron Stewart narrates the series and honestly, I would probably hear his voice if I read them. He has created unique male and female voices with accents that allow me to know exactly who is speaking. He truly enhances my overall enjoyment of the series.
If you love historical mysteries, you’ll want to grab Murder on Threadneedle Street. It’s the perfect fall listen with a touch of history and plenty of found family moments you won’t want to miss.
This review originally published at Caffeinated Reviewer
While technically each of the novels contains its own mystery, and Prose does a stellar job of recapping the character connections, I recommend reading them in order. From their romance to the relationships to the children and secondary characters, one misses out by jumping in. It’s a binge-worthy series, especially when you listen to James Cameron Stewart narrate.
When Hawk’s drawing teacher turns up murdered on Threadneedle Street, he encourages Wrex and Charlotte to investigate. In doing so, they find ties to The Lisbon Conspiracy, a decades-old scandal. Penrose weaves in historical tidbits into her stories, and this one involves counterfeit currency and the Bank of England’s exploration of banknotes. During this time, each bank made its own currency, allowing for corruption. The Bank of England is hosting a contest for the creation of an Inimitable Banknote and the winner will receive a £20,000 prize. You can imagine the cutthroat competition.
On the home front, the boys are navigating life with the newest weasel. They want to include Evie, but also need to respect the rules Wrex sets down. She has proved to be a delightful addition to this found family. I loved seeing bonds form and watching them engage in this mystery.
Of course, danger is always afoot, and both Wrex and Charlotte worry about unsavory characters realizing the Weasels are more than street urchins. Danger and investigating kept me listening, but so did moments with these characters. Some of the secondary characters who aided them added some humor and provided information that moved the investigation. Wrex gives us a scare when he investigates solo, and the weasels make some important discoveries on their own.
James Cameron Stewart narrates the series and honestly, I would probably hear his voice if I read them. He has created unique male and female voices with accents that allow me to know exactly who is speaking. He truly enhances my overall enjoyment of the series.
If you love historical mysteries, you’ll want to grab Murder on Threadneedle Street. It’s the perfect fall listen with a touch of history and plenty of found family moments you won’t want to miss.
This review originally published at Caffeinated Reviewer
August 31, 2026
I have fallen in love with the Wrexfrod & Sloane series of books by author Andrea Penrose. It’s a bit of Regency romance, a bit of mystery, a bit of thriller, combined with a science lesson. Murder on Threadneedle Street is the tenth book of the series, and the author has promised that there is still more to come, for which I am grateful. This isn’t the place to start the series if you haven’t read any of the books yet. There is a fair amount of backstory as to how Charlotte and Wrex met and fell in love, as well as how they acquired the menagerie of friends who make up their inner circle. I do think it’s a great story that builds on what has happened already in the series.
Wrex and Charlotte have found themselves with custody of four young adults. Two of the boys were street urchins Charlotte befriended before she ever met Wrex. One came to live with them when he was left an orphan and was rejected by some of his family due to his mixed race. In the last book, Wrex found out that his late estranged father had another child, a girl, who is also now without a parent to care for her. They are all in their young teenage years or that “tween” age. Both Wrex and Charlotte come from the nobility, although neither of them has much to do with English society except for when they have to. They are trying to make sure the four wards get proper educations, and in that regard, try to gear it towards what interests each of them.
Fletcher Campbell was the drawing instructor for the young boy they call Hawk. He was found murdered in what appears to have been a robbery turned violent. Hawk is quite upset and asks if they can investigate his death. Both Wrex and Charlotte are hesitant, but agree that there can’t be any harm in asking a few questions.
Boy, were they wrong. They uncover ties to counterfeiters who were hanged almost 10 years earlier for their crimes. At this time, each of the banks in England issued their own banknotes, making it hard to keep track of what was real. The idea is to come up with a standard currency for the entire country. With a contest in the offering to create a banknote that is not able to be counterfeited, are there people who never answered for their crimes now coming out of the shadows?
The mystery in Murder on Threadneedle Street was a bit convoluted, but also a good one. Penrose writes these books with plenty of research into the topics at hand, and it’s interesting to see all of the scientific advances happening at this time. Wrex has always been interested in metallurgy, and his knowledge here comes into play in the forming of the plates to print bank notes. The typical formula for the metal is too soft to hold up under that kind of pressure, but new discoveries are being made. Penrose takes a few liberties with the actual history to make it fit into her story. You can read about what’s true and what is embellished to fit in the story in her afterword. I have found all of them quite interesting.
To read my complete review, please go to Murder on Threadneedle Street by Andrea Penrose – Wrex & Charlotte Take on Counterfeiters
Wrex and Charlotte have found themselves with custody of four young adults. Two of the boys were street urchins Charlotte befriended before she ever met Wrex. One came to live with them when he was left an orphan and was rejected by some of his family due to his mixed race. In the last book, Wrex found out that his late estranged father had another child, a girl, who is also now without a parent to care for her. They are all in their young teenage years or that “tween” age. Both Wrex and Charlotte come from the nobility, although neither of them has much to do with English society except for when they have to. They are trying to make sure the four wards get proper educations, and in that regard, try to gear it towards what interests each of them.
Fletcher Campbell was the drawing instructor for the young boy they call Hawk. He was found murdered in what appears to have been a robbery turned violent. Hawk is quite upset and asks if they can investigate his death. Both Wrex and Charlotte are hesitant, but agree that there can’t be any harm in asking a few questions.
Boy, were they wrong. They uncover ties to counterfeiters who were hanged almost 10 years earlier for their crimes. At this time, each of the banks in England issued their own banknotes, making it hard to keep track of what was real. The idea is to come up with a standard currency for the entire country. With a contest in the offering to create a banknote that is not able to be counterfeited, are there people who never answered for their crimes now coming out of the shadows?
The mystery in Murder on Threadneedle Street was a bit convoluted, but also a good one. Penrose writes these books with plenty of research into the topics at hand, and it’s interesting to see all of the scientific advances happening at this time. Wrex has always been interested in metallurgy, and his knowledge here comes into play in the forming of the plates to print bank notes. The typical formula for the metal is too soft to hold up under that kind of pressure, but new discoveries are being made. Penrose takes a few liberties with the actual history to make it fit into her story. You can read about what’s true and what is embellished to fit in the story in her afterword. I have found all of them quite interesting.
To read my complete review, please go to Murder on Threadneedle Street by Andrea Penrose – Wrex & Charlotte Take on Counterfeiters
September 22, 2026
I thank NetGalley and Kensington Books for an advanced reader copy of Murder on Threadneedle Street. All opinions and comments are my own.
What does counterfeiting, a man murdered in the prologue, and the history of the race to perfect England’s banknotes have to do with each other? Well, everything actually, as the Earl and Countess of Wrexford come to realize in Murder on Threadneedle Street, the latest entry in the Wrexford & Sloane series (this is the tenth book).
In the hands of author Andrea Penrose, the story unfolds into a rich tale, filled with characters with plenty to conceal. It's soon apparent that the dead man’s identity comes close to home. And another death occurs, which complicates things. This quickly evolves into more than just solving murders, as the complex plot explores the desire for power and the need to hide identities linked to an old crime. It also shows how much greed continues to be a powerful motivation. This is all satisfyingly wrapped up with an exciting finish. As usual, I could have done with a little less science and technology lecturing, but as Ms. Penrose explains in the Author’s Note (filled with further information), this is part and parcel of her writing.
Something that is equally important to note in following the fortunes of Wrex and Charlotte and the others in their orbit: it is clear that family dynamics with the Weasels and Wrexford’s sister, Eddylina (Eddy for short), and love and caring are as vital as the murder and mystery storyline. Murder on Threadneedle Street reinforces these themes, and it will be interesting to see how these complicated characters develop.
What does counterfeiting, a man murdered in the prologue, and the history of the race to perfect England’s banknotes have to do with each other? Well, everything actually, as the Earl and Countess of Wrexford come to realize in Murder on Threadneedle Street, the latest entry in the Wrexford & Sloane series (this is the tenth book).
In the hands of author Andrea Penrose, the story unfolds into a rich tale, filled with characters with plenty to conceal. It's soon apparent that the dead man’s identity comes close to home. And another death occurs, which complicates things. This quickly evolves into more than just solving murders, as the complex plot explores the desire for power and the need to hide identities linked to an old crime. It also shows how much greed continues to be a powerful motivation. This is all satisfyingly wrapped up with an exciting finish. As usual, I could have done with a little less science and technology lecturing, but as Ms. Penrose explains in the Author’s Note (filled with further information), this is part and parcel of her writing.
Something that is equally important to note in following the fortunes of Wrex and Charlotte and the others in their orbit: it is clear that family dynamics with the Weasels and Wrexford’s sister, Eddylina (Eddy for short), and love and caring are as vital as the murder and mystery storyline. Murder on Threadneedle Street reinforces these themes, and it will be interesting to see how these complicated characters develop.
October 18, 2026
Glad there was another book in the series. The crime solving family continues.
Too much technical jargon, as usual. Glossed over most of that.
The narrator is the same every book, and he’s starting to sound irritating when he voices women or Americans 🤣 he’s got the main character man sounding like a pompous ass!
Too much technical jargon, as usual. Glossed over most of that.
The narrator is the same every book, and he’s starting to sound irritating when he voices women or Americans 🤣 he’s got the main character man sounding like a pompous ass!
May 23, 2026
5⭐️ - I adore this series. I love the mix of found family, historical fiction mystery, and scientific advancements. Wrex, Charlotte, and crew are back after Hawk’s drawing teacher is murdered. We get thrown into a case of counterfeit and murder. This was another great book in this series. I love in depth portions about the current scientific and industrial advancements occurring during this time period. It adds so much uniqueness you don’t find in other historical fiction mysteries. This one had me guessing until the end! I also loved the addition of Eddy and seeing how her integration into the family was going. The end celebrating her birthday was so sweet! We also get to see more from Raven and how he is maturing. We finally get to learn even more about Baz besides the history we know between him and Wrex. Overall, this is a intriguing read and another great mystery in the series of Wrexford and Sloane!
Thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Books for the ARC!
Thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Books for the ARC!
October 10, 2026
It’s often said that “money is the root of all evil”, but that’s a misquote. The complete biblical verse says that “the love of money is the root of all evil”. Very much on the other hand, there’s an often repeated contemporary (contemporary to our era and not Wrex and Charlotte’s era) that “money is the root of all evil, but every woman needs roots!”
As it turns out, this tenth entry in the Wrexford & Sloane series is set at the crossroads of those two competing uses of the old verse. Even if Wrex and Charlotte are far from aware of it as this story opens.
It begins, as all good mysteries do, with a murder. And as is often the case, a murder that the police of the day – not yet the professionals of Scotland Yard – are unlikely to investigate because it appears to be a very small and common needle amidst the large haystack of crime in the burgeoning metropolis that is London at the glittering heights – and as is usual in this series – in the murky depths, of the Regency.
Fletcher Campbell was an ex-con. He’d served his time for a crime that he didn’t commit, but he’d made peace with himself and his sentence because the crime that he DID commit was a righteous one. He saved his nephew from the gallows because the boy committed a crime that he was too young to understand, and because Fletcher wasn’t able to protect either one of them from his own brother’s criminal machinations.
A brother who seemed to be the leader of a flamboyant and successful band of counterfeiters. The Lisbon Conspiracy, a grand scheme that defrauded the government of thousands of pounds and poured egg over their faces at the same time, was a decade in the past when Fletcher Campbell was murdered. Long enough ago that the young genius who created the counterfeit documents has grown to manhood. Far enough in the rearview for the government to remember the scandal but with a determination to prevent the next attempt at the same idea – because the stakes are now higher.
The rising tide of international commerce has made the concept of a regulated, controlled, counterfeit-proof national currency of paper money an economic necessity. But the practical problems that must be solved are legion, and the Bank of England has sponsored a lucrative contest to create an Inimitable Banknote – one that cannot be counterfeited.
That contest forms the tapestry of this story, with the death of Fletcher Campbell the first thread to pull in unweaving someone’s plans to win the contract. Either for the £20,000 prize itself or for enough inside information to pull off the kind of counterfeiting opportunity that will make the perpetrators of the original Lisbon Conspiracy look like they weren’t even trying. Unless they are trying again.
But this time around, Wrex and Charlotte are standing in their way. Even if, at the beginning they don’t yet know precisely what they are standing in the way of. Because someone has attacked their family – and that’s one threat that neither of them can let stand.
Escape Rating A: This is what happens when I catch up to one of my comfort reads series. When I first discovered the Wrexford & Sloane series with Murder on Black Swan Lane, I was looking for a readalike for the Sebastian St. Cyr series, which I had just caught up with. It took three years to catch up with Wrexford & Sloane, and now I’m stuck waiting a year between books. But the series is definitely worth it if you love historical mystery.
While set in the same time period as the St. Cyr series, Wrexford & Sloane find their cases not among the high and mighty, but rather in the rising ferment of the Industrial Revolution and the explosion of tension and technological innovation that fueled it. Still, if you like St. Cyr you’ll love Wrexford & Sloane and vice versa.
In this particular story, the plot is incredibly convoluted, AND gets deep into the intersection between art, technology and economics in a complex pattern that makes both the crime and the perpetrators just that much more difficult to discover.
What fascinates me about this series in general is that the problem, as always, is a real one. International commerce was rising in volume rapidly during the Regency, which made the practical issues of exchanging goods and services for monetary value in some method more practical than ships filled with gold bullion an absolute necessity. But gold has intrinsic worth of its own, where paper money is only worth what its backers (usually a government) say it is worth which only has meaning if one trusts the backers. Which isn’t always wise. Counterfeiting was a very real problem – as it still is.
So, while the Lisbon Conspiracy in the background of this story is fictional, the Inimitable Note Competition contest was quite real – as were (and are) all of the problems of technology and perception that made the problem so difficult to solve.
The murder investigation that gets wrapped up and around the technical details is made that much more complicated because the perpetrators use the contest and the technological inventions (and occasional failures) to hide their actions while each part of the problem draws attention from the other and throws up an entire school of herrings.
It’s a case of wheels within wheels – sometimes including literal wheels – plots within plots and frames within frames. It’s all a devilish tangle that keeps the reader – and the protagonists – with their nails biting into their palms until the very end.
I was thrilled to be caught up in the chase with them, and at the end almost couldn’t turn the pages fast enough to be certain that everyone survived mostly intact. So now I’m breathless with anticipation for the next book in the series – and grateful that the author claims in the afterword of THIS book that she’s already begun THAT one.
Originally published at Reading Reality
As it turns out, this tenth entry in the Wrexford & Sloane series is set at the crossroads of those two competing uses of the old verse. Even if Wrex and Charlotte are far from aware of it as this story opens.
It begins, as all good mysteries do, with a murder. And as is often the case, a murder that the police of the day – not yet the professionals of Scotland Yard – are unlikely to investigate because it appears to be a very small and common needle amidst the large haystack of crime in the burgeoning metropolis that is London at the glittering heights – and as is usual in this series – in the murky depths, of the Regency.
Fletcher Campbell was an ex-con. He’d served his time for a crime that he didn’t commit, but he’d made peace with himself and his sentence because the crime that he DID commit was a righteous one. He saved his nephew from the gallows because the boy committed a crime that he was too young to understand, and because Fletcher wasn’t able to protect either one of them from his own brother’s criminal machinations.
A brother who seemed to be the leader of a flamboyant and successful band of counterfeiters. The Lisbon Conspiracy, a grand scheme that defrauded the government of thousands of pounds and poured egg over their faces at the same time, was a decade in the past when Fletcher Campbell was murdered. Long enough ago that the young genius who created the counterfeit documents has grown to manhood. Far enough in the rearview for the government to remember the scandal but with a determination to prevent the next attempt at the same idea – because the stakes are now higher.
The rising tide of international commerce has made the concept of a regulated, controlled, counterfeit-proof national currency of paper money an economic necessity. But the practical problems that must be solved are legion, and the Bank of England has sponsored a lucrative contest to create an Inimitable Banknote – one that cannot be counterfeited.
That contest forms the tapestry of this story, with the death of Fletcher Campbell the first thread to pull in unweaving someone’s plans to win the contract. Either for the £20,000 prize itself or for enough inside information to pull off the kind of counterfeiting opportunity that will make the perpetrators of the original Lisbon Conspiracy look like they weren’t even trying. Unless they are trying again.
But this time around, Wrex and Charlotte are standing in their way. Even if, at the beginning they don’t yet know precisely what they are standing in the way of. Because someone has attacked their family – and that’s one threat that neither of them can let stand.
Escape Rating A: This is what happens when I catch up to one of my comfort reads series. When I first discovered the Wrexford & Sloane series with Murder on Black Swan Lane, I was looking for a readalike for the Sebastian St. Cyr series, which I had just caught up with. It took three years to catch up with Wrexford & Sloane, and now I’m stuck waiting a year between books. But the series is definitely worth it if you love historical mystery.
While set in the same time period as the St. Cyr series, Wrexford & Sloane find their cases not among the high and mighty, but rather in the rising ferment of the Industrial Revolution and the explosion of tension and technological innovation that fueled it. Still, if you like St. Cyr you’ll love Wrexford & Sloane and vice versa.
In this particular story, the plot is incredibly convoluted, AND gets deep into the intersection between art, technology and economics in a complex pattern that makes both the crime and the perpetrators just that much more difficult to discover.
What fascinates me about this series in general is that the problem, as always, is a real one. International commerce was rising in volume rapidly during the Regency, which made the practical issues of exchanging goods and services for monetary value in some method more practical than ships filled with gold bullion an absolute necessity. But gold has intrinsic worth of its own, where paper money is only worth what its backers (usually a government) say it is worth which only has meaning if one trusts the backers. Which isn’t always wise. Counterfeiting was a very real problem – as it still is.
So, while the Lisbon Conspiracy in the background of this story is fictional, the Inimitable Note Competition contest was quite real – as were (and are) all of the problems of technology and perception that made the problem so difficult to solve.
The murder investigation that gets wrapped up and around the technical details is made that much more complicated because the perpetrators use the contest and the technological inventions (and occasional failures) to hide their actions while each part of the problem draws attention from the other and throws up an entire school of herrings.
It’s a case of wheels within wheels – sometimes including literal wheels – plots within plots and frames within frames. It’s all a devilish tangle that keeps the reader – and the protagonists – with their nails biting into their palms until the very end.
I was thrilled to be caught up in the chase with them, and at the end almost couldn’t turn the pages fast enough to be certain that everyone survived mostly intact. So now I’m breathless with anticipation for the next book in the series – and grateful that the author claims in the afterword of THIS book that she’s already begun THAT one.
Originally published at Reading Reality
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I found this one to be a little plodding. It was complex, but maybe a little too meandering? I'm also not a big fan of the belaboring about good vs evil, love and family, etc. It's just over the top.
October 4, 2026
Book 10 and another great read. This time the focus is on the the science, technology and art involved in creating banknotes that c as n not be counterfeited. I just love how hard science, math, engineering and art can be woven into not only great mysteries but great stories of love and found family including street urchins, a drunk surgeon and even a foreign spy. Looking forward to book 11.
July 27, 2026
I love the cast and I enjoy the science and history elements, but I’m a little tired of so much of the POV being from the kids. I don’t mind some of the plot moving through them, but we were drawn in by Wrex and Charlotte, not now four wards. They’ve taken away from time with either of them.
I know the mystery comes first, but Wrex and Charlotte seem more like friends or roommates than married. I know this isn’t romance heavy, but they had great chemistry and it’d be nice to see them as a couple. And in this book, Charlotte’s skills were seriously underutilized. She didn’t even really need to be in this book at all.
This is best enjoyed by people have read a previous book or two. It’s ensemble cast heavy now, but there’s still moments of tension with forays into danger. I just wish for AJ Quill’s pen, Wrexford’s lab, and the feelings/logic tension and values discussions along with Wrex and Charlotte’s attraction to each other had its former weight.
3.5 I received an arc from NetGalley
I know the mystery comes first, but Wrex and Charlotte seem more like friends or roommates than married. I know this isn’t romance heavy, but they had great chemistry and it’d be nice to see them as a couple. And in this book, Charlotte’s skills were seriously underutilized. She didn’t even really need to be in this book at all.
This is best enjoyed by people have read a previous book or two. It’s ensemble cast heavy now, but there’s still moments of tension with forays into danger. I just wish for AJ Quill’s pen, Wrexford’s lab, and the feelings/logic tension and values discussions along with Wrex and Charlotte’s attraction to each other had its former weight.
3.5 I received an arc from NetGalley
October 1, 2026
Barbara’s rating: 5 Stars out of 5
Series: Wrexford & Sloane #10
Publication Date: 9/29/26
Period: Regency London (1815)
Number of Pages: 368
Before I tell you how much I enjoyed this book, I want to tell you how much I admire this author. This series consistently delivers an outstanding mystery built around exciting new inventions and technology from the period. What I especially admire is the author’s ability to take what could be a very complex piece of technology and explain it in a way that ordinary folks like me can understand—not only what it is and how it works, but also how it contributes to the mystery that needs to be solved. And she manages to do all of this without ever making the book feel like a technical manual. That is quite a talent!
It seems poor Hawk has interminably bad luck when it comes to drawing tutors. He is thoroughly enjoying his latest tutor, Mr. Fletcher Campbell, and looks forward to each new lesson—until Mr. Campbell is murdered. Hawk immediately insists that Wrex, Charlotte, and the Weasels investigate. They, of course, cannot refuse a grieving boy.
As they begin looking into Campbell’s past, they quickly discover that he has served time in prison and was connected to the Lisbon Conspiracy, a decade-old counterfeiting scheme. Could his murder possibly have something to do with the conspiracy? Surely not. After all, all of the conspirators were apprehended and hanged.
But then there is the rather curious matter of the Bank of England announcing a **£20,000 prize** for the winner of The Inimitable Banknote Competition. Could these two seemingly unrelated events actually be connected?
Well, of course they can—and figuring out exactly how they are connected keeps Wrex, Charlotte, and the rest of the crew running from one danger to another. It takes everyone—Wrexford, Charlotte, the Weasels, Kit, Cordelia, Allison, Griffin, and many others—to unravel this complicated mystery. Danger and misinformation lurk around nearly every corner, and sorting truth from deception is anything but easy. They soon realize just how careful they must be when some of their members are injured while others are kidnapped.
I especially enjoy how this series continues to develop its characters alongside its mysteries. Wrex and Charlotte remain at the heart of the story, but it is the entire collection of characters that makes these books so much fun. Each has an important role to play, and watching them work together—even when circumstances become downright perilous—is one of the pleasures of the series. And, as always, Hawk manages to add his own special combination of heart and determination to the story.
This is another fast-paced and exciting Regency mystery, filled with wonderful characters, danger, twists, and a fascinating look at the technological developments of the time. The mystery kept me guessing, the pacing kept me turning pages, and the historical setting brought everything wonderfully to life.
Another thoroughly enjoyable addition to the series. I certainly hope there are more adventures ahead for Wrex, Charlotte, Hawk, and the rest of this wonderfully entertaining crew!
I voluntarily read an early copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Series: Wrexford & Sloane #10
Publication Date: 9/29/26
Period: Regency London (1815)
Number of Pages: 368
Before I tell you how much I enjoyed this book, I want to tell you how much I admire this author. This series consistently delivers an outstanding mystery built around exciting new inventions and technology from the period. What I especially admire is the author’s ability to take what could be a very complex piece of technology and explain it in a way that ordinary folks like me can understand—not only what it is and how it works, but also how it contributes to the mystery that needs to be solved. And she manages to do all of this without ever making the book feel like a technical manual. That is quite a talent!
It seems poor Hawk has interminably bad luck when it comes to drawing tutors. He is thoroughly enjoying his latest tutor, Mr. Fletcher Campbell, and looks forward to each new lesson—until Mr. Campbell is murdered. Hawk immediately insists that Wrex, Charlotte, and the Weasels investigate. They, of course, cannot refuse a grieving boy.
As they begin looking into Campbell’s past, they quickly discover that he has served time in prison and was connected to the Lisbon Conspiracy, a decade-old counterfeiting scheme. Could his murder possibly have something to do with the conspiracy? Surely not. After all, all of the conspirators were apprehended and hanged.
But then there is the rather curious matter of the Bank of England announcing a **£20,000 prize** for the winner of The Inimitable Banknote Competition. Could these two seemingly unrelated events actually be connected?
Well, of course they can—and figuring out exactly how they are connected keeps Wrex, Charlotte, and the rest of the crew running from one danger to another. It takes everyone—Wrexford, Charlotte, the Weasels, Kit, Cordelia, Allison, Griffin, and many others—to unravel this complicated mystery. Danger and misinformation lurk around nearly every corner, and sorting truth from deception is anything but easy. They soon realize just how careful they must be when some of their members are injured while others are kidnapped.
I especially enjoy how this series continues to develop its characters alongside its mysteries. Wrex and Charlotte remain at the heart of the story, but it is the entire collection of characters that makes these books so much fun. Each has an important role to play, and watching them work together—even when circumstances become downright perilous—is one of the pleasures of the series. And, as always, Hawk manages to add his own special combination of heart and determination to the story.
This is another fast-paced and exciting Regency mystery, filled with wonderful characters, danger, twists, and a fascinating look at the technological developments of the time. The mystery kept me guessing, the pacing kept me turning pages, and the historical setting brought everything wonderfully to life.
Another thoroughly enjoyable addition to the series. I certainly hope there are more adventures ahead for Wrex, Charlotte, Hawk, and the rest of this wonderfully entertaining crew!
I voluntarily read an early copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for a free review copy.
This is the tenth book in the Wrexford and Sloane series, which follows an aristocratic scientist and a satirical artist as they solve murders in Regency England along with their family and friends. While the mystery in each story is standalone, the myriads of relationships between the friends and family members in the stories have become a bit complicated, so I do recommend reading the previous books.
The household is adjusting to the addition of Wrexford’s half-sister when the murder of someone in their extended circle brings a new mystery for the family to investigate, which also correlates with Kit’s new position on a committee looking into the best technology to produce paper currency for the Bank of England that is resistant to forgery. The case brings up the history of a counterfeiting scheme that was supposedly solved years ago, but one of their inner circle may have been involved in a coverup that is still ongoing.
I was fascinated by the technology surrounding printing currency during this time period. Sometimes the technology in these stories goes over my head, but I was able to follow this one fairly well. I also appreciated that the story integrated so many of the characters into investigation and conspiracy. Another great addition to this series.
Recommended to historical mystery lovers who enjoy a good mystery, learning about Regency technology, and following multiple intelligent characters including children on adventures around London.
This is the tenth book in the Wrexford and Sloane series, which follows an aristocratic scientist and a satirical artist as they solve murders in Regency England along with their family and friends. While the mystery in each story is standalone, the myriads of relationships between the friends and family members in the stories have become a bit complicated, so I do recommend reading the previous books.
The household is adjusting to the addition of Wrexford’s half-sister when the murder of someone in their extended circle brings a new mystery for the family to investigate, which also correlates with Kit’s new position on a committee looking into the best technology to produce paper currency for the Bank of England that is resistant to forgery. The case brings up the history of a counterfeiting scheme that was supposedly solved years ago, but one of their inner circle may have been involved in a coverup that is still ongoing.
I was fascinated by the technology surrounding printing currency during this time period. Sometimes the technology in these stories goes over my head, but I was able to follow this one fairly well. I also appreciated that the story integrated so many of the characters into investigation and conspiracy. Another great addition to this series.
Recommended to historical mystery lovers who enjoy a good mystery, learning about Regency technology, and following multiple intelligent characters including children on adventures around London.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I have to admit I did not realize when I requested this book that it was book ten in a series. That is totally on me, I was looking for a good historical based mystery, and I found it! It is obvious I have missed some history of this unusual family, but Wexford, Charlotte, the Weasels, including Eddy, the special household staff, are wonderful characters. The contributions of good family friends, a Bow Street runner, and regular craftsmen used by the family also add dimension. While there are many characters, I felt the author did a wonderful job keeping me up with the relationships. When Hawk's drawing instructor is viciously murdered, he is determined to find justice, when their inquiries lead to past scandals and interactions with seriously dangerous characters the whole family needs to work on finding answers without anyone getting eliminated! I really enjoyed the setting here, how all the characters contribute on so many different levels with wildly different talents, and the science and history embedded in our story. This was a first read for me in the series and of this author, but it won't be the last. I will catch up with this series as time allows! Many thanks to #Netgally, #Kensingtonbooks, and the author for the opportunity to discover! #MurderonThreadneedleStreet #AWexford&SloaneMystery #AndreaPenrose #bookreview #bookideas #retiredreader
October 1, 2026
I love a good historical mystery series and Andrea Penrose's Wrexford & Sloane is one of my favorites. This is a series which I always want to read as soon as a new one has been released.
The characters continue to grow and develop as one hopes in an excellent mystery series, and the setting in Regency England is one I am quite fond of. What sets it apart from other series is that there is always a focus on scientific developments, discoveries and inventions of the time. In this series I have learned about early electricity, ocean going steam engines, the quest for anti-malarial medicine, and mechanical engineering. The most recent Murder on Threadneedle Street discusses an attempt to develop paper currency which is impossible to counterfeit.
As usual the crime is complicated and it takes the whole group of Wrexford and Sloane's friends and family to solve. It is indeed well worth reading.
And now I am force to wait for the next one to be released.
The characters continue to grow and develop as one hopes in an excellent mystery series, and the setting in Regency England is one I am quite fond of. What sets it apart from other series is that there is always a focus on scientific developments, discoveries and inventions of the time. In this series I have learned about early electricity, ocean going steam engines, the quest for anti-malarial medicine, and mechanical engineering. The most recent Murder on Threadneedle Street discusses an attempt to develop paper currency which is impossible to counterfeit.
As usual the crime is complicated and it takes the whole group of Wrexford and Sloane's friends and family to solve. It is indeed well worth reading.
And now I am force to wait for the next one to be released.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I'm still enjoying this historical mystery series, but I must admit not quite as much as I did in its beginnings. I don't know if it's because it's lost a bit of its initial "love story" excitement (yes, there's still love just more of a settled kind that doesn't figure very prominently now) or because I seem to be getting more bogged down in the historical part of the stories and that seems to slow things down and become a bit repetitive in the stories. I do enjoy learning the facts surrounding the inventions/events shaping Britain's history, but sometimes the language used is a bit intimidating and the sheer number of passages explaining these events throughout a bit much for me as it seems to take me out of the "story" rather than add more to it. That being said, the subject material here (ways to prevent counterfeiting currency which was more of an issue during that period than I realized) was very interesting, and its theme playing out prominently in the story served as a good plotline for the book. There is ALWAYS something to learn from Penrose in her books, and she diligently does her research.
The characters are and have always been a pure delight, both the mains and their supporting cast (friends/found family), and they've added a new intriguing young character who promises to be a wonderful addition to the mix. I'm looking forward to seeing where this eclectic group of lovable "family" members will find themselves next.
My sincere thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing / Kensington for providing the free early arc of Murder on Threadneedle Street for review. The opinions are strictly my own.
The characters are and have always been a pure delight, both the mains and their supporting cast (friends/found family), and they've added a new intriguing young character who promises to be a wonderful addition to the mix. I'm looking forward to seeing where this eclectic group of lovable "family" members will find themselves next.
My sincere thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing / Kensington for providing the free early arc of Murder on Threadneedle Street for review. The opinions are strictly my own.
Read
September 20, 20264 stars (though I don't normally use the rating scale).
I received a copy of this book in a Goodreads giveaway, and I'm happy to report that it's another intriguing installment in the Wrexford and Sloane series. Both protagonists have their share of adventures and discoveries; the Weasels are equally busy; and other series regulars are also involved to varying degrees. This time, the murder of a drawing instructor is the catalyst for discovery of nefarious activity involving counterfeit banknotes, with unexpected twists and turns.
My only quibble is with the publisher, not the author: the cover for the book is very evocative, but does not seem to have any connection to the actual story. At least it's not giving away any spoilers...
I received a copy of this book in a Goodreads giveaway, and I'm happy to report that it's another intriguing installment in the Wrexford and Sloane series. Both protagonists have their share of adventures and discoveries; the Weasels are equally busy; and other series regulars are also involved to varying degrees. This time, the murder of a drawing instructor is the catalyst for discovery of nefarious activity involving counterfeit banknotes, with unexpected twists and turns.
My only quibble is with the publisher, not the author: the cover for the book is very evocative, but does not seem to have any connection to the actual story. At least it's not giving away any spoilers...
September 22, 2026
One of the strongest of the series.
This was an ARC.
This was an ARC.
October 13, 2026
This is the second book of the series that was so bad that I could not finish it. The main characters that I loved about the series takes a back seat to the conspiracy of inventing a lathe to stop counterfeit pound notes. Without focusing on the interaction of the main characters the book was so boring that It dawned on me that it was not worth finishing.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Note: This review might contain spoilers. I don't think it does, but someone else did. So, just in case, I'm hiding the review because of spoilers.
Murder on Threadneedle Street is book 10 in Andrea Penrose’s wonderful Wrexford and Sloane Regency mystery series. The protagonists are the Earl of Wrexford, a chemist with a special expertise in metallurgy, and his wife Charlotte, formerly Sloane, an artist and political cartoonist who uses the pseudonym A.J. Quill. It is an attraction of opposites between the two. He solves crimes by using logic and the scientific method, while she uses intuition and an artist’s eye for details. Over the course of the series, they have each come to respect, and occasionally use, the other’s method.
Just as important as the leading couple is their extended family and circle of friends. Wrexford and Charlotte have a group of four young wards, collectively known as the Weasels. Raven and Hawk are two former street urchins the couple took in and raised as if they were young aristocrats, even though the boys often go out into the streets of London in street urchin garb to help Wrexford and Charlotte solve cases. Occasionally Charlotte joins them, dressed as a street urchin named Magpie. Several books before this one, Raven and Hawk were joined by Peregrine, a boy of mixed race who is the heir to an earldom and was adopted by Wrexford after his nearest relative rejected him because of the color of his skin. The book before this one introduced the latest addition to the Weasels: a girl named Eddy, Wrexford’s half-sister he didn’t know existed until then. There is some doubt as to whether Wrexford’s father was married to Eddy’s mother following the death of Wrexford’s mother, and the marriage documents, if they ever existed, have disappeared. Eddy likes to disguise herself as a boy and resents any effort to make her a proper young lady.
Hawk and Peregrine have welcomed Eddy into the group of Weasels, but Raven, the oldest of the children, has a hard time accepting her presence in the family. Things become complicated in this book because we can tell that Raven has developed a crush on Eddy, even though he doesn’t realize it himself. That might have been the source of the difficulties in the first place. Wrexford has insisted that Eddy not join the boys in their adventures on the streets of London because he wants to protect her, and Eddy chafes against this restriction, which becomes the source of frequent tensions in this book.
Besides the Weasels, Wrexford and Charlotte’s inner circle includes another couple, Sheffield and Cordelia. Sheffield is a seemingly empty-headed former rake who is actually quite brilliant and has become an entrepreneur—discreetly, because the nobility is not supposed to engage in business. Cordelia is a mathematician who tutors Raven. Each of the Weasels has his or her own talent: Raven’s is mathematics, Hawk’s is botanical drawing, Peregrine’s is mechanical devices, and Eddy’s is art and working with messenger pigeons. Other members of the circle of family and friends are Charlotte’s formidable Aunt Alison, who has recently taken a liking to Eddy, the Scottish surgeon Basil Henning, who is often called on to perform autopsies, Griffin, a Bow Street Runner, and von Münch, a mysterious man from a German state who poses as a librarian and who is really an international spy. These friends help the Wrexfords with their crime-solving in various ways.
One of the strengths of this series is that each book focuses on a different aspect of Regency science and technology (or later technology that had its origins in the Regency). Previous books have featured steamships, locomotives, suspension bridges, and telegraphs. This book focuses on counterfeiting, and the Bank of England’s efforts to create the “Inimitable Banknote,” a banknote that cannot be counterfeited. After the end of the Napoleonic Wars—the book begins shortly after Waterloo—paper currency has grown increasingly important, but the problem is that it’s easy for a skilled engraver to counterfeit. The Bank of England, along with the Royal Society, is sponsoring a competition to create the Inimitable Banknote, offering 20,000 pounds to the winner. This is an enormous sum of money—twice Mr. Darcy’s annual income, as fans of Pride and Prejudice will know.
At the beginning of the book, Hawk is very upset when he finds that his drawing teacher, Fletcher Campbell, has been murdered in Threadneedle Street. At first, it seems that his death is a robbery gone wrong, and Hawk is afraid no one will investigate and bring the killer to justice. But Wrexford agrees to help discover the killer. It turns out that one of Raven and Hawk’s street urchin friends witnessed the murder. He never saw the killer’s face, but a valuable ring was taken from Campbell, and Wrexford soon learns that the ring is tied to a group of counterfeiters who were part of a scheme to defraud the government during the Napoleonic Wars. This group substituted real banknotes meant to pay British troops in Lisbon with counterfeit notes and hid the real banknotes away. The leaders, including Campbell’s brother, have been executed, but Wrexford suspects that not all the members of the gang have been caught, and that the mastermind is still at large. He thinks Campbell was killed because of what he knew about the mastermind.
One person who was believed to be the mastermind is Campbell’s young nephew, the boy genius son of the hanged brother. This young man, a brilliant artist and engraver, escaped to America after his father and other members of the gang were caught and executed, but he is now back in England. Early in the book we learn that Jack MacArthur, the young man who takes Campbell’s place as Hawk’s drawing master (with Eddy insisting on joining in the lessons), is in fact the missing nephew. Wrexford believes his claim that his father drew him unwittingly into the scheme, and that he is not the mastermind.
Matters become complicated when a second man is murdered: the head of the committee judging the competition to create the Inimitable Banknote. This second murder happens just after the man had asked to meet with Wrexford on an important matter. Charlotte finds poison berries near the body, as well as a puncture wound on the corpse. Surprisingly, Wrexford and Charlotte’s friend, the surgeon Basil Henning, declares that the man died of natural causes and dismisses Charlotte’s evidence of poison. This is not like him at all, and Wrexford and Charlotte fear that Henning has something to hide and wonder if he was part of the counterfeiting conspiracy. To their dismay, they realize that they, and the Weasels, must solve the case on their own, and they can’t even trust one of their best friends.
The plot contains many intricacies, and we meet several groups of artists and inventors competing to create the Inimitable Banknote. Some of them are actual historical figures, such as the American inventor Jacob Perkins. Wrexford thinks he is the one whose technique, involving intaglio and relief printing, would be most successful, but the head of the Bank of England does not want an American to print British banknotes. Is one of the competitors the killer? Or is it an official of the Bank of England? There are many different suspects, and the killer is very hard to guess. Certainly, the murderer’s identity came as a surprise to me.
The book contains many details about printing techniques, which I found fascinating, but which some readers might think repetitive. I didn’t mind, though, because to me the scientific and technical parts are one of the highlights of the series. I always want to know which Regency invention Penrose is going to feature next. I also love the relationships among the characters, which are just as important as—perhaps even more important than—the mystery aspect. It will be interesting to see how things will play out as Eddy finds her place among the group of Weasels.
I highly recommend Murder on Threadneedle Street to fans of the series. It is an excellent addition. Having said that, though, I do not think readers should begin here. This series depends so much on the characters’ relationships and how they develop, that it should be read from the beginning. Someone new to the series might be hopelessly confused if they began with this book. But the series is well worth reading. Penrose is one of my favorite Regency authors, along with Darcie Wilde, Celeste Connally, and Katharine Schellman. Fans of Dianne Freeman, Tasha Alexander, and Anna Lee Huber should enjoy this series as well, because these authors also feature a sleuthing couple, even though their books are set in a later time (in Huber’s case, only a slightly later time). Penrose has some of the best author’s notes I’ve seen, and I was very glad to read in this one that the next volume is already in the works. I am looking forward to reading the next adventure of Wrexford, Charlotte, and the Weasels.
Murder on Threadneedle Street is book 10 in Andrea Penrose’s wonderful Wrexford and Sloane Regency mystery series. The protagonists are the Earl of Wrexford, a chemist with a special expertise in metallurgy, and his wife Charlotte, formerly Sloane, an artist and political cartoonist who uses the pseudonym A.J. Quill. It is an attraction of opposites between the two. He solves crimes by using logic and the scientific method, while she uses intuition and an artist’s eye for details. Over the course of the series, they have each come to respect, and occasionally use, the other’s method.
Just as important as the leading couple is their extended family and circle of friends. Wrexford and Charlotte have a group of four young wards, collectively known as the Weasels. Raven and Hawk are two former street urchins the couple took in and raised as if they were young aristocrats, even though the boys often go out into the streets of London in street urchin garb to help Wrexford and Charlotte solve cases. Occasionally Charlotte joins them, dressed as a street urchin named Magpie. Several books before this one, Raven and Hawk were joined by Peregrine, a boy of mixed race who is the heir to an earldom and was adopted by Wrexford after his nearest relative rejected him because of the color of his skin. The book before this one introduced the latest addition to the Weasels: a girl named Eddy, Wrexford’s half-sister he didn’t know existed until then. There is some doubt as to whether Wrexford’s father was married to Eddy’s mother following the death of Wrexford’s mother, and the marriage documents, if they ever existed, have disappeared. Eddy likes to disguise herself as a boy and resents any effort to make her a proper young lady.
Hawk and Peregrine have welcomed Eddy into the group of Weasels, but Raven, the oldest of the children, has a hard time accepting her presence in the family. Things become complicated in this book because we can tell that Raven has developed a crush on Eddy, even though he doesn’t realize it himself. That might have been the source of the difficulties in the first place. Wrexford has insisted that Eddy not join the boys in their adventures on the streets of London because he wants to protect her, and Eddy chafes against this restriction, which becomes the source of frequent tensions in this book.
Besides the Weasels, Wrexford and Charlotte’s inner circle includes another couple, Sheffield and Cordelia. Sheffield is a seemingly empty-headed former rake who is actually quite brilliant and has become an entrepreneur—discreetly, because the nobility is not supposed to engage in business. Cordelia is a mathematician who tutors Raven. Each of the Weasels has his or her own talent: Raven’s is mathematics, Hawk’s is botanical drawing, Peregrine’s is mechanical devices, and Eddy’s is art and working with messenger pigeons. Other members of the circle of family and friends are Charlotte’s formidable Aunt Alison, who has recently taken a liking to Eddy, the Scottish surgeon Basil Henning, who is often called on to perform autopsies, Griffin, a Bow Street Runner, and von Münch, a mysterious man from a German state who poses as a librarian and who is really an international spy. These friends help the Wrexfords with their crime-solving in various ways.
One of the strengths of this series is that each book focuses on a different aspect of Regency science and technology (or later technology that had its origins in the Regency). Previous books have featured steamships, locomotives, suspension bridges, and telegraphs. This book focuses on counterfeiting, and the Bank of England’s efforts to create the “Inimitable Banknote,” a banknote that cannot be counterfeited. After the end of the Napoleonic Wars—the book begins shortly after Waterloo—paper currency has grown increasingly important, but the problem is that it’s easy for a skilled engraver to counterfeit. The Bank of England, along with the Royal Society, is sponsoring a competition to create the Inimitable Banknote, offering 20,000 pounds to the winner. This is an enormous sum of money—twice Mr. Darcy’s annual income, as fans of Pride and Prejudice will know.
At the beginning of the book, Hawk is very upset when he finds that his drawing teacher, Fletcher Campbell, has been murdered in Threadneedle Street. At first, it seems that his death is a robbery gone wrong, and Hawk is afraid no one will investigate and bring the killer to justice. But Wrexford agrees to help discover the killer. It turns out that one of Raven and Hawk’s street urchin friends witnessed the murder. He never saw the killer’s face, but a valuable ring was taken from Campbell, and Wrexford soon learns that the ring is tied to a group of counterfeiters who were part of a scheme to defraud the government during the Napoleonic Wars. This group substituted real banknotes meant to pay British troops in Lisbon with counterfeit notes and hid the real banknotes away. The leaders, including Campbell’s brother, have been executed, but Wrexford suspects that not all the members of the gang have been caught, and that the mastermind is still at large. He thinks Campbell was killed because of what he knew about the mastermind.
One person who was believed to be the mastermind is Campbell’s young nephew, the boy genius son of the hanged brother. This young man, a brilliant artist and engraver, escaped to America after his father and other members of the gang were caught and executed, but he is now back in England. Early in the book we learn that Jack MacArthur, the young man who takes Campbell’s place as Hawk’s drawing master (with Eddy insisting on joining in the lessons), is in fact the missing nephew. Wrexford believes his claim that his father drew him unwittingly into the scheme, and that he is not the mastermind.
Matters become complicated when a second man is murdered: the head of the committee judging the competition to create the Inimitable Banknote. This second murder happens just after the man had asked to meet with Wrexford on an important matter. Charlotte finds poison berries near the body, as well as a puncture wound on the corpse. Surprisingly, Wrexford and Charlotte’s friend, the surgeon Basil Henning, declares that the man died of natural causes and dismisses Charlotte’s evidence of poison. This is not like him at all, and Wrexford and Charlotte fear that Henning has something to hide and wonder if he was part of the counterfeiting conspiracy. To their dismay, they realize that they, and the Weasels, must solve the case on their own, and they can’t even trust one of their best friends.
The plot contains many intricacies, and we meet several groups of artists and inventors competing to create the Inimitable Banknote. Some of them are actual historical figures, such as the American inventor Jacob Perkins. Wrexford thinks he is the one whose technique, involving intaglio and relief printing, would be most successful, but the head of the Bank of England does not want an American to print British banknotes. Is one of the competitors the killer? Or is it an official of the Bank of England? There are many different suspects, and the killer is very hard to guess. Certainly, the murderer’s identity came as a surprise to me.
The book contains many details about printing techniques, which I found fascinating, but which some readers might think repetitive. I didn’t mind, though, because to me the scientific and technical parts are one of the highlights of the series. I always want to know which Regency invention Penrose is going to feature next. I also love the relationships among the characters, which are just as important as—perhaps even more important than—the mystery aspect. It will be interesting to see how things will play out as Eddy finds her place among the group of Weasels.
I highly recommend Murder on Threadneedle Street to fans of the series. It is an excellent addition. Having said that, though, I do not think readers should begin here. This series depends so much on the characters’ relationships and how they develop, that it should be read from the beginning. Someone new to the series might be hopelessly confused if they began with this book. But the series is well worth reading. Penrose is one of my favorite Regency authors, along with Darcie Wilde, Celeste Connally, and Katharine Schellman. Fans of Dianne Freeman, Tasha Alexander, and Anna Lee Huber should enjoy this series as well, because these authors also feature a sleuthing couple, even though their books are set in a later time (in Huber’s case, only a slightly later time). Penrose has some of the best author’s notes I’ve seen, and I was very glad to read in this one that the next volume is already in the works. I am looking forward to reading the next adventure of Wrexford, Charlotte, and the Weasels.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 4, 2026
If you are a fan of rich Regency atmosphere, intricate plotting, and heartwarming character dynamics, Andrea Penrose’s Wrexford & Sloane series is one you should definitely consider picking up. The tenth entry in this beloved historical mystery series, Murder on Threadneedle Street, delivers another clever, high-stakes investigation alongside the deeply satisfying personal evolution of its core characters.
The story begins when tragedy strikes close to home. Fletcher Campbell, a talented drawing instructor to young Hawk—one of the former street urchins under Charlotte and Lord Wrexford’s care—is found brutally murdered. What initially appears to be a random nighttime mugging soon reveals deeper, more sinister roots. When Charlotte notices that a distinct ring was taken from Campbell’s body, she and Wrexford are pulled into a sprawling web of conspiracy, revenge, and economic sabotage.
The investigation leads them straight to the Bank of England, where a lucrative £20,000 prize has been offered to anyone who can devise an "inimitable banknote"—a design using cutting-edge art and engineering technology that cannot be counterfeited. As ties surface between Campbell’s death and an infamous decade-old counterfeiting scandal, Wrexford and Charlotte find themselves navigating both the grimy alleys of London and the glittering, dangerous drawing rooms of high society to catch a killer before time runs out.
As always, Penrose excels at weaving real historical developments—specifically the early 19th-century race to revolutionize paper currency and metallurgy—into a gripping mystery. But what truly makes this book (and the series as a whole) stand out isn't just the clever whodunit; it’s the heart.
Now that we are well into the series, one of the greatest joys of reading Penrose’s work is seeing how the main characters evolve and build their lives together. Charlotte and Wrexford’s relationship has matured into a seamless, deeply affectionate partnership built on mutual respect and intellectual equality. Beyond their marriage, it is wonderful to watch the continued progress and evolution of their unconventional, extended family.
Watching how they nurture their wards—Hawk, Raven, Peregrine, and now Wrexford’s newly discovered half-sister—is endlessly heartwarming. Seeing the young former street urchins grow, discover their individual talents, and learn to navigate society while retaining their sharp street smarts gives the narrative immense warmth. The family dynamic feels earned, organic, and full of life, creating an emotional anchor that makes the high stakes of the mystery matter all the more.
Murder on Threadneedle Street balances intelligent historical detail, thrilling suspense, and genuine heart. Whether you are already invested in Charlotte and Wrexford’s journey or searching for a rich, immersive historical mystery series to dive into from the beginning, Andrea Penrose’s work belongs right at the top of your reading list.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the copy in exchange for an honest review.
The story begins when tragedy strikes close to home. Fletcher Campbell, a talented drawing instructor to young Hawk—one of the former street urchins under Charlotte and Lord Wrexford’s care—is found brutally murdered. What initially appears to be a random nighttime mugging soon reveals deeper, more sinister roots. When Charlotte notices that a distinct ring was taken from Campbell’s body, she and Wrexford are pulled into a sprawling web of conspiracy, revenge, and economic sabotage.
The investigation leads them straight to the Bank of England, where a lucrative £20,000 prize has been offered to anyone who can devise an "inimitable banknote"—a design using cutting-edge art and engineering technology that cannot be counterfeited. As ties surface between Campbell’s death and an infamous decade-old counterfeiting scandal, Wrexford and Charlotte find themselves navigating both the grimy alleys of London and the glittering, dangerous drawing rooms of high society to catch a killer before time runs out.
As always, Penrose excels at weaving real historical developments—specifically the early 19th-century race to revolutionize paper currency and metallurgy—into a gripping mystery. But what truly makes this book (and the series as a whole) stand out isn't just the clever whodunit; it’s the heart.
Now that we are well into the series, one of the greatest joys of reading Penrose’s work is seeing how the main characters evolve and build their lives together. Charlotte and Wrexford’s relationship has matured into a seamless, deeply affectionate partnership built on mutual respect and intellectual equality. Beyond their marriage, it is wonderful to watch the continued progress and evolution of their unconventional, extended family.
Watching how they nurture their wards—Hawk, Raven, Peregrine, and now Wrexford’s newly discovered half-sister—is endlessly heartwarming. Seeing the young former street urchins grow, discover their individual talents, and learn to navigate society while retaining their sharp street smarts gives the narrative immense warmth. The family dynamic feels earned, organic, and full of life, creating an emotional anchor that makes the high stakes of the mystery matter all the more.
Murder on Threadneedle Street balances intelligent historical detail, thrilling suspense, and genuine heart. Whether you are already invested in Charlotte and Wrexford’s journey or searching for a rich, immersive historical mystery series to dive into from the beginning, Andrea Penrose’s work belongs right at the top of your reading list.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the copy in exchange for an honest review.
October 12, 2026
This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart
Review copy was received from the Publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
I always enjoy a new story in the Wrexford & Sloane series. There's great information about early scientific developments, and social commentary. They have built a wonderful found family with their own immediate family with a group of teens and their group of incredible curious friends.
The murder, this time, was Hawk's drawing teacher. They don't think they can do anything to solve it but quickly learn more. The teacher was recently released from 10 years in prison. He was the brother of a counterfeiter who was hanged along with others in his group. The police always believed there was a member still uncaught. There were also rumors about the counterfeiter's young son being the actual engraving designer and talent.
There is a new contest to develop bills which can not be counterfeit which has stirred up interest in the people and case from 10 years ago. The Bank of England people are against any solution from an American though an inventor from there has the best innovations. I enjoyed learning about counterfeit bills, and how real bills are printed. The aspects they use to defeat counterfeit being easily made or easily detected.
Raven and Wrex both have close scrapes as they investigate leads. The clever family gathers up nearly all the facts. Then Sheffield is kidnapped. Wrex and his allies double their efforts believing they know the 2 places where he might be held. Before they make these decisions, Charlotte decides to go to the art gallery of the people adjacent to their suspects. She discovers the mastermind and is thrown in the cellar with Sheffield.
I love this family of enlightened thinkers and courageous actions. They have to hide some of their differences from the beau monde, the society more interested in appearance than actual abilities. Luckily, they have the respectability, intelligence and money of the Earl to protect them from most situations. I highly recommend this series.
Narration:
I love the narrator and his performance. I enjoy listening to his distinct character voices of all genders and ages. With many foreign characters, the accents and tones sound right, although I am not knowledgeable enough to know if they are authentic. I listened well at my newer 1.75x speed. I was wary of the new player with listening to my ARC on Spotify but it went easily with no issues.
Review copy was received from the Publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
I always enjoy a new story in the Wrexford & Sloane series. There's great information about early scientific developments, and social commentary. They have built a wonderful found family with their own immediate family with a group of teens and their group of incredible curious friends.
The murder, this time, was Hawk's drawing teacher. They don't think they can do anything to solve it but quickly learn more. The teacher was recently released from 10 years in prison. He was the brother of a counterfeiter who was hanged along with others in his group. The police always believed there was a member still uncaught. There were also rumors about the counterfeiter's young son being the actual engraving designer and talent.
There is a new contest to develop bills which can not be counterfeit which has stirred up interest in the people and case from 10 years ago. The Bank of England people are against any solution from an American though an inventor from there has the best innovations. I enjoyed learning about counterfeit bills, and how real bills are printed. The aspects they use to defeat counterfeit being easily made or easily detected.
Raven and Wrex both have close scrapes as they investigate leads. The clever family gathers up nearly all the facts. Then Sheffield is kidnapped. Wrex and his allies double their efforts believing they know the 2 places where he might be held. Before they make these decisions, Charlotte decides to go to the art gallery of the people adjacent to their suspects. She discovers the mastermind and is thrown in the cellar with Sheffield.
I love this family of enlightened thinkers and courageous actions. They have to hide some of their differences from the beau monde, the society more interested in appearance than actual abilities. Luckily, they have the respectability, intelligence and money of the Earl to protect them from most situations. I highly recommend this series.
Narration:
I love the narrator and his performance. I enjoy listening to his distinct character voices of all genders and ages. With many foreign characters, the accents and tones sound right, although I am not knowledgeable enough to know if they are authentic. I listened well at my newer 1.75x speed. I was wary of the new player with listening to my ARC on Spotify but it went easily with no issues.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
At this point, I feel like the books in this series are an automatic 4+ stars as a baseline. I always love getting to dive back into the adventures of Charlotte, Wrex, the expanded group of Weasels and their friends. Here, Hawk's drawing teacher--a man with a complicated past and familial ties to an attempted treasonous plot involving counterfeit money--is murdered, but the police are ready to write it off as a robbery gone wrong. Hawk convinces Charlotte and Wrex to investigate despite their initial skepticism, and they realize quickly that the murder was targeted and part of a new, treasonous plot with echoes of the past coming back to haunt those with ties to the original conspiracy. Wrex and Charlotte grow more concerned as their friend Baz Henning, the medical examiner, refuses to share his connection to the players here and shuts them out. As the threats and attacks become personal to Wrex and Charlotte, they have to race to uncover who the mastermind of this plot is before it's too late. I was actually shocked at the ultimate reveal here. There were several possible suspects along the way, but like Wrex and Charlotte I did not put it together who the real culprit was.
The technological development at the center of this story is the quest to develop the "inimitable banknote" using new paper currency printing technology that could not be counterfeited. The descriptions were a little repetitive at times as the characters attempted to explain the different techniques for printing and the multi-step processes involved, but I always appreciate that the author incorporates unique historical details and little known facts. The author's note at the end was also really interesting, providing additional light on her research and the real life events/developments after the book takes place.
On the character development side, as we first saw in the last book, Raven is having difficulty adjusting to Wrex's surprise younger sister, Eddy, joining their family. He continues to struggle here with his obvious (though not to him) crush on her, while also feeling slightly displaced in the hierarchy of their family group. Hawk and Peregrine, meanwhile, immediately accept her into their circle, which slightly shakes Raven's confidence in his role as the leader of their crew. Raven and Eddy continue to have some bumps along the way, but they are on the path to sorting it out here. Wrex and Charlotte are going to have their work cut out for them as Raven and Eddy (and the rest of the Weasels for that matter) get older.
As always, looking forward to reading what's next for these characters!
Thank you to Kensington and Netgalley for providing an ARC for review!
The technological development at the center of this story is the quest to develop the "inimitable banknote" using new paper currency printing technology that could not be counterfeited. The descriptions were a little repetitive at times as the characters attempted to explain the different techniques for printing and the multi-step processes involved, but I always appreciate that the author incorporates unique historical details and little known facts. The author's note at the end was also really interesting, providing additional light on her research and the real life events/developments after the book takes place.
On the character development side, as we first saw in the last book, Raven is having difficulty adjusting to Wrex's surprise younger sister, Eddy, joining their family. He continues to struggle here with his obvious (though not to him) crush on her, while also feeling slightly displaced in the hierarchy of their family group. Hawk and Peregrine, meanwhile, immediately accept her into their circle, which slightly shakes Raven's confidence in his role as the leader of their crew. Raven and Eddy continue to have some bumps along the way, but they are on the path to sorting it out here. Wrex and Charlotte are going to have their work cut out for them as Raven and Eddy (and the rest of the Weasels for that matter) get older.
As always, looking forward to reading what's next for these characters!
Thank you to Kensington and Netgalley for providing an ARC for review!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
"Murder on Threadneedle Street" was another wonderfully executed entry in Andrea Penrose's Wrexford & Sloane series, the tenth book thus far. As always, her series are incredibly well researched and well written, with interesting historical facts and the murder solidly wrapped up in the historic topics that Penrose chooses to focus on. In this case, the central historic facet was the move of the UK along with the rest of Europe and America toward a banking system reliant on paper currency and how to make it more difficult to create counterfeit currency. The murder mystery begins with the death of Hawk's drawing tutor and spirals from there to unearth a years, if not decades, long counterfeiting conspiracy including both treason and murder.
The reason that I am giving this book 4 stars comes down to two things. First, while I love the found family, I am far less interested in the 'weasels' behaviors and attitudes as they navigate the strictures of society and becoming young adults. I found myself skimming their sections and constantly hoping for more page time with Wrexford, Charlotte, or, even better, both of them together. As the family has grown, it feels like we see less and less of what are in theory the main characters. It feels like there is less time spent on the murder than the family drama or the chosen historical topic. I will admit, I really liked the ending, the actual reveal of the bad guys, and how everyone came together. It was very sweet ultimately. It's just as the series progresses so many more people are being added making the stories a little more bulky, and requiring multiple villains and plotlines and more time spent on side characters. Which brings me to number two, which I think was summed up by the dowager Aunt Alison quite nicely in the book: "So, is all this fiddle-faddle over?" "Are we sure that all the mysteries-within-mysteries are finally untangled??" Her eyes narrowed even more. "And that all the villains are either apprehended or dead?" With more and more historic themes woven throughout the murders and larger and larger casts, I sometimes found the plot to drag. But I did still find the book very enjoyable and I will continue to read this series and I look forward to the next installment. I wouldn't recommend starting here, but I highly recommend going back to the start of the series with "Murder on Black Swan Lake" and making your way through the series. The series really is fantastic!
Thank you to Kensington Books and NetGalley for a free eArc in return for an honest review.
The reason that I am giving this book 4 stars comes down to two things. First, while I love the found family, I am far less interested in the 'weasels' behaviors and attitudes as they navigate the strictures of society and becoming young adults. I found myself skimming their sections and constantly hoping for more page time with Wrexford, Charlotte, or, even better, both of them together. As the family has grown, it feels like we see less and less of what are in theory the main characters. It feels like there is less time spent on the murder than the family drama or the chosen historical topic. I will admit, I really liked the ending, the actual reveal of the bad guys, and how everyone came together. It was very sweet ultimately. It's just as the series progresses so many more people are being added making the stories a little more bulky, and requiring multiple villains and plotlines and more time spent on side characters. Which brings me to number two, which I think was summed up by the dowager Aunt Alison quite nicely in the book: "So, is all this fiddle-faddle over?" "Are we sure that all the mysteries-within-mysteries are finally untangled??" Her eyes narrowed even more. "And that all the villains are either apprehended or dead?" With more and more historic themes woven throughout the murders and larger and larger casts, I sometimes found the plot to drag. But I did still find the book very enjoyable and I will continue to read this series and I look forward to the next installment. I wouldn't recommend starting here, but I highly recommend going back to the start of the series with "Murder on Black Swan Lake" and making your way through the series. The series really is fantastic!
Thank you to Kensington Books and NetGalley for a free eArc in return for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you to NetGalley and to Kensington Publishing for the ARC of Murder on Threadneedle Street by Andrea Penrose.
This series continues to be such an annual treat and I try to savor it as much as I can even though my impulse is to read it all in one day. This is the tenth book in the series, and new readers would benefit from having read the other books previously to fully understand all aspects of the story.
Penrose teaches us the really interesting background of creating paper currency and the problems with counterfeiting-- while the last book in the series was very math heavy, this one is easier to take in on the technological/developmental front. The in-depth explanations are still fairly heavily placed, but they tend to be broken up by actions of other characters in different places to give time to digest and understand.
We also dive a bit deeper into the growing lives of the Weasels -- especially with the addition of Eddy. The boys are slowly adjusting to her, and there are some upcoming plot lines with early seeds being planted that are...illuminating for the future. I think these seeds and these angles are a good angle for Penrose to take, especially for those who were a bit overwhelmed by there now being 4 children in the household. As they are aging each year, the avenues for their futures are starting to take hold and potentially take over more of the story. Eddy is a bit less of the main topic this book, and I think Penrose has altered her character a bit in ways that make her fit better into the story - the main one being the animal-whisperer aspect has been toned down to a reasonable level. which had originally been off putting to me in the previous novel.
And while we still don't get more time with Charlotte and Wrex as a couple, we do get more insight into some of their friends and longtime companions that shows how this family and their loved ones continue to grow -- all for one and one for all.
The mystery itself was interesting and had multiple layers and new people to encounter and old acquaintances to be in touch with - it definitely satisfyingly fit into the historical aspects around counterfeiting while still allowing for intrigue and Magpie/urchin scenes and high tension. It was everything I expected from Penrose and enough to tide me over until next year.
This series continues to be such an annual treat and I try to savor it as much as I can even though my impulse is to read it all in one day. This is the tenth book in the series, and new readers would benefit from having read the other books previously to fully understand all aspects of the story.
Penrose teaches us the really interesting background of creating paper currency and the problems with counterfeiting-- while the last book in the series was very math heavy, this one is easier to take in on the technological/developmental front. The in-depth explanations are still fairly heavily placed, but they tend to be broken up by actions of other characters in different places to give time to digest and understand.
We also dive a bit deeper into the growing lives of the Weasels -- especially with the addition of Eddy. The boys are slowly adjusting to her, and there are some upcoming plot lines with early seeds being planted that are...illuminating for the future. I think these seeds and these angles are a good angle for Penrose to take, especially for those who were a bit overwhelmed by there now being 4 children in the household. As they are aging each year, the avenues for their futures are starting to take hold and potentially take over more of the story. Eddy is a bit less of the main topic this book, and I think Penrose has altered her character a bit in ways that make her fit better into the story - the main one being the animal-whisperer aspect has been toned down to a reasonable level. which had originally been off putting to me in the previous novel.
And while we still don't get more time with Charlotte and Wrex as a couple, we do get more insight into some of their friends and longtime companions that shows how this family and their loved ones continue to grow -- all for one and one for all.
The mystery itself was interesting and had multiple layers and new people to encounter and old acquaintances to be in touch with - it definitely satisfyingly fit into the historical aspects around counterfeiting while still allowing for intrigue and Magpie/urchin scenes and high tension. It was everything I expected from Penrose and enough to tide me over until next year.
October 13, 2026
This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart
Review copy was received from Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
I always enjoy a new story in the Wrexford & Sloane series. There's great information about early scientific developments, and social commentary. They have built a wonderful found family with their own immediate family with a group of teens and their group of incredible curious friends.
The murder, this time, was Hawk's drawing teacher. They don't think they can do anything to solve it but quickly learn more. The teacher was recently released from 10 years in prison. He was the brother of a counterfeiter who was hanged along with others in his group. The police always believed there was a member still uncaught. There were also rumors about the counterfeiter's young son being the actual engraving designer and talent.
There is a new contest to develop bills which can not be counterfeit which has stirred up interest in the people and case from 10 years ago. The Bank of England people are against any solution from an American though an inventor from there has the best innovations. I enjoyed learning about counterfeit bills, and how real bills are printed. The aspects they use to defeat counterfeit being easily made or easily detected.
Raven and Wrex both have close scrapes as they investigate leads. The clever family gathers up nearly all the facts. Then Sheffield is kidnapped. Wrex and his allies double their efforts believing they know the 2 places where he might be held. Before they make these decisions, Charlotte decides to go to the art gallery of the people adjacent to their suspects. She discovers the mastermind and is thrown in the cellar with Sheffield.
I love this family of enlightened thinkers and courageous actions. They have to hide some of their differences from the beau monde, the society more interested in appearance than actual abilities. Luckily, they have the respectability, intelligence and money of the Earl to protect them from most situations. I highly recommend this series.
Review copy was received from Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
I always enjoy a new story in the Wrexford & Sloane series. There's great information about early scientific developments, and social commentary. They have built a wonderful found family with their own immediate family with a group of teens and their group of incredible curious friends.
The murder, this time, was Hawk's drawing teacher. They don't think they can do anything to solve it but quickly learn more. The teacher was recently released from 10 years in prison. He was the brother of a counterfeiter who was hanged along with others in his group. The police always believed there was a member still uncaught. There were also rumors about the counterfeiter's young son being the actual engraving designer and talent.
There is a new contest to develop bills which can not be counterfeit which has stirred up interest in the people and case from 10 years ago. The Bank of England people are against any solution from an American though an inventor from there has the best innovations. I enjoyed learning about counterfeit bills, and how real bills are printed. The aspects they use to defeat counterfeit being easily made or easily detected.
Raven and Wrex both have close scrapes as they investigate leads. The clever family gathers up nearly all the facts. Then Sheffield is kidnapped. Wrex and his allies double their efforts believing they know the 2 places where he might be held. Before they make these decisions, Charlotte decides to go to the art gallery of the people adjacent to their suspects. She discovers the mastermind and is thrown in the cellar with Sheffield.
I love this family of enlightened thinkers and courageous actions. They have to hide some of their differences from the beau monde, the society more interested in appearance than actual abilities. Luckily, they have the respectability, intelligence and money of the Earl to protect them from most situations. I highly recommend this series.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
5 stars. Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for the opportunity to read the advanced reading copy. #MurderonThreadneedleStreet #NetGalley
Tenth in the Wrexford & Sloane series, and while set during the Regency era of England, these books are not Austen-esque. It is why I recommend it to readers of historical mysteries who are looking for something a little different and perhaps more challenging. Andrea Penrose instead centers each story around the early innovations emerging during the beginnings of the Industrial Revolution, with each book exploring a different scientific or technological development. I find that aspect fascinating. I never mind the information-rich sections and actually look forward to reading the author’s notes at the end because I enjoy learning the history behind the fiction.
The found-family dynamic remains one of the great strengths of this series. The plots are intricate and move at a brisk pace because the innovation of the day inevitably becomes tied to threats involving larger stakes—often King and Country—which gives the mysteries an added sense of urgency. In this book, it is regarding how to introduce bank notes to the general public as wealth and commerce in the middle classes was growing and how to protect the paper currency from being forged, leading to the Bank of England offering £20,000 to anyone who can use the newly-invented engineering technologies to create the Inimitable Banknote—a complex design that cannot be counterfeited.
My only note with the series in general is a small stylistic choice—and it appears in all her books—is a recurring device where characters are having a discussion in a room and then another character walks in and seamlessly finishes a thought or jumps into the conversation as if they had somehow been hearing everything through walls or eavesdropping outside the door. It pulls me out of the story. That said, it is truly a minor complaint. I love this series, it makes me feel smarter afterward, and very much look forward to the next installment.
Tenth in the Wrexford & Sloane series, and while set during the Regency era of England, these books are not Austen-esque. It is why I recommend it to readers of historical mysteries who are looking for something a little different and perhaps more challenging. Andrea Penrose instead centers each story around the early innovations emerging during the beginnings of the Industrial Revolution, with each book exploring a different scientific or technological development. I find that aspect fascinating. I never mind the information-rich sections and actually look forward to reading the author’s notes at the end because I enjoy learning the history behind the fiction.
The found-family dynamic remains one of the great strengths of this series. The plots are intricate and move at a brisk pace because the innovation of the day inevitably becomes tied to threats involving larger stakes—often King and Country—which gives the mysteries an added sense of urgency. In this book, it is regarding how to introduce bank notes to the general public as wealth and commerce in the middle classes was growing and how to protect the paper currency from being forged, leading to the Bank of England offering £20,000 to anyone who can use the newly-invented engineering technologies to create the Inimitable Banknote—a complex design that cannot be counterfeited.
My only note with the series in general is a small stylistic choice—and it appears in all her books—is a recurring device where characters are having a discussion in a room and then another character walks in and seamlessly finishes a thought or jumps into the conversation as if they had somehow been hearing everything through walls or eavesdropping outside the door. It pulls me out of the story. That said, it is truly a minor complaint. I love this series, it makes me feel smarter afterward, and very much look forward to the next installment.
September 1, 2026
Murder on Threadneedle Street is the tenth in the author's delightful Wrexford and Sloan series featuring Lord and Lady Wrexford (nee Charlotte Sloan, political cartoonist), their wards (nicknamed the Weasels) and associates in 1815 London. At the end of Murder at Somerset House Wrexford's newly discovered half-sister Eddy joined the household as one of the Weasels, along with Raven, Hawk, and Peregrine.
Hawk's art instructor is murdered. Investigation suggests that he was related to a decade old counterfeiting scheme.
As with the earlier books in the series the author has done extensive historical research and includes fascinating information about the development of anti-counterfeiting printing technology. That technology, and its development and developers, are important to this investigation as the Wrexfords, and three of the Weasels, begin independent investigations of the murder. The Wrexfords' part early in the investigation leads to motives and the technology issue, while the Weasels contribute information about the killer.
Along the way, and overlapping the main plot, we learn more about Eddy (Lady Eddylina). She and Raven learn to shoot after Wrexford buys them custom designed pistols at a gun shop. As they purchase the pistols they meet an engraver who becomes Hawk's new art instructor, and also Eddy's when she shows artistic talent. Raven has a glimpse of the possible killer.
The development of the technology, involvement of the engraver, the Weasels' guns, and the gun shop all become important as the story moves along and then concludes after a somewhat surprising twist and confrontation with an unexpected villain.
Neither the strongest nor the weakest in the series, this book could be read as a standalone, but the continuing characters and their relationships are more fully developed earlier in the series.
Thank you to Kensington and NetGalley for providing the ARC copy; the opinions are my own.
Hawk's art instructor is murdered. Investigation suggests that he was related to a decade old counterfeiting scheme.
As with the earlier books in the series the author has done extensive historical research and includes fascinating information about the development of anti-counterfeiting printing technology. That technology, and its development and developers, are important to this investigation as the Wrexfords, and three of the Weasels, begin independent investigations of the murder. The Wrexfords' part early in the investigation leads to motives and the technology issue, while the Weasels contribute information about the killer.
Along the way, and overlapping the main plot, we learn more about Eddy (Lady Eddylina). She and Raven learn to shoot after Wrexford buys them custom designed pistols at a gun shop. As they purchase the pistols they meet an engraver who becomes Hawk's new art instructor, and also Eddy's when she shows artistic talent. Raven has a glimpse of the possible killer.
The development of the technology, involvement of the engraver, the Weasels' guns, and the gun shop all become important as the story moves along and then concludes after a somewhat surprising twist and confrontation with an unexpected villain.
Neither the strongest nor the weakest in the series, this book could be read as a standalone, but the continuing characters and their relationships are more fully developed earlier in the series.
Thank you to Kensington and NetGalley for providing the ARC copy; the opinions are my own.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Murder on Threadneedle Street is the 10th book in Andrea Penrose’s Wrexford and Sloane mystery series. I have read them all and enjoy the series very much.
Although set in Regency London, the author involves her female characters in shenanigans and the mystery as much as her male characters. Charlotte draws wicked political cartoons under a male pseudonym and also has a street urchin alter ego. Wrexford has acquired a young sister and the book deals with how much more dangerous it is for a young woman to be caught spying than a young man. The couple’s cook and housekeeper is as valiant as Wrexford’s valet. And Charlotte’s Aunt Alison lends her brains and her position in the upper crust of society to the investigations her family gets up to. (I’m always a fan of families with smart, capable aunts. 😊 ) This is very much a story of a found family, and I enjoy the interactions between all the characters.
This particular book is about bank notes and counterfeiting, and some of the details sent my head spinning. But as usual the book is very well researched and uses real historical facts in the fictional story. Also, homing pigeons were introduced! There is a large cast of characters; I had trouble keeping all the potential bad guys straight. This book leaned pretty heavy on the “peril to our beloved characters” trope, but it was a fun and fast-paced read.
I don’t recommend reading Murder on Threadneedle Street without reading other books in the series first. Readers have met many characters over the course of the series and the author does not spend much time catching us up on past information.
I read an advance reader copy of Murder on Threadneedle Street from Netgalley.
Although set in Regency London, the author involves her female characters in shenanigans and the mystery as much as her male characters. Charlotte draws wicked political cartoons under a male pseudonym and also has a street urchin alter ego. Wrexford has acquired a young sister and the book deals with how much more dangerous it is for a young woman to be caught spying than a young man. The couple’s cook and housekeeper is as valiant as Wrexford’s valet. And Charlotte’s Aunt Alison lends her brains and her position in the upper crust of society to the investigations her family gets up to. (I’m always a fan of families with smart, capable aunts. 😊 ) This is very much a story of a found family, and I enjoy the interactions between all the characters.
This particular book is about bank notes and counterfeiting, and some of the details sent my head spinning. But as usual the book is very well researched and uses real historical facts in the fictional story. Also, homing pigeons were introduced! There is a large cast of characters; I had trouble keeping all the potential bad guys straight. This book leaned pretty heavy on the “peril to our beloved characters” trope, but it was a fun and fast-paced read.
I don’t recommend reading Murder on Threadneedle Street without reading other books in the series first. Readers have met many characters over the course of the series and the author does not spend much time catching us up on past information.
I read an advance reader copy of Murder on Threadneedle Street from Netgalley.
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